Bulgaria's national volleyball team for girls under 18, which became European champion at the championship in Greece and Romania last summer, won the Sports Icarus award in the category for "Team of the Year".
Led by the new women's coach Antonina Zetova, our U18 national girls' team outplayed Italy in the semi-finals with 3:2 sets, after an incredible comeback from 10:13 in the tie-break. In the grand final, the volleyball players prevailed over Belgium with 3:0 sets, triumphing with the first historic gold in Europe.
The nomination was announced at a special press conference of the "Bulgarian Sport" Foundation in the "Bulgaria" press club. The chairman of the jury, Zdravka Yordanova, announced the winners of the Sports Icarus for 2024 in the individual categories. Members of the Foundation's Board of Directors, Sasho Yovkov and Plamen Krastev, also attended the event.

Olympic weightlifting champion in the 89 kg categoryCarlos Nassar is the recipient of the "Sports Icarus" award from the "Bulgarian Sport" Foundation for 2024.The 20-year-old weightlifter won the title at Paris 2024, also setting two world records. In addition, he won the European title at the championship in Sofia in April.

The other two Bulgarian Olympic champions from Paris 2024 - wrestlers Semen Novikov and Magomed Ramazanov, are honored in the category"impressive performance". The Ukrainian Novikov won gold in the category of classical style, and the Dagestani Ramazanov - in the 86 kg category of freestyle.

The awards ceremony will be on December 19 at 11:00 AM in the Grand Hotel Sofia.

There, the other winners in the ten categories of the "Bulgarian Sport" Foundation will also receive their awards.

photo: Nikolay Varadinov