Bulgaria national basketball team

Bulgaria

FIBA ranking	50 1 (3 July 2018)
FIBA zone	FIBA Europe
National federation	Bulgarian Basketball Federation
Coach	Lubomir Minchev
Nickname(s)	The Lions
Olympic Games
Appearances	4 (First in 1952)
Medals	Fifth Place: (1956)
FIBA World Cup
Appearances	1 (First in 1959)
Medals	Seventh Place: (1959)
FIBA EuroBasket
Appearances	24 (First in 1935)
Medals	Runners-Up: (1957) Third Place: (1961)
Uniforms
Light Dark Alternate

The Bulgarian national basketball team is the basketball side that represents Bulgaria in all international competitions. Their achievements range from winning the Balkan Championship in 1950, to earning Runners-Up at the 1957 Euro Basket Championship. Other successes came with the team reaching the Quarter-Finals at the 1952 Summer Olympics, 1956 Summer Olympics and the 1959 FIBA World Championship.

Contents

HistoryEdit

EuroBasket 1935Edit

The Bulgarian side came in eighth place at the first European basketball championship, the EuroBasket 1935 held by the International Basketball Federation's FIBA Europe continental federation. They lost to Italy in the preliminary round but then decisively defeated Hungary. Following this, the Bulgarians lost their classification matches to Belgium and Italy. The team finished off the tournament reaching the Quarter-Finals.

EuroBasket 1947Edit

Twelve years later, the Bulgarian team again reached the tournament. In EuroBasket 1947, they finished eighth again, this time out of 14 teams. In the preliminary round, the Bulgarians split their two games, advancing to the upper bracket Semi-final groups. There, they lost all three of their games, putting them in a 7th/8th classification match with Hungary. The team once again finished off the tournament reaching the Quarter-Finals.

EuroBasket 1951Edit

The Bulgarian team's third appearance was at EuroBasket 1951 in Paris. They won their two contested preliminary games, outscoring opponents 145–70, and gained a third win by Romania's forfeit. In the Semi-Final round, the Bulgarians became enmeshed in a three-way tie for first place in the four-team group after losing to France but winning the other two games; they ended up with the second rank. This pitted them against the Soviet Union in a Semi-Final matchup, which the Bulgarians lost. The team finished off the tournament reaching the Semi-Finals.

EuroBasket 1953Edit

Bulgaria's next appearance was in Moscow for EuroBasket 1953. They found themselves on the unfortunate end of a three-way tiebreaker after finishing 3–1 in the preliminary group, and their 3rd rank in the group sent them to the classification round, a disappointing turn of events for a team which had expected to do at least as well as they had two years prior. They won their next 5 games to take the highest place available, after the preliminary round. Thus, reaching the Quarter-Finals in the tournament with an 8–1 record.

EuroBasket 1955Edit

Bulgaria's preliminary round loss at EuroBasket 1955 was not as devastating as their preliminary round loss two years earlier had been, and their 2–1 record allowed them to advance to the final round along with preliminary leader Czechoslovakia. After losing to the three eventual medalists in the final round, Bulgaria finished the round with a 4–3 record while once again reaching the Semi-Finals.

EuroBasket 1957Edit

Bulgaria hosted the next tournament, EuroBasket 1957, in Sofia. They breezed through their three preliminary round games, and kept their win streak through the first six of the final round games, including an 82–80 victory over Czechoslovakia. In their final game of the tournament, which by chance was against the similarly undefeated Soviet Union squad, Bulgaria led by 4 points at halftime, 23–19. Their lead did not last through the second half, however, as the Soviets powered to a 60–57 final, Bulgaria finished as the Runners-Up with the silver medal.

Competitive recordEdit

EuroBasketEdit

EuroBasket						Qualification
Year	Position	Pld	W	L		Pld	W	L
1935	8th	4	1	3
1937	Did not enter
1939
1946
1947	8th	6	1	5
1949	Did not enter
1951	4th	8	5	3
1953	9th	9	8	1
1955	4th	10	6	4
1957		10	9	1
1959	5th	8	5	3
1961		8	6	2
1963	5th	9	7	2
1965	5th	9	6	3
1967	4th	9	4	5
1969	7th	7	4	3		4	3	1
1971	6th	7	4	3		4	4	0
1973	6th	7	3	4
1975	5th	7	3	4
1977	6th	7	3	4
1979	11th	7	1	6
1981	Did not qualify					5	1	4
1983						9	5	4
1985	8th	8	3	5		14	10	4
1987	Did not qualify					9	5	4
1989	7th	5	1	4		9	7	2
1991	8th	5	0	5		6	4	2
1993	16th	3	0	3		6	4	2
1995	Did not qualify					10	4	6
1997						10	5	5
1999						10	3	7
2001						10	4	6
2003						16	9	7
2005	13th	3	0	3		6	4	2
2007	Did not qualify					10	4	6
2009	13th	3	0	3		8	4	4
2011	13th	5	2	3		8	4	4
2013	Did not qualify					8	4	4
2015						14	7	7
2017						6	2	4
Total		164	82	82

