The 17th consecutive EHF and Bulgarian Hockey Federation Summer Camp “Albena 2022” saw over 60 children take part in tandem with the Albena Cup and an EHF Umpires Seminar.
The project runs under the “Solidarity – Education and Participation” program of the EHF and was held in the Albena resort complex from August 25 to 30.
This year’s project for the Summer camp was organised and implemented by Prof. Antonio Antonov – FIH/EHF DEC Member, with the active coordination & participation of the representative of the youth panel at the BHF, Konstantin Kolev.
65 children from Bulgaria (42), Ukraine (20) and Turkey (3) took part in the camp, as well as over 30 parents who actively and emotionally supported them during the activities and in their free time.
EHF-appointed head coach Danny Berry, with the help of eigh assistant coaches and instructors from Bulgaria and Ukraine, conducted a series of exciting training and competitive games that inspired the children and their parents.
In parallel with the summer camp, an EHF Umpires seminar and the seventh edition of the traditional hockey tournament “Albena Cup 2022” for children aged up to 12 and 14 years of age were held.
The competition worked in tandem with the EHF Umpires seminar where, under the guidance of Hristian Vasilev – an umpire in the 2018 YOG Buenos Aires final – the children had the opportunity to learn about the “secrets” of hockey5s rules and umpiring.
All participants in the summer camp, the Albena Cup 2022 tournament and the umpiring seminar received equipment donated by Club an der Alster in Hamburg, Germany.
The participating children, parents and leaders from Ukraine were given an additional seven boxes of equipment from the EHF donation.
On behalf of EHF and BHF, Prof. Antonio Antonov expressed special thanks to the management of the Albena resort complex, particularly Krasimir Stanev, Executive Director of Albena AD; Margita Todorova, Marketing Director of Albena AD and Denis Tahirov, Head of the Sports Department, for their support to hockey.
Prof. Antonov also presented a set of equipment to Kappa and reminded the Albena AD managers of the commitments made related to the renovation of the hockey infrastructure in the complex.
In 2023, the next edition of the camp will see a beach hockey competition held for the “Ivan Kalinkov” Cup, with Albena JSC committing to provide the prizes and purchase the necessary Beach Hockey facilities infrastructure.
Bulgaria will also apply to host an international hockey 5s event, which is a prerequisite for the renovation of the base and replacement of the covering/grass of the hockey field.
