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Publication from the "Naroden Sport" VC about the final of the championship in the native championship in 1987, when the Bulgarian basketball champion became the team of Balkan Botevgrad.
We publish the article with almost no editorial intervention:
National Sports Center, May 9, 1987
Balkan (Botevgrad) – Bezpalation champion
• In second place "Levski Spartak", in third place - "Spartak" (Pleven) • The stronger one deserves respect, former champions
For the second time since 1974, Balkan Botevgrad is the basketball champion of Bulgaria. The success of the people of Botevgrd can be described as the greatest, because they had already won the NRB Cup. (b.a People's Republic of Bulgaria). And the gold medals in the championship were won in the most convincing way, winning in both final matches "Levski-Spartak". The bronze medals became the possession of people from Pleven.
For 1st place
LEVSKI-SPARTAK: Kolev 17**, Wandier, Evtimov 15*, Mladenov 18, Bogdanov 13 (Nedelchev 5, Morov 6**, Kuzov 6, Milanov, Kovachev)
BALKAN (BOTEVGRAD): Peev 19**, Kolev 9**, Vezenkov 23**, Slavov 26**, Ionov 17** (Gerasimov 8*, Donovski, Brasnashki).
(Note: The asterisks in "Naroden Sport" are given by journalists or coaches for the athlete's overall performance in the match.)
Judges: Angel Ivanov and Hristo Grncharov (Sofia)
Result 102-80 (35-44) for Balkan.
The Universiade hall has not known such an atmosphere for a basketball match for a long time, inherent in really big competitions. And how else, wasn't the question about the championship title?
It was clear from the very beginning that it would be a match worthy of ending the championship. Balkan was more active in defense and imposed a certain advantage. Later, with the same weapon, Levski Spartak took it away from him, even leading by 14 points just before the end of the half, and they already looked quite a solid lead. However, he was melted in just five minutes at the start of the second half. And from here, the blue ones were finally catching up. But in the tense time leading up to the end of the match, it was clear how strong and cohesive Balkan is, the great spirit of its players, and the fact that their claim to the championship rests on an enviable ability to use their qualities in the most rational way. They proved with their game that they are the most worthy of the title, that it suits them best. Congratulations, Balkans!
However, the basketball players from Levski Spartak deserve criticism for their bad playing behavior at the end of the game, when in the most brutal way they rushed to stop their opponent's attacks. They did not like the majority of their supporters, who left the hall to avoid seeing their shame. They acted even uglier after the end of the meeting - they did not find the strength in themselves to congratulate the winners, to respect the best. And that also speaks volumes...
Hristo Kyuchukov
FOR III PLACE
AKADEMIC (VARNA): Kotsev - 31 points, Kostov - 10, Uzunov - 8, Stoev - 7, Borisov (Kayryakov -5, Rusatev, Manchev);
SPARTAC (PLEVEN): Koev – 18 points, Antov – 14, Velikov – 15, Titov – 6, Rangelov (Pangarov – 9 points)
Judges: Kamen Toshev and Stefan Stanev (Sofia)
Result: 62:61 (33-40) for Spartak
VARNA. In the beginning, Spartacus probably could not recognize each other. The active defense of the students turned them around so much that in the 8th minute they had an asset of only 4 points (against the opponent's 20), achieved by one foul basket and one successful shot for a technical foul. And while the guests hung in weightlessness between "to be or not to be", the hosts, most likely through Kotsev, methodically maintained their lead: in the 18th minute - 40:22. Exactly two minutes before the break, Pangarov, Antov and Velikov saved the situation with three successful shots from the three-point zone - 40:33. The students did not put an earring on the ear of this good fortune of the people of Pleven, who continued to successfully alternate accurate shooting from afar with successful attacks in the basket, caught up with their opponent in the 33rd minute and, in turn, took a seven-point lead in the 37th. However, the drama continued. Kotsev and Kairyakov, with the weapons of the people of Pleven, brought the score to 61:62 seconds before the end with two three-pointers. The counterattack of the people of Pleven did not bring success, but Rusatev shot the last hope inaccurately. The people of Pleven once again rejoiced on Varna soil, already as bronze medalists together with the reserves, who did not take part in today's meeting - Slashki, Enchev, Dakov.
Petar Gerchev, our correspondent
For V place CSKA – Danube (Ruse) 99:94 (53:41)
For VII place Slavia - Ludogorets (Razgrad) 115:71 (59:39).
Final ranking: BALKAN Botevgrad, Levski-Spartak, Spartak Pleven, Akademik Varna, CSKA "Sptemvriysko zname", Danube, Slavia, Ludogorets.