Olympic GamesEdit

Olympic Games						Pre-Olympic
Year	Position	Pld	W	L		Pld	W	L
1936	Did not qualify
1948
1952	7th	10	5	5
1956	5th	8	5	3
1960	16th	6	1	5
1964	Did not qualify					8	5	3
1968	10th	9	4	5		8	7	1
1972	Did not qualify					10	6	4
1976						6	3	3
1980						3	0	3
1984
1988						3	1	2
1992						5	2	3
1996–2016
Total		33	15	18

FIBA World CupEdit

World Cup						Qualification
Year	Position	Pld	W	L		Pld	W	L
1950–1954	Did not qualify
1959	7th	9	5	4
1963–1982	Did not qualify
1986						6	2	4
1990–2014
2019	To be determined
2023	To be determined
Total		9	5	4

Balkan ChampionshipEdit

Year	Position	Pld	W	L
1950	Champions	5	5	0
Total		5	5	0

Current RosterEdit

Roster for the 2019 World cup qualification.

Bulgaria men's national basketball team roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Age – Date of birth Ht. Club PG 1 Bost, Dee 7004101280000000000♠27 – (1989-11-12)12 November 1989 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) BC Žalgiris G 23 Marinov, Stanimir 7003946400000000000♠25 – (1991-09-07)7 September 1991 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Balkan SG 20 Kostov, Chavdar 7004107010000000000♠29 – (1988-04-18)18 April 1988 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Kymis B.C. F 9 Simeonov, Aleks 7003889600000000000♠24 – (1993-03-28)28 March 1993 2.00 m (6 ft 7 in) Gipuzkoa C 15 Vaklinov, Stanislav 7004102860000000000♠28 – (1989-06-07)7 June 1989 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in) Academic Plovdiv F 12 Yanev, Aleksandar 7004100590000000000♠27 – (1990-01-20)20 January 1990 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) BC Beroe F 41 Vezenkov, Sasha 7003803500000000000♠21 – (1995-08-06)6 August 1995 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) FC Barcelona G 6 Hadzhirusev, Evgeni 7003790800000000000♠21 – (1995-12-11)11 December 1995 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) BC Levski Sofia G/F 6 Minchev, Yordan 7003686700000000000♠18 – (1998-10-17)17 October 1998 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) KK Vrsac SF 10 Marinov, Pavel (C) 7004106460000000000♠29 – (1988-06-12)12 June 1988 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) Lille BC C 16 Vangelov, Nikolay 7003784200000000000♠21 – (1996-02-15)15 February 1996 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in) Palestrina PF 34 Dimitrov, Dimitar 7003855800000000000♠23 – (1993-03-01)1 March 1993 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) PBC Academic G/F 22 Marinov, Martin 7004115870000000000♠31 – (1985-11-14)14 November 1985 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) BC Spartak Pleven G/F 8 Stoyanov, Nikolay 7003854900000000000♠23 – (1994-03-10)10 March 1994 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) BC Rilski Sportist	Head coach Lubomir Minchev Assistant coach(es) Yavor Asparuhov Yordan Kolev Legend (C) Team captain Club – describes last club before the tournament Age – describes age on 5 August 2017

Past rostersEdit

1935 EuroBasket: finished 8th among 10 teams

Krum Konstantinov, Pinkas, Etropolski, Rogachev, Tsankov, Kevorkjan, Khaimov (Coach: Krum Konstantinov)

1947 EuroBasket: finished 8th among 14 teams

Bozhidar Takev, Veselin Temkov, Ilija Asenov, Georgi Georgiev, Ljudmil Katerinski, Nikola Kolev, Krhisto Khajtov, Stefan Bankov, Peev, Sharkov, Rajkov (Coach: Georgi Petkov)

1951 EuroBasket: finished 4th among 17 teams

Kiril Semov, Konstantin Totev, Georgi Georgiev, Stefan Bankov, Nejcho Nejchev, Vladimir Slavov, Ilija Asenov, Petar Shishkov, Anton Kuzov, Gencho Rashkov, Ivan Vladimirov, Dimitar Popov, Metodi Tomovski (Coach: Veselin Temkov)

1952 Olympic Games: finished 7th among 23 teams

Georgi Panov, Konstantin Totev, Kiril Semov, Petar Shishkov, Khristo Donev, Ilija Georgiev, Vladimir Slavov, Anton Kuzov, Nejcho Nejchev, Vasil Manchenko, Ivan Nikolov, Veselin Penkov, Konstantin Georgiev, Genczo Hristov

