On January 11, 2025, the Bulgarian Kyokushin Karate Federation (BKKF) held its annual general meeting, where key decisions were made, and the most outstanding athletes of the past year were honored. The event brought together representatives from all the federation’s clubs and set new goals for the upcoming 2025 year.
During the meeting, the internal calendar for 2025 was adopted. The karate competition season will begin in March in Shumen, preceded by seminars for coaches and referees in Veliko Tarnovo and Shumen. International participation is also planned for the national team. The decisions made at the general meeting outlined the framework for the sports season, with additional details on upcoming events to be announced in the coming weeks.
A new member club was unanimously accepted into the BKKF – the “Triumph” Sports Club from Haskovo, led by Senpai Kiril Petrov.
The traditional ceremony for awarding the titles of Master and Candidate Master of Sports highlighted the contributions of athletes who brought honor to Bulgaria on the international stage. Here are their names and achievements for 2024:
Masters of Sports:
- Viktor Kolev (SC “Kyokushin”, Shumen)
World Cup “Varna” – 1st place
European Championship, Armenia – 1st place
Bulgarian Championship, Gorna Malina – 1st place - Monika Stoyanova (SC “Okami Dojo”, Asenovgrad)
World Cup “Varna” – 1st place
European Championship, Armenia – 1st place
IFK Open Tournament – 1st place - Teodora Popova (SC “Sentoki”, Burgas)
European Championship KWF, Arnhem, Netherlands, 2023 – 3rd place
Candidate Masters of Sports:
- Alexandra Ivanova (SC “Okami Dojo”, Asenovgrad)
World Cup “Varna” – 2nd place
European Championship, Armenia (16-17 years) – 1st place - Nedzhmi Bozov (SC “Okami Dojo”, Asenovgrad)
World Cup “Varna” – 3rd place
European Championship, Armenia (16-17 years) – 3rd place - Georgi Todorov (SC “Katana”, Veliko Tarnovo)
European Championship, Armenia (18-21 years) – 3rd place - Yoana Dafinkicheva (SC “Shogun”, Sofia)
European Championship, Armenia (16-17 years) – 2nd place
Awarding these master degrees represents the highest form of recognition within the BKKF. The honored athletes are not only holders of prestigious international titles but also an inspiration for younger generations just entering the world of Kyokushin Karate. The federation expressed its gratitude for their dedication and efforts over the year.
This meeting reaffirmed BKKF’s direction for development, emphasizing the importance of national and international achievements. 2025 is expected to be an even more fruitful year for Bulgarian Kyokushin Karate.