Ivelina Shenkova from the Bulgarian Wushu Federation received the prestigious Golden Belt award for “Best Athlete – Women of 2025”, presented by the National Association of Combat Sports (NACS) at the official ceremony held on December 5 in the St. St. Constantine and Helena resort near Varna, Bulgaria. She accepted the honor from four-time world kickboxing champion Ernesto Hoost.
“I train at the Beimo Wing Chun club. This martial art focuses mainly on short, simultaneous movements, which is why it looks much faster than others. I have never trained in any other combat sport,” Shenkova shared in an interview for the “Bulgaria Sutrin” morning show.
How Her Interest in Wing Chun Began
She explained that her daughter used to train in karate, and after attending one of her competitions, Shenkova was inspired by the entire ceremony. She realized she, too, wanted to practice a combat sport. She chose Wing Chun because it is relaxing and the club is nearby. Shenkova is also a proud mother of three children.
Training Routine and What Lies Ahead
“Our training sessions are twice a week for two hours. We start with a warm-up, and then we mainly continue with exercises or preparation for competitions,” she told Bulgaria ON AIR.
When asked how she prepares for tournaments, Shenkova explained that the preparation usually starts one to two months before the event, focusing on refining mistakes.
“The hardest thing for me was learning the six forms. The first three are hand forms — you don’t use weapons, only demonstrate how you can defend and attack with your hands. The other three involve weapons — a long pole, butterfly knives, and the wooden dummy,” Shenkova added.
For next year, she already has plans to participate in four international competitions and several national championships in wushu and Wing Chun.
The full interview with award-winning female athlete Ivelina Shenkova can be viewed on the Bulgaria ON AIR television website.
Watch the honored athletes at the annual awards of the 12 federations and the Golden Belt 2025 ceremony of the National Association of Combat Sports on December 27 at 07:00 p.m. EET on Bulgaria ON AIR.
