Bulgaria’s former national team player Vladimir Nikolov and his wife, Maya, surprised their sons, Aleksandar and Moni, during the country’s first FIVB Volleyball Men’s World Championship final appearance in 55 years.
Aleksandar matched the tournament-high with 31 points to power Bulgaria past Czechia, 25-20, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22, sending his team to its first final since finishing runner-up in 1970. The historic win came before 6,896 fans at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Saturday.
Vladimir, who helped Bulgaria capture bronze in the 2006 World Championship, could not hide his pride as both a father and a former national team standout.
“I’m proud of Team Bulgaria—not only of my kids. I’m proud because they worked hard, they really worked hard. They dreamed, and they dreamed big. This final is probably the best thing they can achieve so far,” he said.
After securing a shot at the country’s first-ever World Championship crown, the Nikolov brothers shared a heartfelt hug with their mother.
“It’s very special, they actually surprised us. I didn't know they were coming. I'm happy they got to see this game live. It’s probably the most important, and the best game of my life, so I thank them for always supporting me,” said Aleksandar, who tallied 27 kills, three aces, and a block.
“I hope my dad and my mom feel proud of the team, of us, especially me and my brother, because they’ve raised us to be where we are today, and they deserve a lot of credit,” added Moni, who recorded 43 excellent sets and scored nine points.
Vladimir, a 2012 London Olympian, urged his sons and the entire squad to leave it all on the court as they chase history, facing either defending champion Italy or reigning runner-up Poland in a winner-take-all final on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.
“I’ve had a pretty successful career and I never had the chance to play in the final of the World Championship. So this is very special,” said Vladimir.
“We’re really happy. This Championship was very strange because, in the world today, five teams are better than Bulgaria—Italy, France, Poland, Brazil, and Japan. Three of those teams are not here. So when this happened, when Brazil was eliminated, we started to dream.”
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