Theodora Tsaneva Reaches Final of European Karate Championships

Bulgaria’s rising star in karate, Theodora Tsaneva, has advanced to the gold medal match and European title competition at the European Championships in Frankfurt, Germany.

Tsaneva has recorded four consecutive victories in the -50 kg kumite category. In the first round, she defeated Yalcin from the Netherlands with a score of 4:2. She then drew with Sara Leal from Portugal 1:1, and proceeded to win against Ermiona Perfetto from Italy with a score of 6:0. In the semifinals, she defeated the Russian fighter Elizaveta Grygorieva with a score of 7:4.

Congratulations are in order for Theodora’s coach Boyana Stefanova and the Bulgarian karate community, as well as for all the Bulgarian fans with flags in the arena.

Bulgarian Representation in the Championships

The other Bulgarian representatives at Euro 2026 also performed exceptionally well. Denis Aprilov finished in 9th place in the -67 kg kumite category, while Nikolay Stefanov won in the -60 kg category before being eliminated by the 7th-ranked Georgian fighter in the World Rankings. The female fighter Sofiya Yoo Vachkova lost to a Croatian opponent, while in the -75 kg kumite category, Nikolay Tsanev recorded a win and a loss in his category. It’s an incredible debut for our young competitors on a major forum for both men and women.

The Final Match

In the battle for the gold medal, Theodora Tsaneva will face off against Ema Sgardeli from Croatia on Saturday.