Valentin Lazarov was a basketball referee and expert, who was enshrined as a technical official in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 19 June 2013."FIBA Hall of Famers - Valentin Lazarov"
retrieved 14 December 2016) In addition to his basketball career, Lazarov was also a civil engineer with more than 65 years of experience with projects all over the world. He worked as the general director of the Design Institute of the

International Academy of Architecture The International Academy of Architecture - ''a non-profit-making company for performing activities for private benefit'' (IAA, bg, Международна архитектурна академия) is a non-governmental and non-profit organizat ...

. Lazarov was born on 5 October 1931 in

Sofia Sofia ( ; bg, София, Sofiya, ) is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria. It is situated in the Sofia Valley at the foot of the Vitosha mountain in the western parts of the country. The city is built west of the Iskar river, and ha ...

, the capital of Bulgaria, where he lived with his family. He has two daughters and two grandchildren. Valentin Lazarov was an Honorary Citizen of Sofia because of his contributions as a civil engineer. He died on 28 December 2020, aged 89.

Basketball career

Lazarov was enshrined as a technical official in the FIBA Hall of Fame on 19 June 2013.

Highlights

* Basketball referee from 1950 *

FIBA The International Basketball Federation (FIBA ; French: ) is an association of national organizations which governs the sport of basketball worldwide. Originally known as the (hence FIBA), in 1989 it dropped the word ''amateur'' from its na ...

referee (1958–1983) * Officiated more than 440 international games and finals:

FIBA World Championships The FIBA Basketball World Cup, also known as the FIBA World Cup of Basketball or simply the FIBA World Cup, between 1950 and 2010 known as the FIBA World Championship, is an international basketball competition contested by the senior men's nat ...

and

European Championships The European Championships is a multi-sport tournament which brings together the existing European Championships of some of the continent's leading sports every four years. The inaugural edition in 2018 was staged by the host cities of Berlin, ...

, African Championships, Asian Championships, Korac Cups,

Ronchetti Cup The Ronchetti Cup (called till 1996 ''European Cup Liliana Ronchetti'') was an annual women’s basketball European club competition held by FIBA between the years 1972 and 2002. It was the second competition in European basketball, after the Euro ...

s, Final Fours, etc. * Since 1980: FIBA International Instructor, conducted 336 FIBA and other International Clinics for referees, commissioners and instructors in 116 countries * FIBA Commissioner (1983–2007) * Member of FIBA Technical Commission since 1976 * Vice-President Technical Commission

FIBA Europe FIBA Europe is the administrative body for basketball in Europe, within the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which includes all 50 national European basketball federations. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIBA Euro ...

(1996–2004) * Official FIBA Interpreter of the Rules (1992–2005) * 10 Olympic Games participations * Author of 2 books on Basketball officiating and more than 20 articles in various sport magazines, Manuals for Commissioners, Manuals for National instructors, etc. * As a player: basketball team of French College (1946–1949) * Graduated from 2-year school for talented players (1950–52) * Captain of the basketball team of the Technical University in Sofia (1949–1954)

Distinctions and recognitions

* Honorary National Referee in Bulgaria (1958) * FIBA/FFBA CUP for "BEST REFEREE IN EUROPE" (1962) * Honorary FIBA referee (1976) * Golden Whistle as best referee in Bulgaria * FIBA Cup - " Radomir Shaper" (2000) * FIBA Basketball Oscar (2002) * Honorary President of the Bulgarian Referees’ Association (2005) * FIBA Africa "Äbd-El-Azem Ashry" Cup (2006) * Honorary Citizen of Sofia * 6 highest Bulgarian professional awards for his projects/medals

Civil engineering career

For decades, Lazarov was a General Director of Interproject and a Director at the

. During his long career, he was responsible for the construction, design, and overall civil plan for embassies, sports facilities and living quarters around the world.

Highlights

Projects

* Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Sofia * Bistrica government residency with covered swimming pool * Bulgarian Sports Federation building with covered swimming pool * Belite Brezi residential complex * 38 residential buildings in Sofia * Buzludja memorial * Bulgarian embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan * Bulgarian embassy in Havanna, Cuba * Samokov movie theatre * Rudartsi swimming pool * Pernik's culture home * Dimitrovgrad's culture home * Plovdiv's library * Koprivshtitsa - 30 houses in the renowned "Bulgarian old style"

Municipality of Damascus 1964–1970

Construction and design of numerous sports facilities in the capital of Syria that include: * Baramke sports complex with halls and football stadium * Mezze sports complex with covered swimming pool and football field * Ashrafie sports complex with football field and hotel * Bulgarian exhibition palace (rewarded with medal)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lazarov, Valentin Bulgarian sportspeople 1931 births 2020 deaths FIBA referees Sportspeople from Sofia