⭐ The star with Bulgarian roots: Manuel Zlatanov
Looking to the future of world volleyball, the U19 World Championship, which begins today in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, will be an arena for undisputed talents, one of the brightest being the 17-year-oldManuel Zlatanov. With deep Bulgarian roots, he is the grandson of legend Dimitar Zlatanov and the son of the famous former Italian international Hristo Zlatanov.
The Bulgarian public already had the pleasure of watching Manuel live twice in Sofia, where he left an excellent impression with his technique and mentality.
Zlatanov was selected to the Dream Team of the U17 World Championship in 2023 and the U18 European Championship in 2024, and is now part of the Italy U19 squad. Expectations for him are huge. Zlatanov will be part of the Italy U19 squad along with other stars from the so-called Dream Team U17 – opposite Federico Argano and middle blocker Martino Bigozzi.
🇧🇬 Bulgaria: hope on the horizon – Zhasmin Velichkov
In the Bulgarian squad, there is one name that clearly stands out –Zhasmin Velichkov.
Just a month ago, he came of age and has already signed a contract with Italian Monza – a team from the strongest league in Europe.
Velichkov impresses with his physique, attacking play, and maturity on the court, which is rarely seen at this age. He will be a leading figure for the Bulgarian national team in Tashkent and will bear the responsibility for the results against the world elite.
🌍 Other leading talents in the championship
The U20 European champions from France include a total offour players from the Euro 2024 Dream Team:
MVP and outside hitterNoa Duflo Rossi,
setterTheo Marzluph,
oppositeIno Dukic,
liberoGuillaume Respau.
🇦🇷 Argentina - with an eye on gold
The South American champions will rely on:
16-year-old MVPFederico Debonis,
setterFelipe Santorelli,
liberoEzequiel Pareira.
Argentines also include silver medalists from the U17 World Championship -Ivan Pavon and Valentin Yapura.
🌏 China, USA, Tunisia
China will be led by Asia 2023 MVP -Ding Haocheng, and will also rely onGong Haoqian and Yu Xiang.
USA will rely on their NORCECA MVP -Alexey Mikhailenko, as well asUrbina, Lamoureux, Payne and Sorensen.
Tunisia includes Africa's MVP – Yahia Djemaï, along with Alimi and Ayari.
📅 Format and first matches
The championship will be held from July 25 to August 3 in Tashkent, with the participation of 24 teams, divided into four groups of six teams. The first four from each group advance to the round of sixteen, and the rest to classification matches for 17th to 24th place.
Bulgaria is in Group B along with:
France
Japan
China
Algeria
Canada
Our team already met France last year during the home European Championship in Sofia. The draw brought them together again – this time at the World Championship in Tashkent. There's also a Bulgarian connection here, with the presence in the 'Roosters' squad of former CSKA playerViden Natsev.
🏐 Starting today
Today, the Bulgarian team begins its participation against Algeria at 12:00 PM. The first matches will be held in the two halls in Tashkent – Yunusobod Hall and the Sports University Center. We are looking forward to 11 days of exciting volleyball that will highlight the future superstars of this sport.
