Gold and Bronze Olympics 2004 Champion Captain Maria Grozdeva was handed down the III-rank honorary sign of the Interior Ministry. Photo by Interior Ministry
Bulgaria's athletes with best sporting performance in the recently ended Olympic games in Athens have received honorary awards from the Interior Ministry on Monday.
A total of seven officers and sergeants serving at the ministry's Centre for Fight Preparation and Sports and another three militaries from the High Sport Mastership School have garnered medal-decorated Olympic ranks in Athens.
Gold and Bronze Olympics 2004 Champion Captain Maria Grozdeva was handed down the III-rank honorary sign of the Interior Ministry, along with the fourth-placed canoe double at men's Milko Kazanov and Peter Merkov.
The country's fastest sprinter Ivet Lalova who recorded excellent performances at both 100m and 200m finals was promoted from the military rank of senior sergeant to junior lieutenant.
Interior Minister Georgi Petkanov gave out certificates of gratitude to the rhythmic gymnastics group, the athletes at shooting, badminton, weightlifting, wrestling, as well as to prominent coaches.