site.bta Bulgaria Wins 24 Titles at WAKO European Youth Kickboxing Championships in Italy

Bulgaria's national kickboxing team won 24 European titles at the WAKO European Youth Kickboxing Championships in Lido di Jesolo.

Gold medals in their respective styles and categories went to Boris Despotov (two titles), Ivan Velev (two titles), Radostin Lyubenov, Kaloyan Traykov, Stefan Prokopov, Artem Kaliev, Simeon Lyubomirov, Marti Dimitrov, Martin Pachov, Daniel Marinkov, Preslav Georgiev, Gabriel Cherganski, Nikol Martinova, Helin Hasan, Monika Stoyanova, Izabela Ivanova, Rayna Duncheva, Darina Bogdanova, Alexandra Milusheva, Kalina Spirova and Emi Danova.

The girls' team in Pointfighting (Bogdanova, Duncheva, Elizabet Ivanova and Adelina Nakova) also won a European title.

The Cadets Men Pointfighting team (Boris Petkov, Daniel Rusanov, Vladimir Tsvetkov and Anton Vasilev) took silver, while the Cadets Women Pointfighting team (Lachezara Ivanova, Raya Marinova, Ivayla Tsvetanova and Velislava Zhelyamova) took bronze.

In total, the Bulgarian team earned 79 medals: 24 gold, 22 silver and 33 bronze. In the medal tally, Bulgaria finished fifth, after Britain, Hungary, hosts Italy, and Poland. The championships in Jesolo brought together 1,849 athletes from 41 countries.

Bulgaria's national coach, Vladimir Valev, was named best ring coach of the tournament.

For the first time ever, Bulgaria secured the hosting rights for the World Kickboxing Championship for Cadets (U190, to be held in Plovdiv in 2026.