Bulgaria’s weightlifting team is poised to compete at the European Championships in Batumi, a development Olympic champion Carlos Nasar calls a crucial step toward stabilizing the sport in his country. Nasar, who was named Bulgaria’s Sportsperson of the Year for 2025, spoke from the national team’s training camp in Belmeken.
Should Carlos Nasar compete for another country?
“This is definitely a good step for weightlifting, given the situation we’re in,” Nasar said, referencing support from Minister of Youth and Sports Dimitar Iliev. “But there’s still a lot to be done and as Mr. Iliev said, we – the athletes, coaches, and everyone in the federation – need to do it.”
Nasar acknowledged that financial instability is negatively impacting Bulgarian athletes. He warned that a lack of funding could stifle the growth of the sport at the grassroots level.
“As you can imagine, it doesn’t affect us in a good way, because we put in a huge amount of work for our results, and at some point we may not be able to participate in the competitions we are preparing for. Even worse, if the clubs remain without funding, there will be no development for the sport, and many children and talents will not even have a chance to start weightlifting,” he explained.
The Olympic champion emphasized the rich history of weightlifting in Bulgaria and the importance of preserving that legacy.
“We want to leave a mark so that Bulgaria can enjoy many more successes in weightlifting, because it is a sport with a great history,” Nasar added.
Nasar too called for greater transparency in how the federation spends its funds.
“The most important thing is to account for the money that was spent last year. This is not anyone’s personal money – it is money from the Ministry of Sports that should be used to develop our sport,” Nasar stated.
Despite the challenges, Nasar expressed joy at being named Bulgaria’s Sportsperson of the Year for the second consecutive year.
“This award brings me a lot of joy. It was a great emotion for me to see so many athletes and experience this ceremony again. I hope to perceive this feeling many more times,” Nasar said.
The Bulgarian weightlifter is currently training at the high-altitude base in Belmeken in preparation for the upcoming European Weightlifting Championships in Batumi.
