BALKAN Basketball Club was founded in 1947, and the men's team of the club is seven times the Champion of Bulgaria. The team is part of the National Basketball League and a participant in the FIBA Europe Cup tournament for four consecutive years (2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21 seasons). The team plays its matches in the "Arena Botevgrad" hall, completed in 2014, which has a capacity of 3,500 seats.
Distinctions:
7 times champion of Bulgaria - 1974, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2019, 2022, 2023;
6 times vice-champion of Bulgaria - 1972, 2008, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2024;
6 times bronze medalist - 1973, 1975, 1976, 1982, 1990, 2010;
4 times winner of the Bulgarian Cup - 1970, 1986, 1987, 1988
BALKAN - CHAMPION OF BULGARIA FOR 2022
Season 2019/20
Season canceled early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Balkan finished first in the regular season with an asset of 19 wins and 1 loss.
Season 2018/19
The Balkan men's basketball team won the championship of Bulgaria after beating Levski Lukoil with a 3-1 victory in the NBL final series. On May 29, 2019, in the title game, the team led by Serbian coach Nebojsa Vidic defeated the Blues 90-75 in front of more than 3,000 spectators at Arena Botevgrad to win their fifth title in history.
The Balkan team also achieved historic success in Europe in the 2018/19 season, having reached the round of 16 of the FIBA Europe Cup tournaments for the first time. With this success, Balkan became the first Bulgarian participant in the playoffs of the European competition. Botevgrad's rival in the eliminations is one of the best Israeli teams and the current leader in the championship, Apoel Holon. Balkan outplayed its opponent at home 83-82, but lost the first game dramatically in Israel 81-85, which cost it its continuation in the tournament.
Composition of the Balkan champion team from the 2018/19 season: Zdravko Hristov, Ventsislav Petkov (captain), Dimitar Dimitrov, Pavlin Ivanov, Marin Marinov, Rumen Vasilev, Pavel Ivanov, Chris Minkov, Brendan Brown (USA), Michael Hopkins (USA), Mirko Mulalic (Slovenia), Aleksandar Gavrilovic (France) and LaMarcus Reid (USA).
Senior coach: Nebojsa Vidic
Assistant coaches: Preslav Peshev and Petar Zlatanovich
Physiotherapist: Tsvetan Stefanov
Fitness coach: Marin Jacinski
RESULTS - MEN
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
2022 - Champion
2020 - First place in season cut short due to global COVID-19 pandemic
2019 - Champion
2018 - Second place
2016 - Second place
2015 - Second place
2010 - Third place
2008 - Second place
1990 - Third place
1989 - Champion
1988 - Champion
1987 - Champion
1982 - Third place
1976 - Third place
1975 - Third place
1974 - Champion
1973 - Third place
1972 - Second place
BULGARIA CUP
2020 - Second place
2017 - Third place
1988 - Champion
1987 - Champion
1986 - Champion
1970 - Champion
SUPER CUP OF BULGARIA
2019 - Second place
GROUP A (II DIVISION) - 2009 - Champion
2022 - Winner of the Cup of the Bulgarian Basketball League (II Division)
BALKAN LEAGUE - 2014 - Third place
4 TIME PARTICIPANT IN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP (CASH)
Season 1974/75
Balkan started from the second stage by winning officially against the Albanian Partizan Tirana, who gave up and thus our team enters directly into the groups. There, Botevgrad residents fall into group A together with Varese (Italy), Zadar (Croatia), Mechelen (Belgium), Vienna (Austria) and Slavia Prague (Czech Republic). The Bulgarian champion recorded one win and four losses. Varese and Zadar are ranked first. Varese became the champion, defeating Real Madrid 79-66 in the final.
3-01-1975
Racing Maes Pils Mechelen - BK Balkan Botevgrad 113-77 (52-31)
Racing Maes Pils (coach: Robert Marchant): Bill Drozdiak 30, James Lister 28, Jos Peeters 1, Gibbe Ibens 6, Jacques van Thillo 19, Luc de Permentier 8, Vic Dheil 19, Roger Mariën 2.
BK Balkan (coach: Ivan Kolev): Valentin Petkov 14, Lazar Donovski 2, Marin Romanski 15, Zdravko Andreev, Misho Mihailov 7, Bogomil Chanev 13, Georgi Hristov 26.
