The National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of Bulgaria has credited an International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Sport for Mobility grant as a contributing factor in its athlete Ivan Arnaudov winning a bronze medal at March’s European Open Championships in Para powerlifting.
Having struggled to find sufficient funding for Arnaudov to compete internationally, NPC Bulgaria applied to the IPC to receive a Competition Support Grant through the Sport for Mobility programme. The aim of the Competition Support Grant initiative is to support National Paralympic Committees in providing Para athletes with access to essential classification and competition opportunities, improving their chances of Paralympic Games qualification.
Having received a Competition Support Grant, NPC Bulgaria were able to send Arnaudov to Tbilisi, Georgia, for the European Open Championships in Para powerlifting. After he was internationally classified at the event, Arnaudov then competed in the men’s up to 80kg competition. After three successful lifts of 120kg, 127kg and 130kg, Arnaudov won a bronze medal for the total amount lifted during the competition.
Denitsa Pancheva, Head of International Relations for NPC Bulgaria, said: “The IPC Competition Support Grant contributed greatly to the athlete winning a European bronze medal. For two years, there was no money for him to compete at the international level and be classified.
“Through the IPC’s Sport for Mobility programme, we were able to fund his trip to the European Open Championships where he won bronze for the total amount lifted, which is outstanding. As a result of this experience, Ivan is now more confident and optimistic about reaching the LA28 Paralympic Games.”
Ivan Arnaudov said: “I would like to say a big thank you to the IPC for allowing me to compete at the European Open Powerlifting Championships in Tbilisi this year. The bronze medal I won gives me much more confidence in my ability to compete with the greatest lifters in the world and to represent Bulgaria at a bigger stage. I am now eager to prepare and compete for medals at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.”
Part of the IPC’s Sport for Mobility programme, product of a grant agreement with the Toyota Mobility Foundation, Competition Support Grants in one of 14 IPC initiatives that aim to further develop Para sport globally.