1953 EuroBasket: finished 9th among 17 teams

Georgi Panov, Ljubomir Panov, Ilija Mirchev, Konstantin Totev, Georgi Georgiev, Dimitar Popov, Vladimir Stefanov, Velko Velkov, Khristo Donev, Ilija Georgiev, Vasil Manchenko, Anton Kuzov, Veselin Ivanov, Vladimir Slavov (Coach: Veselin Temkov)

1955 EuroBasket: finished 4th among 18 teams

Viktor Radev, Cvjatko Barchovski, Georgi Panov, Ilija Mirchev, Konstantin Totev, Gencho Rashkov, Metodi Tomovski, Vasil Manchenko, Vladimir Ganchev, Emanuil Gjaurov, Anton Kuzov, Rajkov (Coach: Bozhidar Takev)

1956 Olympic Games: finished 5th among 15 teams

Atanas Atanasov, Viktor Radev, Georgi Panov, Ljubomir Panov, Cvjatko Barchovski, Ilija Mirchev, Georgi Kanev, Konstantin Totev, Vladimir Slavov, Vasil Manchenko, Tsvetko Savov, Nikola Ilov (Coach: Ljudmil Katerinski)

1957 EuroBasket: finished 2nd among 16 teams

Viktor Radev, Georgi Panov, Ljubomir Panov, Mikhail Semov, Petko Lazarov, Cvjatko Barchovski, Vladimir Ganchev, Georgi Kanev, Ilija Mirchev, Konstantin Totev, Atanas Pejchinski, Metodi Tomovski (Coach: Ljudmil Katerinski)

1959 EuroBasket: finished 5th among 17 teams

Georgi Panov, Viktor Radev, Atanas Atanasov, Ilija Mirchev, Petko Lazarov, Georgi Kanev, Mikhail Semov, Nikola Ilov, Khristo Donev, Tsvetko Savov, Angel Shipkov, Gencho Rashkov (Coach: Ljudmil Katerinski)

1959 World Championship: finished 7th among 13 teams

Georgi Panov, Viktor Radev, Atanas Atanasov, Ljubomir Panov, Mikhail Semov, Ilija Mirchev, Georgi Kanev, Petko Lazarov, Tsvetko Savov, Gencho Rashkov, Emanuil Gjaurov, Metodi Tomovski (Coach: Ljudmil Katerinski)

1960 Olympic Games: finished 16th among 16 teams

Viktor Radev, Georgi Panov, Atanas Atanasov, Petko Lazarov, Ljubomir Panov, Ilija Mirchev, Georgi Kanev, Nikola Ilov, Stefan Stojkov, Emanuil Gjaurov, Tsvetko Savov, Khristo Tsvetkov (Coach: Nikola Kolev)

1961 EuroBasket: finished 3rd among 19 teams

Mincho Dimov, Georgi Panov, Atanas Atanasov, Ljubomir Panov, Viktor Radev, Petko Lazarov, Ilija Mirchev, Radko Zlatev, Stefan Stojkov, Khristo Tsvetkov, Tsvetko Savov, Khristo Donev (Coach: Veselin Temkov)

1963 EuroBasket: finished 5th among 16 teams

Mincho Dimov, Georgi Panov, Viktor Radev, Atanas Atanasov, Ljubomir Panov, Ilija Mirchev, Georgi Kanev, Tsvetko Savov, Nikola Atanasov, Kliment Kamenarov, Dimitar Donev, Stefan Filipov (Coach: Kiril Khajtov)

1965 EuroBasket: finished 5th among 16 teams

Mincho Dimov, Atanas Atanasov, Ljubomir Panov, Slavejko Rajchev, Valentin Spasov, Stefan Filipov, Emil Mikhajlov, Radko Zlatev, Georgi Barzakov, Paspalanov, Kolev, Ilchev (Coach: Kiril Semov)

1967 EuroBasket: finished 4th among 16 teams

Mincho Dimov, Cvjatko Barchovski, Ivan Vodenicharski, Georgi Khristov, Emil Mikhajlov, Khristo Dojchinov, Georgi Genev, Boris Krastev, Pando Pandov, Bojcho Branzov, Temelaki Dimitrov, Slavejko Rajchev (Coach: Kiril Khajtov)

1968 Olympic Games: finished 10th among 16 teams

Mincho Dimov, Georgi Khristov, Bojcho Branzov, Stefan Filipov, Emil Mikhajlov, Pando Pandov, Khristo Dojchinov, Valentin Spasov, Ivajlo Kirov, Dimitar Sakhanikov, Stanislav Bojadzhiev, Slavejko Rajchev (Coach: Kiril Khajtov)

