JANUARY

The spring semi-season in the two professional football divisions started. In Antalia, Slavia of Sofia played 1-1 against Adanaspor and 4-0 against Sloga Yugomagnat of Skopje.

The German experts Rudiger Abramchik beat champions Levski Sofia.

The vice champions, CSKA of Sofia spent a week in the Italian sports complex Covergiano.

In Grenoble, Evgenia Radanova won her third European short-track speed skating title by finishing first in all lengths - 500, 1000, 1500 and 3000 m.

The female relay team of Bulgaria (Evgenia, Marina Georgieva, Anna Krusteva and Daniela Vlaeva) took the silver medal.

The first victory of the ski season was won Bulgarian Alpine skier Stefan Georgiev - in the slalom in Skofia Loca in Slovenia in the International Ski Federation (ISF).

Levski Sofia defeated Hotvolleys of Vienna by three games to two and remained in the Golden Volleyball League of Europe.

Figure skating couple Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski attained the best rankings for Bulgaria at the European championship, reaching sixth place in Lausanne. Ivan Dinev is seventh.

At the Australian Tennis Championship, Magdalena Maleeva reached the fourth round.

Venelina Veneva topped the world rankings in high jump with 198cm in Budapest.

In Porto, the draw of the European football qualifications put Bulgaria in a group with Belgium, Croatia, Estonia and Andorra.

FEBRUARY

For a third successive year, Levski Sofia football team won the Albena MobilTel tournament in honour of late president Vladimir Grashnov.

Venelina Veneva surpassed 202cm and continued her lead in the World Rankings. Tereza Marinova won the triple jump in Stuttgart, in the first tournament of the season.

Judo player, Georgi Georgiev, won gold in the 66kg category at the Liberation super tournament in Sofia.

The Winter Olympics opened in Salt Lake City, US. Evgenia Radanova took a bronze medal in the 1500m in Salt Lake City and after that a silver in the 500m.

Denkova - Staviski were seventh at the Olympics 2002.

Irina Nikulchina, Katia Dafovska, Pavlina Filipova and Iva Shkodreva were fourth in the biathlon 4 x 7.5km relay at Salt Lake City. Ivan Dinev was thirteenth. Stefan Georgiev placed sixteenth in the Alpine combination. Bulgaria ended twenty-first in medals.

The Bulgarian football championship resumed. Levski was five points ahead of CSKA and Litex of Lovech.

Kubrat Pulev, in the up to 91kg category, won the Strandzha cup at the oldest boxing tournament in Europe.

MARCH

Levski and CSKA finished with a 2-2 draw in the all-time football derby of Bulgaria. Tereza Marinova became European triple jump champion in Vienna achieving the world's best for the season, 14.81m. Petar Dachev was third in the long jump. Bulgaria placed eleventh in the overall medal rankings.

Yordan Yovchev won gold on floor and rings at the Cup of America tournament in Los Angeles. In Copenhagen, Yovchev won four medals for the World Cup: gold on floor and rings, as well as silver on parallel bars and jump. Radka Popova became the European champion in biathlon over 10km in Kontiolahti, Finland.

Ekaterina Dafovska was third in the 10km for the World Cup in Osterzund, Sweden. Football club Levski parted ways with senior trainer Rudiger Abramchik and recruited as his replacement Serbia's Slavoljub Muslin.

Grossmeister Vesselin Topalov beat the world second-best, Vladimir Kramnik of Russia, at the Amber Supertournament in Monaco. World Wrestling Champion, Nikolai Paslar, was named 2001 world's best wrestler in free style, after which he won the International tournament Dan Kolov in Sofia.

Denkova - Staviski placed fifth at the World Championship in Nagano, Japan.

The Bulgarian football nationals lost 0-3 to Ecuador in a control match in New York.

Plamen Zheliazkov (77kg category) achieved two world records in the weight lifting tournament at the Grand Prix in Doha, Qatar.

