Vratsa Joins National Basketball League

For the first time, Vratsa will have a team in Bulgaria’s National Men’s Basketball League, announced the club’s Executive Director Hristo Iliev at a press conference. The initiative is part of a joint project between the municipalities of Vratsa and Botevgrad, aiming to develop competitive basketball in Northwestern Bulgaria, CE Report quotes BTA

The new team, Botev Vratsa, will debut in the upcoming season. Negotiations are underway with Vratsa-born players Filip Kamenov (currently in Germany) and Pavel Antonov (playing in the US) to join the roster. A coach is also being sought.

Botevgrad Mayor Ivan Gavalyugov highlighted that successful municipal support, like Botevgrad’s annual BGN 100,000–200,000 allocation for sports, is key to sustaining professional teams. Vratsa Mayor Kalin Kamenov emphasized a grassroots approach, starting with young players and gradually developing infrastructure, including the future Arena Vratsa hall, expected to be completed within 2–3 years.

Bulgarian Basketball Federation Executive Director Filip Videnov welcomed the project as vital for rejuvenating the national team, noting the success of youth-focused clubs like Balkan Botevgrad. The Federation is supporting licensing efforts to ensure Vratsa can host league matches soon.