World Boxing Secretary General Tom Dillen said that Bulgaria meets all the necessary requirements to host the world boxing championship. The Belgian was among the guests on the final day of the European Championship for men and women, which took place in the capital's "Asics Arena".
"I am very impressed with the way this European Championship was held. I think the organizing committee did a great job with holding the first European Championship here in Sofia," said Dillen.
"A great job was done so that we could see a record number of countries here and a record number of participants. This is a very promising sign for the future," he added.
"For Europe, this was the last major event on the calendar before the start of the qualifications for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. This was a very important preparation for the national teams for next year. In addition, this competition is also important for the way the competitors will be arranged at the world championship next year," said the Secretary General of World Boxing.
He was asked whether it was possible for Bulgaria to host an even larger forum, such as a world championship, after the superlatives for the organization of the European championship.
"It is entirely possible that we will see a world championship here in Bulgaria, as long as you submit the documents. We will certainly consider this possibility, so it is possible," said Dillen.
He also commented on the future of boxing within the Olympic movement in front of the media.
"The World Boxing Federation was created to return boxing to the Olympic program, because it was in danger of disappearing. Our role is to make sure that there is no manipulation in our sport. We work every day for this, but we are still an organization that is developing. We want to have all the levers to have not only short-term success, but also one at the Olympic Games in Brisbane in 2032, as well as the next ones in 2036. We work very hard with the International Olympic Committee. Every month we present a report on what we have done, so that they can be sure that we are on the right track. They help us financially, and we follow their recommendations. We have a real partner in our mission to keep boxing in the Olympic family. "I am optimistic that this will happen, but it takes a lot of work because it is not something that is a given. We have to work every day and if we do it in agreement, it will happen. That is my role - to help ensure that boxing has a long Olympic future ahead of it," concluded Tom Dillen.