Dafovska won the 10km run at the Galacompetition in biathlon in Hantimansijsk, Russia, which closed the season.

APRIL

Radanova won two silver medals, in 500 and 1000m runs, and another bronze in 3000m, at the World Individual Championship in Montreal, Canada.

World boxing champion in the professional category, Desislava Kirova (Daisy Lang) defended for the seventh successive time her world title in the lightweight category up to 52.16kg. Dimitar Shtilianov (63.5kg) and Kubrat Pulev (91kg) won gold medals at the boxing super tournament in Helsinki.

Petia Nedelcheva won the European Badminton Cup.

The Bulgarian artistic gymnastics ensemble reached the top in a tournament in Kalamata, Greece, which witnessed the top 10 strongest teams in the world. Individually, Simona Peicheva was second in the 12-event competition. Armen Nazarian (60kg) won his fifth European title in the Greco-Roman wrestling championship in Seinajoki, Finland. Tenio Tenev (55kg) took silver. Bulgaria was second in the overall rankings.

Grandmaster Kiril Georgiev took fourth spot in the first of the year's chess tournaments, the Grand Prix in Dubai.

Emil Milev became the first Bulgarian to qualify for the Summer Olympics in Athens in 2004, after winning the fast shooting with a pistol at the World Cup in Sydney, Australia.

Bulgarian football nationals lost 0-1 to Mexico in a control match in New York.

Radanova was given the International Olympics Committee's award for the sports player who performed best in speed skating.

At the European weight lifting championship in Antalia, Turkey, Bulgaria placed first in the team championship. Gold medals were won by Galabin Boevski (69kg), Georgi Markov (77kg) and Alan Tsagaev (105kg). Silver was taken by Stefan Georgiev (62kg), Zlatan Vanev (77kg) and Milen Dobrev (94kg). At the European Gymnastics in Patra, Greece, Yordan Yovchev was second in the all-around competitions. At the World Cup, the gold medal for pistol rapid-fire was taken by Emil Milev in Shanghai.

The all-time football derby between Levski and CSKA was won by Levski 2-0 and put them 12 points ahead in the championship rankings.

MAY

CEO of the Bulgarian Basketball Federation, Kosta Iliev, was elected as a member of the executive committee of FIBA Europe, while Sofia was elected as the centre of the Southern conference. Levski beat CSKA 3-1 to win Bulgaria's football cup. Senior trainer of CSKA, Luiggi Simoni, resigned to be replaced by Stoicho Mladenov. Two rounds before the end of the championship, Levski was already the champion, after a 2-0 win over Locomotiv (Plovdiv). Maria Grozdeva won Olympic silver and bronze medal in pistols at the round for the World Cup in Atlanta, US. Daniela Yordanova scored her strongest result in the 1500m run.

The Bulgarian football championship ended. The rankings were as follows:

1. Levski

2. Litex (Lovech)

3. CSKA

The top league said goodbye to Spartak (Pleven), Belasitsa (Petrich) and Beroe (Stara Zagora). Their places were taken by Rilski sportist (Samokov), Dobrudja (Dobrich) and Botev (Plovdiv). Galina Lazarova and Marian Kolev won the gold at the World Aerobics Championship in Sofia.

The World Football Championship in Korea and Japan started, but Bulgaria did not participate.

JUNE

GRANDMASTER Antoaneta Stefanova won the European title at a championship in Varna.

The basketball players of Yambolgas (Yambol) became the champions of Bulgaria. Tania Koleva (pole vault) and Yana Kasova (100m hurdles) were first in tournaments in, respectively, Seville and Istanbul. Ivailo Gavrilov and Vladislav Todorov won the prestigious Greek chain in Evga Masters beach volleyball. Kiril Gizdov won medals on all apparatus at the International Gymnastics Tournament in Trnava, Slovakia, and placed second in the all-around rankings.

In Sevlievo, Northern Bulgaria, the seventh round of the World Motocross Cup took place.

Magdalena Maleeva reached the fourth round at the Wimbledon Grand Slam.

