14293 | 22 Dec. 2025 | 13:59

I had the honor of knowing him personally. I claim that we were friends. He is a great world-class athlete. He is an art enthusiast. He is a great Bulgarian, a great Bulgarian, said President Georgi Parvanov

 Bulgaria bids farewell to Olympic and World Champion in wrestling Boyan Radev. The tribute to the earthly remains of the legendary athlete, collector and patron took place today at the National Stadium "Vasil Levski". Close friends, family and loved ones paid their respects to the legendary athlete.

 The event began with a solemn ceremony with the participation of a guard unit that accompanied Boyan Radev on his final journey. The tribute was attended by individuals from the sports community such as Stanka Zlateva, President of the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation, outgoing Sports Minister Ivan Peshev, Stefka Kostadinova, as well as President Georgi Parvanov, politician Rumen Petkov, businessman Grisha Ganchev and others.

 Boyan Radev passed away on December 18 at the age of 83 after an illness.

 "Honoring him. Condolences to the family and everyone. People like him are an example to us all. His fight cannot be lost, because he will always remain alive. He may be gone in body, but his spirit is with us. He was a great person, and I enjoyed being in his company, listening and learning from him," stated Olympic medalist and current president of the Bulgarian Wrestling Federation, Stanka Zlateva, during the tribute.

 "A member of my family has passed away. As you know, I am the godmother of his son and the godmother of his granddaughter. He was a great man. The biggest collector and donor at the historical museum. A big loss for Bulgarian sports. His name will be written with golden letters in Bulgarian history. He was a fighter and one of the people who stood by us when we fought for our Olympic scholarships.  "There are not enough people like him, may he rest in peace," said the 1996 Olympic high jump champion, Stefka Kostadinova.

 "Boyan was my teacher and my inspiration. As a student, he took me to visit artists with him. He opened my eyes to many things. I regret that many of his colleagues were not able to learn anything from him. A legend has passed, but his name will remain in eternity. He was a unique person! I suffered in the last few years as he was very ill. I don't have words to describe our friendship. He loved me very much. My fondest memory with him was when we went to visit an artist and he said to him, 'You painted her well, but do you know how to become an Olympic champion twice?' A unique person! He has made a great contribution to preserving much of our historical heritage." "I believe he has gone to a better world to get rid of this mess here. It is difficult for me to determine (whether there are athletes and people following the footsteps of Boyan Radev) because you see what a wolfish weather there is now. He lived in other times, when there was discipline and order. That is what," said businessman Grisha Ganchev.

 In addition to prominent athletes, Bulgarian politicians and public figures also attended the ceremony.

 "I had the honor of knowing him personally. I claim that we were friends. He was a great athlete of world class. He was an art lover. He was a great Bulgarian, a great Bulgarian. As I look at the processes in our sport, they do not fill me with optimism that we can reach those heights, but hopefully we learn from him," shared former President of the Republic of Bulgaria Georgi Parvanov.

 "We have lost one of the legends of Bulgarian sports. Not just a great athlete, but the man Bojan Radev. With enormous sadness we will bid farewell to the legend Bojan Radev," said Youth and Sports Minister Ivan Peshev.

 Bojan Radev was the first two-time Olympic champion of Bulgaria - winner in the 97 kg category in Tokyo 1964 and Mexico 1968. World champion in Toledo in 1966 and three-time choice for Athlete number 1 in the country - 1964, 1967 and 1968.

 Recipient of the "Golden Necklace" award from the International Wrestling Federation (FILA) (May 31, 2009) and the special Pierre de Coubertin medal from the International Olympic Committee (September 18, 2009) for special contributions to the Olympic movement. Member of the Hall of Fame of the International Wrestling Federation in Oklahoma, USA (September 24, 2009).

 Honorary citizen of Sofia (2004).

 Boyan Radev has been announced as Donor number 1 of the National History Museum, where a special hall bears his name. In it are exhibited nearly 170 artifacts from his collection - icons, church utensils, carvings, stone sculptures, and others.

 Source BNT, BTA, BNR.