Bulgaria with 24 wrestlers at the European Championships in Tirana

Bulgaria will have 24 wrestlers at the European Championship in Tirana (Albania) on April 20, it became clear after the announcement of the squads by the Bulgarian Federation. After the last competitions, the final squads were also determined today. In the freestyle, Bulgaria will be represented in all 10 categories.

Shamil Mamedov will make his debut for Bulgaria at a major championship. Last month, he became the undisputed champion of "Dan Kolov". The team also includes Mikay Naim (70), second in Europe in 2023, Mikhail Georgiev (74), winner of the golden belt this season, as well as Ahmed Magamaev (97), fifth in the world in 2025, and Alen Hubulov (125), European champion under 23 in 2024. Ivaylo Tisov, fifth on the continent last season, will compete in the lightest category up to 57 kg.

The team will be led by coaches Radoslav Velikov, Yordan Denev and Miroslav Kirov.

In the classics, Kiril Milov will defend his title in the 97 kg category, after reaching the top last season, overcoming one of the most titled wrestlers in the category, Artur Aleksanyan (Armenia). Olympic champion Semen Novikov will compete in the 87 kg category, in which he took silver in 2025. Abu-Muslim Amaev (67), second in Europe last year, is also returning to the mat. Stoyan Kubatov, fifth at the 2023 World Championships and last month first at the Nikola Petrov and wearing the gold belt, will start in the 77 kg category.

In the 82 kg category, Svetoslav Nikolov, bronze medalist from the rating tournament in Albania in April and champion of "Nikola Petrov", has been declared, and in the lightweight category, Stefan Grigorov, fifth in Europe in 2024, will compete. In the classical style, there is no Bulgarian representative only in the heavyweight category up to 130 kg.

The team will be led by coaches Stefan Toshev, Iliyan Georgiev, and Yulian Georgiev.

Five Bulgarian athletes are going to the women's category. The most experienced among them is Bilyana Dudova (62), world champion and four-time No. 1 in Europe. After the injury of Yuliana Yaneva, second in the world last year, Daniela Brasnarova will compete in the 68 kg category. In the heavyweight category up to 76 kg, Vanessa Georgieva, third in Europe among girls, has been declared.

In the lightweight categories, the coaching staff has relied on promising athletes. Olga Popova, fifth at the European Cadet Championships last year, will compete in the 57-kilogram category. And Victoria Boynova, third in the world and in Europe among cadets, will compete in the 59-kilogram category. Earlier this season, she became fifth on the continent among 23-year-olds.

Our women's team is led by coaches Simeon Shterev, Serafim Barzakov, Elis Manolova.

There will be two Bulgarian judges at the championship - Dimitar Chifudov, Nedyalko Kireziev, both Olympic category.

Bulgaria's squad for the European Wrestling Championships in Tirana (Albania):

Freestyle

57 kg Ivaylo Tisov
61 kg Erdal Galip
65 kg Shamil Mamedov
70 kg Mikiai Naim
74 kg Mihail Georgiev
79 kg Aykan Seid
86 kg Engin Ismail
92 kg Ahmed Bataev
97 kg Ahmed Magamaev
125 kg Alen Hubulov

Classical style

55 kg Stefan Grigorov
60 kg Borislav Kirilov
63 kg Nikolay Vichev
67 kg Abu-Muslim Amaev
72 kg Dimitar Georgiev
77 kg Stoyan Kubatov
82 kg Svetoslav Nikolov
87 kg Semen Novikov
97 kg Kiril Milov

Women

57 kg Olga Popova
59 kg Victoria Boynova
62 kg Bilyana Dudova
68 kg Daniela Brasnarova
76 kg Vanessa Georgieva

The draw will be made in Sunday, April 19. The championship begins with classic style bouts on Monday, the women's competition starts on Wednesday, and the men's freestyle starts on Friday.