Bulgarian international Iliya Petkov returned to Bulgaria after his successful participation in the NAS Sports Tournament in Dubai, where he won the title with the combined team Cuneo – Grottazzolina.

The middle blocker chose not to return with his Italian teammates but to fly directly to Bulgaria. Petkov landed in Sofia on the afternoon Flydubai flight from Dubai. On the same day, there were two more flights from the same airline, bringing back other Bulgarian citizens from the turbulent emirate, due to the conflict between the USA, Israel, and Iran.

After the intense days surrounding the tournament, the international player will take a short break in his hometown of Dobrich. For him, the club season has already ended, after Grottazzolina was relegated from the Italian SuperLega and will play in Serie A2 next season.

It is not excluded that Petkov might maintain his form with Dobrudzha 07, if his schedule allows. The Dobrudzha team is preparing for a semi-final series against 'Zvezdets' in the Higher League, and the presence of the international player in the training process would be a serious bonus for the team from Dobrich.

Meanwhile, some of the participants in the NAS Sports Tournament have already returned to Europe. Cisterna Volley returned to Italy after a tense stay in Dubai. The team is scheduled for a short break, after which they will begin preparations for the playoffs for fifth place in the Italian SuperLega, which start in early April.