Minister Kralev took part in a rowing competition to mark Bulgarian Sports Day on 17 May

The Minister for Youth and Sport, Krasen Kralev, took part in a race with the new “Dragon” boats on the rowing canal in Plovdiv, which was held to mark 17 May – Bulgarian Sport Day. The team in which Kralev took part, comprising the Mayor of Plovdiv, Eng. Ivan Totev, his deputy Georgi Tityukov, district mayors, municipal councillors and captain – two-time Olympic champion Nikolay Bukhalov – won an exhibition race against a combined team of Plovdiv journalists, bolstered by Olympic silver medallist Petar Merkov. 
    „It is an honour for me to be in Plovdiv today, because this is not only the first Bulgarian city to be designated a European City of Sport, but also one of the country’s major sporting centres. The achievements of Plovdiv’s athletes are immense, and the names of Stefka Kostadinova, Hristo Stoichkov, Nikolay Bukhalov, Yordan Yovchev, Vanya Gesheva, Nasko Tarev, Petar Merkov and others are well known not only in Bulgaria but throughout the world. Our main task now, however, is to inspire as many children as possible to take up sport, so that we can build a broad base from which to select our future champions. I would like to congratulate all the athletes, their families, and the parents of the children who are now taking up sport. “Happy Sports Day to the entire sporting community,” said Krasen Kralev. 
    The Minister for Sport highlighted that in recent years the city of Plovdiv has become one of the world’s capitals of rowing and canoeing, and expressed his hope that the project for a second rowing canal will be realised. „We have always supported all municipal initiatives to expand sports infrastructure. This is particularly true in Plovdiv, as it is one of the world’s centres for rowing and canoeing. The second rowing canal will expand the capacity of the entire facility and the opportunities to host more competitions, as the demands increase every year. In just two months’ time, the European Canoe-Kayak Championships for men and women and the World Rowing Championships for men and women under 23 will be held here. “I am convinced that these competitions will attract considerable interest and will serve as a dress rehearsal for the 2018 World Rowing Championships for men and women,” Kralev added. 
    The Mayor of Plovdiv, Eng. Ivan Totev, presented Krasen Kralev with a commemorative plaque in recognition of his contribution to the development of sport in the city.