Bulgarian football legend Georgi Sokolov died aged 60.

JULY

The New Zealander with a Bulgarian passport Samantha Macintosh won the International Horse Jumping Show in Barcelona and won the right to take part in the World Horse Jumping Games in September.

Ivailo Gavrilov and Vladislav Todorov moved ahead in the general rankings of the Greek professional beach volleyball league.

The captain of the junior national football championship, Emil Gurgorov, was transferred from Lokomotiv (Sofia) to CSKA for the sum of one million euro. The move marked a record transfer for the season in Bulgaria.

For the sum of 4.1 million euro, football player No.1 of Bulgaria for 2000 and 2001, Georgi "Gonzo" Ivanov moved to France's Rennes team.

Rumiana Neikova won the rowing regattas for the World Cup in London and Lucerne.

Dimitar Shtilianov (63.5kg) was first in the European Boxing Championship in Perm, Russia. Alexander Vladimirov (51kg) and Boris Georgiev (60kg) finished with silver medals. Bulgaria was third in the team championship. Kayak rower Petar Merkov won silver in the 500m at the European Canoe Kayak Championship in Szeged, Hungary.

Grandmaster Topalov placed second in the chess supertournament in Dortmund.

A ministry of youth and sports was established.

Football player Vladimir Manchev was transferred from CSKA to France's Lille team in return for 2.3 million euro.

Levski finished 0-0 as a guest against Latvia's Sconto, the first meeting from the second qualification round of the Champions Football League in Europe.

Petar Stoichev moved ahead in the World Swimming Marathon Cup, after winning the 40km swim in the lake of Memphremagogue between the US and Canada.

Levski qualified for the third qualification round of the Champions League after a victory of 3-0 over Sconto (Riga).

AUGUST

Levski lost 0-1 to Dynamo (Kiev) in the first match of the third round of the Champions League. It lost with the same result the second match and Levski dropped out, but continued in the first regular round of the UEFA Cup tournament. CSKA won by 4-1 against Belarussian Dynamo (Minsk) in the first preliminary round of the UEFA Cup for the 2002/2003 season. In Sofia, the Bulgarian national football team finished 2-2 in a control match against the World's Vice Champion, Germany.

Bulgaria's men's volleyball team beat the US by three games to two and won the Sofia championship.

Yordan Yovchev was again on top in a gala gymnastics meeting against the US and the world's top team.

Radoslav Lukaev became the first Bulgarian tennis player to participate in the Grand Slam competition, after achieving three wins at the US Open.

Kayak rower Merkov won silver in the 500m at the World Championship in Seville, Spain. CSKA and Litex qualified for the first regular tournament of UEFA, after denying with two victories respectively Dynamo (Minsk) and Atlantas (Kleipeda).

Top sumo player of Bulgaria, Petar Stoyanov (115kg plus) won the supertournament in Los Angeles.

SEPTEMBER

Bulgaria beat Belgium 2-0 in its first match of the Eighth qualification group for the European finals in 2004 in Portugal.

At Berlin's Grand Prix, Simona Peicheva was second in the overall artistic gymnastics rankings. For the second time in the history of the Bulgarian free-style wrestling, the team of Bulgaria returned without a medal from a world championship, the 36th World Championship in Tehran. Bulgaria won just the fourth and fifth places.

Dimitar Gospodinov won the 52nd Cycling Tour of Bulgaria.

Desislava Kirova won the world boxing title in a higher category (peacock, up to 53.5kg). Levski scored a 4-1 win over Danish Brondby (Copenhagen) in the first regular round of the UEFA tournament CSKA tied 1-1 with Blackburn. Litex lost on home ground by 0-1 to Greece's Panatinaikos of Athens.

Rumiana Neikova (scull light category, 1500m) became world champion at the World Championship in Seville, Spain.

World title and bronze medal was taken by Bulgarian wrestlers in Greco-Roman style at the championship in Moscow. Armen Nazarian (60kg) was first, Ali Mollov (96kg) third.

