The most successful years of the Balkan basketball team are associated with the names of Georgi Hristov, Alexander Zarev, Zdravko Andreev, Valentin Petkov, Mikhail Mihailov, Lazar Donovski, Marin Romanski, Veselin Todorov, Nikola Famparski, Hrisimir Yotov, Vasil Brasnashki, Dragomir Petkov, Peter Klechkov, Gerasim Gerasimov, I. Vodenicharski, Atanas Stoyanov, Sasho Vezenkov, Yordan Kolev, Emil Ionov, Ventsislav Slavov, Bogomil Chanev, Nikolay Peev, Miroslav Ralchev.
On May 28, 2019 BC Balkan awarded honorary plaques to the champion team from 1989 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of winning the Balkan championship title.
Here are some of the legends of the Balkans:
In the entire more than 70-year history of men's basketball in Botevgrad, Ivan Andreev occupies the highest place in terms of achieved success. He led the Balkan men's team to three consecutive Bulgarian Cups - 1986, 1987 and 1988 and made them three times Bulgarian champions - 1987, 1988 and 1989.
Ivan Andreev began his coaching career in 1974. He arrived in Botevgrad with his brother Zdravko Andreev, who was attracted to play in the Balkans. For a few months at the beginning, Ivan Andreev worked as a clerk in the Botevgrad club. When a coaching position becomes available, he is given 10-year-old boys to lead. And this is a sign of fate. Among the boys are Ventsi Slavov, Nikolay Peev, Dancho Kolev and Emil Ionov. Later, Sasho Vezenkov also joined.
The young coach begins the polishing of the talents and finishes it when he sends them to the men's national team of Bulgaria. He is probably the only coach in our country who has created such a development.
When the boys were pioneers, Ivan Andreev won two championship titles - 1977 and 1978. In the youth competition, his team was champion twice more in 1980 and 1981. The coach went to work for a year in Varna, but returned to Botevgrad and reached his professional zenith. From 1985 - 1990, with his boys, he won three men's championship titles and three Bulgarian Cups for Balkan. In 1990, he won bronze medals with the men's basketball team.
In the period 1991 - 1998, Ivan Andreev worked in Cyprus, where Ventsi Slavov, Sasho Vezenkov and Emo Ionov played. For half a season he went to Jordan (1997) and worked with the club and national team. He returns home, where after a few months the irreparable happens. Ivan Andreev left this world on June 19, 1999.
GEORGI HRISTOV
Born on October 14, 1945 in Botevgrad.
Post: guard.
Racing career
Balkan Botevgrad: 1963-1984.
Champion of Bulgaria: 1974; runner-up: 1972; bronze medalist: 1973; 1975, 1976, 1982;
Winner of the Bulgarian Cup: 1970.
Participation in the Olympic Games: 1968 (10th place).
Participation in the World Cup Tournament: 1974 (bronze medal).
Participation in European championships: 1967 (4th place), 1969 (7th place), 1971 (6th place), 1973 (6th place), 1975 (5th place).
Participation in the Balkan Championships: Champion – 1971; runner-up – 1967, 1970, 1973, 1974, 1976; bronze medal – 1972.
Included in the ideal European team - 1971 and 1973.
Honored Master of Sports.
Coaching career
Balkan Botevgrad: 1985-2000. He works in the children's and youth school of the club, he has been an assistant coach for many years, to gain recognition as a senior coach of the representative men's team in the Balkans.
Education - semi-high school.
VENCISLAV SLAVOV
November 13, 1963 - May 12, 2002;
Family: wife and two daughters (Olga /wife/, Stefka and Radostina Slavovi /daughters/)
Post: Wing
Racing career:
Balkan Botevgrad: 1979 - 1981; 1987 - 1990; 1999-2000;
CSKA Sofia: 1981 - 1987;
Achilleas (Cyprus): 1990 - 1993;
Compact (Dimitrovgrad): 1993 - 1996;
PAEK (Cyprus): 1996-1999;
He played in the Bulgarian national team from 1983 to 1992.
Champion of Bulgaria: 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989;
- vice champion 1986, 1994;
- bronze medalist 1985, 1990, 1995;
Winner of the Bulgarian Cup: 1984, 1985, 1988, 1995;
Participation in European Championships: 1989 (7th place), 1993 (13th place);
Balkan Champion: 1984;
Education - higher
Source: Almanac of Bulgarian basketball
