Minister of Youth and Sports Encho Keryazov described Carlos Nassar’s fourth world title as a success for Bulgarian sport as a whole. The 22-year-old weightlifter returned to Bulgaria after the championships in Ningbo, China, and the minister welcomed him at Vasil Levski Airport.
Nassar won gold medals in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total in the up to 95-kilogram category. He was the only Bulgarian participant to record a placing at the championships. Bulgaria competed with five athletes, with three finishing with no valid lift in one of the two movements, while Ivan Dimov did not start.
“This is a great success not only for him and Bulgarian weightlifting, but also for Bulgarian sport as a whole, because people like him serve as an inspiration to children,” Encho Keryazov said.The minister added that he had wished Nassar to find time for his family. “I know what he is going through and how busy he is with commitments, but I hope he will have time for them, because they are the first people who believed in him,” Keryazov said.
Zlatev expects funding for the federation
The newly elected president of the Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation, Asen Zlatev, also congratulated the world champion. He thanked Nassar for preserving the reputation of Bulgarian weightlifting and linked the performance of the other athletes to the prolonged financial problems.
“The performance of the other athletes is what should be expected when they have gone seven or eight months, perhaps even longer, without salaries and have had nothing to eat or any way to train normally,” Zlatev commented.He said that the federation was expecting funding from the Ministry of Youth and Sports. According to him, the federation has still not been entered in the Commercial Register, which prevents its management from signing documents within the required deadlines.
Zlatev also said that Nassar would compete at the World Cup in Qatar. The participation of the other Bulgarian weightlifters will depend on funding and their health. If funds are secured, the federation also plans to hold a national championship, which is important for the clubs and their subsidies for next year.
Keryazov confirmed that the new budget provides for an increase in sports funding, but clarified that this was not the reason for welcoming Nassar.
Sources: sportal.bg