A great number of events filled up the schedule of Bulgarian shooters and brought success in 2014. This is the assessment of the Bulgarian Shooting Union with President Maria Grozdeva – two-times Olympic and multiple European champion.

Besides the traditional World Cup and European Championship this year, a World Championship was held in Spain. This tournament is held once in every four years. Young shooter Samuil Donkov won the first Olympic quota for Bulgaria for the games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, placing eighth in the 10-meter pistol event. Bulgaria’s Anton Rizov finished sixth in the 10m rifle event at the European Championships in Moscow. Champion of the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing Lydia Nencheva won a bronze for Bulgaria among the in 25 meter pistol event in Spain. Young competitor Alexander Todorov also showed good results among the youth, winning a bronze at the European Championships in Moscow, placing 4th at the Olympics in Nanjing, and placing 5th in the World Championship.  
 

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"I have power and the ability to hear the national anthem," says Samuil Donkov about his expectations of Rio 2016.

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Veselin Petkov, coach of successful Bulgarian shooter Anton Rizov, says among the problems in this sport is the lack of training facilities and modern electronic targets.

 
The issue with targets emerged after the Bulgarian Shooting Sport Federation chaired by Kamen Shishmanov and plagued by problems was excluded from the structures of the Bulgarian Olympic Committee and its place was taken by the Bulgarian Shooting Union headed by Maria Grozdeva. However, purchased with government money electronic targets remain locked by the Federation.  
 
"We are making efforts calling on the Minister of Sports to purchase new electronic targets for 100-105 thousand euro in order for us to be able to work. At the same time 90 targets purchased by the state, stay locked in Bulgarian Shooting Federation. We were first asked for a rent of € 5,300 to use them for a month and a half during preparation for the World Cup and but then they refused because they had no right to do business "- reveals Valeri Grigorov, personal trainer and husband of Maria Grozdeva. We hope that the state will not tolerate this ridiculous situation and will intervene in the dispute for the benefit of Bulgarian sport. And also that young Bulgarian shooters will be able to prove that the golden generation of Bulgarian shooting - two-time Olympic champions Tanyo Kirjakov and Maria Grozdeva have a worthy replacement.

English: Alexander Markov