Bulgarian athletes win three awards at Balkan Athletics Gala

Bulgarian athletes achieved a historic milestone at the Balkan Athletics Gala held in Tirana, Albania, winning three of the four individual awards presented by the Association of Balkan Athletics Federations.

Boyan Sarabeykov was named the Balkan Male Athlete of the Year, surpassing competitors such as Olympic long jump champion Miltiadis Tentoglou and pole vaulter Emmanouil Karalis. This marks Sarabeykov’s third individual recognition from the association, having previously received the ‘Rising Star’ award in 2023 and 2025.

Additionally, sprinter Hristo Iliev and triple jumper Viktoria Angelova were honored with the ‘Rising Star’ awards for men and women, respectively. The ceremony was attended by high-ranking sports officials, including the President of European Athletics, Dobromir Karamarinov, and representatives from World Athletics.