OCTOBER

CSKA tied 3-3 with Blackburn, while Litex lost 1-2 after extra time against Panatinaikos of Athens. The two teams dropped from the UEFA tournament. Levski continued in the second round after a 1-1 result in Copenhagen against Brondby.

Bulgaria's volleyball team placed thirteenth at the World Championship in Argentina.

Petar Stoichev again won the Swimming Marathon World Cup and became the only sportsperson to be win twice.

Magdalena Maleeva won the Kremlin tournament in Moscow.

The men's team of Bulgaria won for second successive year the European sumo title at the Moscow championship.

The refurbishment of the Vassil Levski national stadiumn in Sofia was completed. Bulgaria scored a home-based 2-0 victory over Croatia in a second match in the eighth qualification group for Portugal 2004. Andorra was beaten 2-1 at the refurbished national stadium.

Yovchev was first on rings at the World Cup in Bercy, France.

Neikova won the regatta in Boston, US.

CSKA achieved a 3-0 win over Levski in the derby to score an eight-point lead.

Yovchev became champion in Switzerland.

Radanova won the sprint over 500m at the World Championship in Shanghai. Maleeva was second at the tennis tournament in Luxembourg. Levski lost 0-1 to Austria's Sturm (Graz) its first match in the second round of the UEFA tournament.

Basketball players of LUKoil Academic won their sixth successive victory in the Southern conference of the tournament for the Championship Cup of FIBA Europe, after winning 86-70 as guests of the Zagreb club.

NOVEMBER

Maleeva reached the quarterfinals of the Masters tennis tournament in Los Angeles. Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski won their first gold medal of their career - the World Cup in Gelzenkirchen, Germany.

Bulgaria's artistic gymnastics team was third in the World Championship in Granada, Spain. Levski finished their participation in the UEFA tournament, stepping down as a host with 7-8 penalties of Sturm (Graz) in the second round.

Tsvetan Gashevski (75kg) and Veronika Bonkova (63.5kg) ranked world champions in Canadian wrestling at the championship in Springfield, US.

Bulgaria's football team lost by 0-1 their control match in Granada, Spain. The autumn semi-season of the football championshi resulted in leader in the rankings being CSKA with 13 victories out of 13 possible, eight points ahead of Levski.

At the World Artistic Gymnastic Championship in Debrecen, Hungary, Yovchev was second on rings and third on floor exercise. Evgenia Kuznetsova is fifth on beam.

With six medals (two gold, three silver and one bronze), the Bulgarian men's team was first in the World Weightlifting Championship in Warsaw. Georgi Markov (77kg) and Zlatan Vanev (85kg) were triumphant at the world championship in the past 10 years. In Stuttgart, in the final tournament of the World Artistic Gymnastics Cup, Simona Peicheva became No.1 on ball and silver on rope and hoop. Again in Stuttgart, Yovchev took gold on rings and won the World Cup on this apparatus.

DECEMBER

After four of a total of six starts for the season, Radanova got ahead in the general rankings for the World Short Track Speed Skating Cup. In Bormio, Italy, Radanova was second in the1000m and fourth in the 3000m.

The fifth tournament for the World Cup is to take place between February 7 and 9 in Salt Lake City, the US.

Yovchev was first in the overall ranking, on rings and floor at the memorial tournament of Arturo Gander in Ciaso, Switzerland. Kuznetsova is fourth in the overall rankings and on beam. In the Cup of Switzerland in Zurich, the duo Kuznetsova-Yovchev placed second. The Olympic Champion from Nagano 1998, Ekaterina Dafovska, started the Biathlon World Cup season with a bronze medal in the 7.5km run in Osterzund, Sweden and took fifth place in the general interim rankings.

The fourth-round return matches from the tournament for the Cup of Bulgaria finished the Autumn 2002 semi-season. The leading teams, Levski Sofia, CSKA and Slavia, Litex of Lovech and Locomotiv of Plovdiv remained in the league.