The exchange participants visited the building of the Football Association, where they were welcomed by Theo Theodoulou, the Deputy Chairman of the Cyprus Football Association, and Adonis Prokopiou, the Director of the International Relations Department.
They shared about the good relations between the two countries in the field of football and expressed their interest in holding the meeting. The main focus of the visit was on women’s football and the exchange of best practices for promoting the sport among young people.
The event is also supported by the Embassy of Cyprus in Bulgaria, whose partnership contributes to strengthening bilateral relations and the successful implementation of the visit. The official Bulgarian delegation supporting the institutional visits of the exchange participants includes:
– Rositsa Kirova – Member of Parliament and Chairperson of the Committee for Direct Citizen Participation
• Petar Mladenov – Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports
– Tanya Mihaylova – Head of the Minister of Education and Science’s Office
– Monika Yanakieva – Director of the “Selection, Contracting, and Reporting” Directorate at the Center for Human Resource Development
– Col. Petar Kindalov – Commander of the National Guard Unit
– Col. Iliya Milushev – Advisor to the President of the Republic of Bulgaria
– Mariana Shoteva – Chair of the Administrative Court – Plovdiv
– Giuseppe De Francesco – Honorary Consul of Italy in Plovdiv
• Iliana Andonova – Representative of the Embassy of Cyprus in Bulgaria.
The youth were interested in the topic of volunteering and its integration into the football world. The vice president of the commission elaborated on the efforts being made in this regard and highlighted that it is a main priority for them, also explaining how they work with young people. He mentioned the weekly children’s tournaments organized precisely to support this cause.
The Director of the “International Relations” department and the association discussed potential future joint projects and the readiness of both parties to actively participate in the development of women’s football and youth sports. For the association, sports and physical activity are fundamental to building a healthy body, mind, and character, as well as a means to teach discipline and perseverance.
The “Youth Guard Units” Association holds accreditation No. 2025-1-BG01-KA151-YOU-000297794, awarded in 2025, ensuring the sustainability and long-term development of projects in the field of youth policies. In recent years, the Association has established its role as an active participant in international youth exchange. In 2022 and 2023, its delegations visited the Vatican by special invitation from His Holiness Pope Francis and the Pontifical Swiss Guard. In 2023, the organization was also received at the state level in Montenegro, where it met with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Ministers of Education, Sports, and Human and Minority Rights.
Photos: Milen Torbev
