100 YEARS OF CANOEING AND KAYAKING – A CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE FROM VICTOR KIRIN

VIKTOR KIRIN

Long-standing General Secretary and Deputy Chairman of the Bulgarian Fencing Federation:

It is with great emotion that I would like to welcome all our distinguished guests, our beloved champions, medallists, the vast army of competitors, coaches, officials and functionaries with a heartfelt “Welcome!” to Plovdiv at this historic moment – the grand celebration of the 100th anniversary of Bulgarian canoeing and kayaking.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Organising Committee of this remarkable event and, in particular, to its chairman – the President of the Bulgarian Canoe and Kayak Federation, Nikolay Bukhalov – and his team for their excellent work. As someone who knows the nature of this sport from the inside and in great detail, I can appreciate the enormous effort involved. But it was all worth it! The celebration is magnificent and, believe me, I am truly sad that I can only be with you in spirit and in my thoughts! More importantly, nothing and no one has been forgotten; the legacy of generations of enthusiasts and professionals, spanning a whole century, is in good hands and continues to move forward!

In this regard, I would like to recall that it is also the 35th anniversary of the creation of the modern rowing canal in Plovdiv, built for the 1989 World Championships. And as an active participant in those events, let me once again acknowledge the contribution of the people of Plovdiv to its construction – architect Valentin Marinov and the then mayor, Dimitar Bakalov, who helped us greatly in transforming Plovdiv into a renowned global rowing centre. And today, let us welcome our guests here for the anniversary.

The wonderful “Almanac”, published by the Bulgarian Canoe and Kayak Federation to mark the centenary, sheds light on the long journey we have travelled, with its efforts, successes and heroes… And it will remain for future generations. I would just like to add the contribution of the many amateur canoeists and kayakers, to whom we owe our internal competition and growth. Let me point out that between 1985 and 1989, the number of registered competitors stood at 3,500! Sports schools are also an invaluable source of young talent, and this practice should be encouraged! And if young people were to have access to more valuable educational resources, as well as historical accounts – including the book “The Three Legends’ by Zdravka Yordanova and Chavdar Kalev – which would be well worth reprinting – this would be particularly inspiring.

Before I wish you, with all my heart, to enjoy this unique celebration, I’d like to offer a message of sorts, some guidelines for your future work:

1. Draw up a long-term strategy for the development of canoeing and kayaking!

2. Do not neglect good organisation in your activities!

3. Do not forget that discipline is the mother of success!

4. Apply scientific principles more widely to contemporary trends in the development of canoeing and kayaking.

5. The introduction of public oversight into the governing bodies of sport is of particular importance. It is a flawed practice for coaches to head clubs, as control then slips away.

ALL THE BEST AND GOOD LUCK IN THIS ANNIVERSARY OLYMPIC YEAR!