On December 5 in Varna, Bulgaria, during the “Golden Belt” 2025 ceremony, the National Association of Combat Sports in Bulgaria presented its annual awards.
The Bulgarian Kudo Federation honored athlete Zarina Ivanova with the “Best Athlete – Women” award. Her achievements this year include: first place at the Kudo Youth European Cup in Malta, third place at the Kudo European Championship in Lithuania, two gold medals at the national Kudo tournament in Harmanli, two gold medals and the “Will to Win” prize at the Kudo World Cup in Burgas, as well as two gold medals from the Open European Youth Kudo Cup in Burgas.
The “Best Coach” award of the Bulgarian Kudo Federation was presented to Mitko Bozhanov. He is the head coach of a school that trains and inspires athletes from the cities of Veliko Tarnovo, Gorna Oryahovitsa, Pavlikeni, Svishtov, and Belene. Bozhanov holds a black belt in several martial arts, and his students achieve results not only under Kudo rules but also in Kyokushin karate, kickboxing, and Muay Thai.
Bozhanov has received recognition as a sports referee and a coach with significant achievements at the national, European, and world levels.
Mitko Bozhanov and Zarina Ivanova earned these honors in the previous year, 2024, as well. These awards recognize the elite of combat sports, paying tribute to those who, with talent, discipline, and resilience, advance martial arts and elevate Bulgaria on the world stage.
The “Best Athlete – Man” award of the Kudo Federation went to Dimitar Shtarbanov. As a member of the Bulgarian national team at the 2025 Kudo European Championship in Burgas, he won the European title in the men’s division. Shtarbanov also trains and has achievements in MMA, jiu-jitsu, and kickboxing.
A representative of the Bulgarian Kudo Federation received yet another distinction – Stoyan Gochev was awarded the “Golden Belt” 2025 in the category “Bright Victory.” Stoyan, a 2025 European champion from SC “Kudo – Burgas,” demonstrated a series of impressive victories throughout the season.
Watch the annual awards of the 12 federations and the “Golden Belt” 2025 ceremony of the National Association of Combat Sports on Bulgaria ON AIR on December 27 at 07:00 p.m. EET.
