The Big Check

The Big Check is one of Tzvetan Vassilev’s initiatives which grants all Bulgarian athletes who have won a gold medal at the Olympic, World or European championships bonuses from Corporate Commercial Bank AD. The initiative started in 2007. Since then Tzvetan Vassilev and representatives of Corporate Commercial Bank AD’s management have awarded more than 35 Bulgarian champions with checks worth more than 580 000 leva. 

 

Among the winners of the Big Check are Stanka Zlateva (wrestling), Nikolai Gergov (wrestling), Albena Denkova and Maxim Stavisky (figure skating), Rumyana Neykova (rowing), Kubrat Pulev (boxing), Tanio Kirjakov (shooting), Ivan Stoitzov (weightlifting), Maria Grozdeva (shooting), Yavor Hristov (archery), Detelin Dalakliev (boxing), Mihail Ganev (wrestling), Hristo Marinov (wrestling), Peter Stoychev (swimming), Ivet Lalova (athletics), and Ivo Angelov (wrestling).

 

Inspired by the success of the initiative and in order to encourage Bulgarian athletes for new achievements, in 2009 Tzvetan Vassilev doubled the Big Check cash awards respectively to 10 000 leva for a European title and 20 000 leva for a World Championship gold medal.

 

Before the 2012 Summer Olympics in London the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Corporate Commercial Bank AD decided to motivate the Bulgarian competitors for success and victory by announcing that Corporate Commercial Bank AD doubled the award for an Olympic title — from 50 000 leva, it became 100 000 leva. In addition, for the first time Tzvetan Vassilev made a promise that the bank would also award the winners of silver and bronze medals — respectively with 50 000 and 30 000 leva.

 

In 2012 the Olympic vice champion Stanka Zlateva received her ninth Big Check from Corporate Commercial Bank AD while the bronze medalist from the London Olympics, Tervel Pulev (boxing) made his debut in the initiative. The Bulgarian Paralympians — the silver medalist from London 2012, Stela Eneva (athletics) and the bronze medalist Radoslav Zlatanov (athletics), also received well-deserved awards, respectively 50 000 and 30 000 leva.

 

"With the Big Check initiative we strive to encourage Bulgarian athletes for their hard work, efforts, strong will, courage, and especially for the fact that they represent our country in the best possible way. There are hardly any better representatives of Bulgaria than our wonderful athletes," Tzvetan Vassilev said, quoted by Monitor newspaper, author — Miroslava Mitova.