PRESIDENT Georgi Purvanov has written a letter to International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge expressing his support for Sofia’s bid to host the Olympic Winter Games in 2014.

The letter will be delivered on Tuesday when Rogge will receive senior Bulgarian sport officials in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Purvanov met with Bulgarian Olympic Committee (BOC) President Stefka Kostadinova and Youth and Sports State Agency president Vessela Lecheva to discuss their forthcoming meeting with Rogge.

Lecheva said the meeting with Purvanov was also held in order to acquaint the head of state with the new BOC leadership. Kostadinova said Sofia had been too slow in launching its Olympic bid campaign.

“We have to conduct a good advertising campaign to show the people that Bulgaria will benefit from hosting the Winter Olympics,” she said. “We are planning a poll to see whether the people want these Games at home.”

The BOC will also meet with Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and the other cabinet members to ask for their official support for the Olympic bid, Kostadinova said. The BOC will provide 100 000 leva to the Bid Committee, whose composition will be changed. Kostadinova and Sofia mayor Boiko Borissov will remain among its members.