First medal for Bulgaria from the Balkan Karate Championship – Nikol Bilcheva with title for Ruse
Saturday, 06 September 2025
Ruse already has a Balkan champion in karate shinkyokushin. In the early hours of the first competition of this rank for Bulgaria, 14-year-old Nikol Bilcheva brought the gold medal for Ruse in the kumite discipline in the up to 45 kg category. The student of sensei Rumen Kalinov from the Ruse Sports Club has been training for 6 years and has several prestigious international awards, as well as championship titles at State Championships. The competition includes over 300 representatives of Romania, Greece, Turkey, Croatia and Bulgaria, who enter into duels in the kata and kumite disciplines.
The championship in the Arena Ruse hall was opened today by Mayor Pencho Milkov. He congratulated the karatekas and the audience and emphasized that the Ruse Municipality will continue to stand behind every initiative that promotes a healthy lifestyle, international cooperation and the education of young people through sports. "We are proud to host an event that unites different countries, cultures and schools, but with common values - discipline, honor, will and respect. I wish every competitor concentration and success on the tatami. May this championship be an example of sportsmanship, mutual respect and beautiful play," said the mayor.
Among the official guests at the opening ceremony were Deputy Mayor Borislav Rachev, MP Bilyana Ivanova, Director of OP "Sports Properties" Lachezar Ivanov, Head of the Regional Directorate "Fire Safety and Population Protection" in Ruse Commissioner Svetoslav Voychev, Anka Wolmen (fifth dan, Romania) - President of the Romanian Federation and Secretary General of the European Karate Organization, Jan Bellow (seventh dan, Denmark) - President of the European Technical Commission, the leaderships of the federations from the participating countries and others.
The Chairman of the Bulgarian Karate Shinkyokushin Federation (BKSF), Boris Nikolov, said that hosting this event is an exceptional honor for Ruse and Bulgaria and strengthens their place among the leading sports destinations in Europe. Nikolov thanked the Municipality of Ruse for the professional partnership in the preparation and holding of the championship and, as a sign of gratitude for the support provided in the realization of the competition, presented honorary plaques on behalf of the federation to Pencho Milkov, Bilyana Ivanova, Lachezar Ivanov and the heads of the federations.
The solemn ceremony was accompanied by a rich cultural program that presented the Bulgarian spirit and traditions to the international audience. The cheerleading squad "Extreme" and the dancers from the folklore ensemble "Zora" at the Municipal Youth Center, as well as the folklore ensemble "Ruschukliyche" from the Municipal Children's Center for Culture and Art, contributed to the festive atmosphere.
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