Bulgarian Olympic Bronze Medalist Announces Retirement, Citing State Neglect and Financial Struggles

Bozhidar Andreev, the Bulgarian weightlifter who earned a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, has announced his decision to end his sports career, citing ongoing dissatisfaction with the Bulgarian state's treatment of athletes. In a statement to Nova TV, Andreev revealed that despite receiving the long-awaited bonuses, he would no longer continue his training. "I'm stopping because I'm offended by the way things are handled," he said. Andreev explained that for almost a year, he had been living in the gym, working tirelessly to maintain his focus, but he had grown disillusioned by the lack of state funding for competition preparation.

The delayed bonuses were paid after intervention by acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, who pressured the Minister of Sports, Georgi Glushkov, to release funds urgently. However, Andreev remains upset over the broader issue of systemic neglect and the failure to provide timely financial support for athletes. The 16-year veteran of the sport feels disrespected by the lack of measures to allocate resources for proper training ahead of major competitions. Although the bonuses were eventually paid, Andreev expressed deep frustration with how long it took and the humiliation of being left to fend for himself financially.

In addition to the financial strains, Andreev voiced his desire to start a family and shift focus to life beyond weightlifting. He also highlighted that this issue wasn't new but had been persisting for years, with athletes regularly experiencing delayed payments. Andreev announced that he would not participate in the upcoming World Championship in Bahrain, stating that he felt mocked by the system for not being paid his bonuses on time. He is particularly critical of the 11 monthly subsidies,...