8-01-1975
BK Balkan Botevgrad - Racing Maes Pils Mechelen 69-61 (35-27)
BK Balkan (coach: Ivan Kolev): Georgi Hristov 22, Valentin Petkov 10, Bogomil Chanev 9, Marin Romanski 9, Misho Mihailov 6, Zdravko Andreev 9, Lazar Donovski 4. Fg 31/68.
Racing Maes Pils (coach: Robert Marchant): Bill Drozdiak 19, James Lister 16, Vic Dheil 10, Roger Mariën 5, Jacques van Thillo 6, Gibbe Ibens 5. Fg 25/58.
15-01-1975
BK Balkan Botevgrad - Ignis Pallacanestro Varese 79-84 (37-50)
BK Balkan (coach: Ivan Kolev): Valentin Petkov 17, Georgi Hristov 24, Zdravko Andreev 21,
Ignis Varese (coach: Sandro Gamba): Charlie Yelverton 27, Bob Morse 30, Iwan Bisson 11,
22-01-1975
Ignis Pallacanestro Varese - BK Balkan Botevgrad 106-56 (60-26)
Fouled out: V. Petkov 21', Bisson 37'
Ignis Varese (coach: Sandro Gamba): Charlie Yelverton 12, Bob Morse 33, Iwan Bisson 14, Aldo Ossola 10, Marino Zanatta 16, Dodo Rusconi 7, Mauro Salvaneschi 4, Sergio Rizzi 10, Enzo Carraria dnp, Lepori xx dnp. Ft 14/18.
BK Balkan (coach: Ivan Kolev): Valentin Petkov 4, Marin Romanski 10, Misho Mihailov, Bogomil Chanev 8, Georgi Hristov 18, Zdravko Andreev 14, Lazar Donovski 2, Px Petkov dnp, xx Dufev dnp. Ft 2/2.
30-01-1975
UBSC Sefra Wien - BK Balkan Botevgrad 101-72 (49-33)
6-02-1975
BK Balkan Botevgrad - UBSC Sefra Wien 79-79 (34-40)
13-02-1975
KK Zadar - BK Balkan Botevgrad 106-61 (52-33)
Attendance: 2500
Fouled out: Andreev 35', Romanski 36', Matulović 38', Richards 40'
KK Zadar (coach: Lucijan Valčić): Čedomir Perinčić 10, Jure Fabijanić 8, Bruno Marcelić 4, Doug Richards 23, Giuseppe Gjergja 14, Krešimir Ćosić 21, Zdravko Jerak 12, Nedeljko Ostarčević 6, Tomislav Matulović 8, Branko Skroče. Ft 8/10.
BK Balkan (coach: Ivan Kolev): xx Dufev, Valentin Petkov 2, Lazar Donovski 2, xx Tancev, Px Petkov, Marin Romanski 7, Zdravko Andreev 6, Misho Mihailov 19, Bogomil Chanev 11, Georgi Hristov 14. Ft 7/10 .
20-02-1975
BK Balkan Botevgrad - KK Zadar 95-85 (48-42)
Attendance: 2500
BK Balkan (coach: Ivan Kolev): xx Dufev, Valentin Petkov 18, Lazar Donovski, xx Tancev, Px Petkov, Marin Romanski 11, Zdravko Andreev 20, Georgi Hristov 16, Misho Mihailov 10, Bogomil Chanev 20.
KK Zadar (coach: Lucijan Valčić): Čedomir Perinčić 10, Jure Fabijanić, Bruno Marcelić 2, Doug Richards 13, Giuseppe Gjergja, Zdravko Jerak, Nedeljko Ostarčević 6, Bruno Petani, Tomislav Matulović, Krešimir Ćosić 16
6-03-1975
TJ Slavia VŠ Praha - BK Balkan Botevgrad 79-64 (43-30)
TJ Slavia VŠ (coach: Jaroslav Šíp): Jiří Zídek 32, Vlastibor Klimeš 8, Ján Bulla 9, Jiří Růžička 11, Jan Blažek 12,
BK Balkan (coach: Ivan Kolev): Valentin Petkov 9, Marin Romanski 20, Georgi Hristov 14, Zdravko Andreev 12,
Season 1987/88
Round of 16
Balkan - Tracer Milano* 79-93
Tracer Milano - Balkan 97-88
*Later, Balkan rival Olympia Milano won the CAS by defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv in the final 90-84. The MVP of the tournament was Milan center and one of the best basketball players in history, Hall of Famer Bob McAdoo.
