Radio Bulgaria

At a ceremony in the National Palace of Culture in Sofia incredible Bulgarian female wrestler Stanka Zlateva received for the third time in her career the Sportsman of the Year Award. The prestigious award exists in Bulgaria since 1958.

Zlateva, who is 5-time world and European champion, won the award in 2007 and 2010. This summer her fifth world wrestling title brought her the prize again. Another Bulgarian wrestling legend - Boyan Radev, has 3 Sportsman of the Year awards in his career and only Bulgarian athlete Stefka Kostadinova, whose world record in the high jump remains unbeaten to this day, has won the award 4 times.

Stanka Zlateva did not hide her joy from the prize and vowed for a great performance at the coming Olympic Games in London in 2012. Manager of Zlateva, renowned Simeon Shterev also grabbed the award for manager of the year, leaving behind manger of the Rhythmic Gymnastic team, iliana Raeva and Krasimir Tumanov – coach of the incredible open water swimmer Petar Stoichev. Simeon Shterev thanked Stanka Zlateva for the Olympic quota and wished a pile of medals to all Bulgarian competitors in London.

In 2011 not only Stanka Zlateva but a number of other Bulgarian athletes were successful too. Second in the Sportsman of the Year Award Chart remained legendary open water swimmer Petar Stoichev who in 2011 won the title in Shanghai during the 25 km event, thus becoming the first Bulgarian swimmer with a World Championship title. Wrestler Elis Guri, who in 2011 became a world champion and won a bronze in the European Championship in Dortmund, remained third. Fourth in the chart was Bulgarian boxer Kubrat Pulev who became heavyweight intercontinental champion during the past year. Athlete Ivet Lalova, often called “the fastest white woman on earth” placed fifth in the Sportsman of the Year Award Chart after qualifying for the 100 m final in South Korea this summer. Lalova also received and an award for best track-and-field athlete on the Balkans in 2011. Best Bulgarian female tennis player Tsvetana Pironkova placed sixth while bodybuilder Konstantin Paskalev, who in 2011 won the European classic bodybuilding title remained 7th. In the parallel poll among the sport fans, Paskalev even topped the Sportsman of the Year chart. Silvia Miteva of the Bulgarian rhythmic gymnastics team, athlete Vanya Stambolova, and ski jumper Vladimir Zografski also placed among the top 10. Zografski is a young competitor but he already has the chance of becoming the most successful Bulgarian in this sport. Athlete Ruzhdi Ruzhdi won the title among the sportsmen with disabilities, while Manchester United Striker Dimitar Berbatov and volleyball player Matey Kaziyski remained outside the top 10.

Bulgaria expects the future victories of athlete number 1 of the country Stanka Zlateva. She has already won a number of medals for Bulgaria and has been named the best female wrestler in the world twice. Zlateva became the first Bulgarian female wrestler to take part in the Olympics in Athens in 2004. There young Zlateva placed 12th but at the very next games in Beijing in 2008 she grabbed the silver. Now the world champion is ready for an Olympic gold. “I hope to do my job well and make you welcome me this way again,” Stanka told reporters after receiving the award in Sofia. Bulgaria and all fans of the sport expect her next victories.