Sliven and "Road Builder", Shumen are eliminated from "A" group, while Akademik Sofia and Pirin Blagoevgrad will participate in a qualifying tournament to complete the group.
Individual honors:
For the best scorer - Tsvetan Antov (Spartak Pleven) - 1024 points
For penalty kick taker - Georgi Mladenov (Levski - Spartak) - 161 (138 or 85.7%)
For the most controlled balls - Tsvetan Antov - 358
Final ranking by stars: 56 – Y.KOLEV (Balkan), 55 Vezenkov (Balkan), 53- Ionov (Balkan), 52 – Antov, 46 – Koev, 43 – Peev, 40-Velikov, 39 – D.Martinov (Ludogorets ), Marinov, 38-Markov, (Ludogorets), 37- Prikhov, 35- Evtimov, 33- Iliev (CSKA), 32- Mladenov, Tsenov (CSKA), 31- Stoev, Morarov, 28- Tsvetkov and Vassilev, 27- Kolev, Amiorkov (CSKA).
The team of Balkan Botevgrad is composed of: Ventsislav Slavov, Sasho Vezenkov, Emil Ionov, Nikolay Peev, Yordan Kolev, Krasimir Petrov, Nikolay Famparski, Gerasim Gerasimov, Vasil Brsnashki and Nikolay Donovski.
Senior coach: Ivan Andreev
Coach: Georgi Hristov
Balkan basketball players - winners of the NRB cup
April 5, 1986, "Botevgrad Flame" newspaper
From March 25-29 this year, the city was the "capital" of our men's basketball. The men's final tournament for the 1986 NRB Cup took place here. The country's eight elite teams were divided into two groups by the draw. Our representative "Balkan" got into the four together with the three Sofia teams - Levski "Spartak", CSKA "Septemvriysko zname" and "Akademik", and the other group was made up of provincial teams. This greatly aggravated the situation of our basketball players, because they had to play with the temporary leaders in the republican championship.
The tournament was officially opened on March 25 in the "Balkan" hall. Among the guests of honor were the first vice-chairman of the CS of BSFS Gr.Yurukov, the chairman of BBF M.Mikulash, the Chairman of the District Council of BSFS Hr. Chippewa. In his welcome to the participants, the chairman of the IC of the Municipal People's Council and chairman of the organizing committee, Marin Vutov, expressed the gratitude of the Botevgrad public for the confidence that the BSF voted for the city to host this major event.
The first rival of "Balkan" for the valuable trophy was the renowned team of the capital "Levski - Spartak". The great mental tension that beset our competitors did not allow them to reveal their capabilities. Stolichani won 86-78. The second match was against "Akademik", in which Balkan performed convincingly 87-70. The decisive match in the preliminary group was against CSKA "September Banner". This time, our squad acted in complete sync in all units and achieved an emphatic 71-54 victory. According to the regulations of the tournament, on the way to the finals, "Balkan" had to meet the leader of the other group, "Spartak - Pleven". It was a match that was supposed to decide one of the finalists. The meeting was extremely tense. At times, viewers saw more physical combat than basketball. The reason for this was the Pleven basketball players, who tried to take our competitors out of their mental balance.
There was hardly a Botevgrad resident who, on a nice spring evening on March 29, did not know that Balkan would play Levski-Spartak again to win the high prize - winner of the NRB basketball cup. Outside, hundreds of citizens gathered at the windows to catch a glimpse of the great sports match.
Stolichani started convincingly and thought they would trample our boys like in the first game. But this time against them were players who decided to prove to the opponent and their many admirers that they are worthy of the great honor. Physical endurance, unyielding sportsmanship for victory, intelligent play - this was the weapon with which our basketball players led the tough sports duel. As the end of the match approached, the degree of tension grew. At 40 minutes into the match, the final referee's signal was given. The scoreboard read 62-58 for "Balkan".
In the sports annals of the company, the names of the coaches Ivan Andreev and the former head coach Georgi Hristov and their graduates Vezenkov, Ionov, Kolev, Peev, Gerasimov, Petrov, Romanski, Klechkov and Velchev, who brought sports glory to the city, will be recorded in capital letters. us for 1986
Simeon Dimitrov
Thank you for the provided archival material of Mikhail Mikov!
If you also have printed materials or photos from winning the Bulgarian Cup by Balkan, which you want to send to us, you can do so at the club's e-mail address - bcbalkan@abv.bg. Let's together tell the young generation about the golden history of the beloved Balkan, so that they know and be proud of the successes of the "green" club!
