Stanka Zlateva will not grant a general power of attorney to the newly elected president of the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation, Todor Angelov, until the court proceedings concerning his election are concluded. She therefore formally remains at the helm of the federation after several clubs filed appeals against the decisions of the General Assembly.
Angelov was elected at the meeting around a month ago, at which Zlateva did not receive a single vote. She subsequently announced that she was leaving the sport and would not make any further statements. The newly elected president later called on her to grant him power of attorney so that he could perform the federation’s management functions until the new leadership was officially registered.
In her statement, Zlateva said that she had no intention of blocking the work of the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation, its employees or the clubs. She stressed that Angelov could oversee the preparation of the sports calendar and the activities related to applying for state funding:
According to Zlateva, however, the requested power of attorney is general and would grant powers including financial management and the disposal of the federation’s funds. That is why she is refusing to sign it until the dispute is clarified.
The appeals filed against Angelov’s election have halted the registration of the new leadership, leaving the federation in an administrative vacuum. The situation is unfolding amid calls for Angelov to take over the day-to-day operations and ensure preparations for the upcoming sports calendar.
On October 17, Angelov was elected president of the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation after the General Assembly removed Zlateva from office. At the time, she said she would not appeal the decision and would give the new president an opportunity to work.
The latest developments show that the dispute is no longer only about the election of a president, but also about how the federation will function until a final ruling is issued on the appeals. If no solution is found, some clubs may boycott the national championships.