Sofia, Apr 2 (IANS): The second leg of this year's FIG Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup series will be held from April 12-14 in the Arena Sofia Hall, officials said.

55 individual gymnasts from 42 countries and regions, as well as 13 groups, will compete in the three-day event, which will kick off on April 12, according to the Bulgarian Rhythmic Gymnastics Federation (BRGF), reports Xinhua.

"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to gather in Sofia the world elite of rhythmic gymnastics, as this is an Olympic year," said BRGF vice president Neviana Vladinova. "Among the best gymnasts in the individual event, we will not see only the current world champion Darja Varfolomeev, and in the group event only China will not come."

The others would come with their best gymnasts so it would be a "very, very interesting competition," she said.

The first leg of the 2024 World Cup series was held in Greece in March. Azerbaijan's capital Baku, Tashkent in Uzbekistan, and Italy's Milan will host the other three legs.