Sofia, May 2nd he would have celebrated his 71st birthday in a few days time, but Ivan Slavkov died yesterday in the Bulgarian capital, due to a serious illness, after a long career in the world of European sport.

A member of the Bulgarian water-polo team and a journalist by training, he quit Bulgarian state television that he had chaired since 1972 to become president of the Bulgarian NOC, which he ran from 1982 to 2005. Elected IOC member in 1987, he led two candidatures for Sofia, for the 1992 and 1995 Olympic Games.

He was elected a member of the executive committee of the European Association (that then became the EOC a few years later) from 1985 to 1989, then Vice-President from 1989 to 1993.

In 2005, following some controversial observations, the IOC eventually excluded him from the international Olympic organisation.

“Weve lost a great personality”; commented Stefka Kostadinova, who took over from him as head of the NOC. “Already at the time when I was a young athlete he was most attentive towards young Bulgarian athletes. His spontaneity and good humour will be missed by many.”

The members of the EOC join the family of Ivan Slavkov in expressing their most sincere condolences.