Season 1988/89
First stage
Klosterneuburg (Austria) - Balkan 83-82
Balkan - Klosterburg - 74-72
Round of 16
Balkan - CSKA Moscow 80-103
CSKA Moscow - Balkan 87-68
Season 1989/90
First stage
Balkan - Keravnos 105-87
Keravnos - Balkan 75-84
Round of 16
Balkan - Aris 91-107 / 26.10.1989, "Universiade" hall, Sofia
Aris - Balkan 119 - 88 /2.11.1989, Thessaloniki
Season 2019/20
Balkan participated in the State Championship with 8 teams - boys up to 10, 12 (2 teams), 13, 14, 16 and 19 years, as well as girls up to 19 years. The club also participates with three ages in the European Youth League (EYBL CE) - boys up to 14, 15 and 16 years.
The Balkan men's team, led by Jovica Arsic, finished in first place in the 2019/20 regular season, which was prematurely terminated on April 16, 2020. Balkan recorded a total asset of 19 wins and only 1 loss.
In the 2019/20 season, Balkan reached the Bulgarian Cup final for the first time since 1988, losing to Levski Lukoil 78-86. The match for the Cup is on February 9, 2020 in the "Universiade" hall.
In Europe, the team participated for the first time in the Champions League qualifiers, but failed to qualify and continued in the tournament for the FIBA Europe Cup. In it, he recorded two victories over the Russian giant Yenisei Krasnoyarsk and the Swedish Södertele Kings and five losses - twice against Cluj Napoca, once as a guest of Södertele Kings and in the return match against Yenisei Krasnoyarsk.
On October 3, 2019, the team participated for the first time in a match for the Super Cup of Bulgaria, which lost to Levski Lukoil with 71-82 in front of more than 2000 spectators in "Arena Botevgrad".
BALKAN SCHOOL
Season 2019/20
Juniors U19 - Champion of Bulgaria - First Division. Coach Borislav Georgiev.
Juniors U16 - Champion of Bulgaria. Coach Victoria Marinova.
Boys U14 - Champion of Bulgaria. Coach Nikolay Peev.
Boys U12 - Third place. Coach Vencislav Stoev.
Season 2018/19
Boys (13) - Winner of the BBF Cup
Boys (14) /born 2005/06/ - Champion of Bulgaria
Boys (14) - Winner of the BBF Cup
Boys (14) - Historic fifth place in European Youth Basketball League (European Youth Basketball League - Central Europe - EYBL CE)
The team, led by coach Nikolay Peev, achieved a historic first ranking in the playoffs of the European Youth Basketball League. They took place in the Italian city of Cesenatico from March 29-31, 2019. At the tournament, Balkan achieved two victories (Santa Cruz /Spain/ and Giros Academia /Hungary/) and conceded two defeats (Santa Cruz and the hosts from College Basket /Italy/).
Season 2017/18
Boys 14 - Second Place - State Championship
Boys 14 - Second place - BBF Cup
Boys 12 - Champion of Bulgaria
Boys 12 - Winner of the BBF Cup
Season 2016/17
Boys 12 - Second Place - State Championship
Girls 19 - Third Place - State Championship
Girls 19 - Third place - BBF Cup
Season 2015/16
Boys 12 - Second Place - State Championship
Girls 19 - Third Place - State Championship
Season 2013/14
Juniors 19 - Champion of Bulgaria
Girls 19 - Third Place - State Championship
Season 2012/13
Junior 19 - Second Place - State Championship
Boys 16 - Second Place - State Championship
Season 2011/12
Boys 16 - Champion of Bulgaria
Season 2010/11
Boys 14 - Champion of Bulgaria
Junior 19 - Third Place - State Championship
Season 2009/10
Junior 19 - Second Place - State Championship
Season 2008/09
Boys 14 - Second Place - State Championship
Boys 14 - Third place Cup Bulgaria
Season 2007/08
Boys 12 - Second Place - State Championship
Season 2006/07
Boys 14 - Second Place - State Championship
Season 2005/06
Junior 19 - Third Place - State Championship
Season 2004/05
Junior 19 - Second Place - State Championship