1969 EuroBasket: finished 7th among 12 teams

Atanas Golomeev, Mincho Dimov, Georgi Khristov, Bojcho Branzov, Khristo Dojchinov, Rumen Pejchev, Dimitar Galabov, Ivan Rusinov, Bogomil Chanev, Georgi Barzakov, Stancho Kostov, Temelaki Dimitrov (Coach: Dimitar Mitev)

1971 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 12 teams

Atanas Golomeev, Georgi Khristov, Stefan Filipov, Pando Pandov, Khristo Dojchinov, Bogomil Chanev, llija Yankov, Docho Petrov, Ivajlo Kirov, Rumen Pejchev, Slavejko Rajchev, Paspalanov (Coach: Dimitar Mitev)

1973 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 12 teams

Atanas Golomeev, Georgi Khristov, Bojcho Branzov, Bogomil Chanev, Pando Pandov, Rumen Pejchev, Khristo Borisov, Georgi Stojanov, Ivajlo Kirov, Marin Romanski, Khristo Dojchinov, Boris Krastev (Coach: Nejcho Nejchev)

1975 EuroBasket: finished 5th among 12 teams

Atanas Golomeev, Georgi Khristov, Valentin Petkov, Bojcho Branzov, Temelaki Dimitrov, Marin Romanski, Mikhail Dukov, Khristo Dojchinov, Atanas Stojanov, Docho Petrov, Mikhail Mikhajlov, Valentin Sharkov (Coach: Ivan Kolev)

1977 EuroBasket: finished 6th among 12 teams

Atanas Golomeev, Ilija Evtimov, Petko Marinov, Milko Arabadzhijski, Todor Bogdanov, Atanas Kolev, Rumen Pejchev, Plamen Takev, Valentin Sharkov, Smochevski, Shantov, Yosifov (Coach: Nejcho Nejchev)

1979 EuroBasket: finished 11th among 12 teams

Georgi Glouchkov, Ilija Evtimov, Rumen Pejchev, Dimitar Marchin, Atanas Kolev, Milko Arabadzhijski, Todor Bogdanov, Valentin Sharkov, Mikhail Manolov, Ognjan Rusev, Dimitar Donov (Coach: Ivan Todorov)

1985 EuroBasket: finished 8th among 12 teams

Georgi Glouchkov, Georgi Mladenov, Ilija Evtimov, Atanas Kolev, Yordan Kolev, Rosen Barchovski, Ljubomir Amiorkov, Tsvetan Antov, Emil Yonov, Kojo Koev, Sashko Vezenkov, Ivan Tsenov (Coach: Cvjatko Barchovski)

1989 EuroBasket: finished 7th among 8 teams

Georgi Glouchkov, Georgi Mladenov, Robert Gergov, Ivan Tsenov, Sashko Vezenkov, Eduard Valchev, Yordan Kolev, Kojo Koev, Tsvetan Antov, Ljubomir Amiorkov, Ventsislav Slavov, Emil Yonov (Coach: Kiril Semov)

1991 EuroBasket: finished 8th among 8 teams

Georgi Glouchkov, Georgi Mladenov, Spas Natov, Robert Gergov, Yordan Kolev, Ljubomir Amiorkov, Ivan Tsenov, Daniel Dimitrov, Sashko Vezenkov, Ivajlo Ravutsov, Tsvetan Nedelchev, Plamen Petrov (Coach: Simeon Varchev)

1993 EuroBasket: finished 16th among 16 teams

Georgi Mladenov, Spas Natov, Ljubomir Amiorkov, Robert Gergov, Daniel Dimitrov, Vasil Stojanov, Dimo Kostov, Ivajlo Ravutsov, Vladimir Dimitrov, Anton Kharalanov, Stanislav Stankov, Ventsislav Slavov (Coach: Simeon Varchev)

2005 EuroBasket: finished 13th among 16 teams

Todor Stoykov, Filip Videnov, Dimitar Angelov, Yordan Bozov, Georgi Davidov, Stefan Georgiev, Boyko Mladenov, Kaloyan Ivanov, Tencho Banev, Dejan Ivanov, Yuliyan Radionov, Khrisimir Dimitrov (Coach: Rosen Barchovski)

2009 EuroBasket: finished 16th among 16 teams

Dejan Ivanov, Kaloyan Ivanov, Chavdar Kostov, Earl Rowland, Filip Videnov, Stanislav Slaveykov, Stefan Georgiev, Dimitar Angelov, Vassil Evtimov, Boyko Mladenov, Bozhidar Avramov, Todor Stoykov (Coach:Pini Gershon)

2011 EuroBasket: finished 13th among 24 teams

Dejan Ivanov, Kaloyan Ivanov, Chavdar Kostov, Earl Rowland, Filip Videnov, Pavel Marinov, Bozhidar Avramov, Zlatin Georgiev, Aleksandar Yanev, Asen Velikov, Tencho Banev, Nikolay Varbanov (Coach: Rosen Barchovski)