Boxing Champion Dalakliev Named Bulgaria's Sportsman of 2009

“I would like to thank everyone who believed in me. I am happy that I managed to bring you joy,” Dakaliev, 26, commented after receiving the prize by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. Photo by BGNES

Detelin Dalakliev, the first really big boxing title holder from Bulgaria in fourteen years, has been named the country's Sportsman of the Year 2009 just days after grabbing the second spot in the Man of the Year competition.

Dalakliev, who became an amateur world champion in the bantamweight category in Milan on September 12, won the recognition of the Bulgarian journalists, who voted in the traditional annual poll, and collected a total of 1358 points.

“I would like to thank everyone who believed in me. I am happy that I managed to bring you joy,” Dakaliev, 26, commented after receiving the prize by Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.

An astonishingly pacific figure for a boxer Dalakliev, who is also captain of the Bulgarian boxing team, came by success the hard way. He grew up modestly in the northern city of Pleven and later headed for Sofia with 7 leva in his pocket to train in boxing.

Dalakliev won in September gold at the AIBA World Championships Milan 2009 after defeating Russian Eduard Abzalimov in the final of the 54kg section.

The boxer won silver at the European boxing Championships earlier in the year and went one better in Milan. Dalakliev is a defensive specialist and he kept dancing and waiting for a chink in the armour of 24-year-old Russian Eduard Abzalimov.

Dalakliev won the first round 1:0 and finished the second with another strong punch to again take a 1:0 round victory. He let Abzalimov come at him in the following rounds but managed to keep out of trouble and won an enthralling bout.

Detelin Dalakliev is one of the three nominees for the title Bulgarian sports personality of the year in the traditional annual contest of Novinite.com, where he vies for the title along with Manchester United striker Dimitar Berbatov and the national volleyball team.

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