site.btaArif Majed Resigns as President of Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation

Aref Majed said here on Monday that he will resign as President of the Bulgarian Weightlifting Federation (BWF).

Majed's departure was demanded at a meeting of the Federation's Governing Board, after former world champion Stefan Botev presented a sign-in backed by 13 clubs.

Because of the resignation, a new President will have to be elected at an extraordinary General Meeting, to be convened on March 14.

This crisis comes just days before the start of the 2024 Senior European Weightlifting Championships, which will take place at the Arena Sofia in Bulgaria's capital city between February 12 and 20.

Majed was elected BWF President in 2021 but took office nearly a year later after a long-drawn court battle with his predecessor Nedelcho Kolev.

"I'm not leaving embittered or with bad feelings. I don't have the time and the capacity to deal with this. My life is organized otherwise, and I don't think it's that important for me to head the Weightlifting Federation," the Syrian businessman said.

At this point, the BWF accounts are frozen over debts in arrears.

On Monday, the General Meeting decided to keep Ivan Ivanov as national team coach despite his and his son's arrest in connection with a corruption scandal, as Majed gave Ivan Ivanov Jr. BGN 62,000 in pre-marked banknotes.