Bulgaria Open moved venue due to record number of registrations

Petar Palazov, vice president of Bulgaria Taekwondo Federation, confirmed to MASTKD that the high number of registrations forced the Bulgaria Open to move to a larger arena, which he described as “the best” and “newest” in the country. He said that the aim of the event was to consolidate an international-standard competition and, at the same time, to promote an institutional vision of “Taekwondo beyond sport,” linking performance, values, and training.

The size of the tournament pushed the organization to adjust its original plans. “When we were planning, we didn’t know how many athletes would participate. Now we see that there are too many, so we moved to the best arena in Bulgaria. It’s the newest, it’s the best,» Palazov explained.

The official agreed that the change of venue increased the operational complexity but emphasized that the organizing committee had the experience to maintain the level of execution. “It’s a little more difficult to organize it in the best way, but we are very experienced and we will handle it,” he said.

Previous experience and European ambition

Palazov linked the logistical leap to Bulgaria’s accumulated experience as a host of major events, a track record that, in his view, raised international expectations for the Bulgaria Open. In this vein, he mentioned previous events such as junior World championships and the President’s Cup and linked them to a broader sporting and organizational goal.

“We had the Olympic qualification in Bulgaria behind us, so I think we need to put on one of the best events in Europe,” he said.

“Taekwondo beyond sport”: values and community

Beyond the competitive sphere, Palazov highlighted that the federation looked to promote a strategy of sustained growth to expand the social impact of taekwondo. He explained that the leadership of the Bulgarian Taekwondo Federation worked “step by step” to help more people understand what taekwondo is and how its sporting dimension and martial roots are related.

On that point, Palazov noted that the federation’s president, Slavcho “Slavi” Binev, was “very involved” in this line of development, with initiatives aimed at bringing the discipline to new audiences, including parallel activities for children.

“We work not only to produce athletes, but also people of good values, good citizens” he summarized, describing on building grassroots and the importance of values.

A turning point in management

When asked by MASTKD about Bulgaria’s growth on the international stage—both in terms of results and organizational capacity—Palazov offered a long-term perspective. He said he had been involved in Taekwondo management since 1994 and identified a turning point with the leadership cycle headed by Binev, which he described as a period of “great change” in the structure and way of working.

In the same line, the vice president indicated that internal improvements were implemented to streamline processes and strengthen the experience of delegations and athletes, including administrative adjustments related to the identification and documentation of competitors, as part of a professionalization strategy.

Final message to delegations and athletes

In closing, Palazov left a direct message for the teams and competitors who traveled to Bulgaria: “Expect a high-quality competition,” he said, adding that the organizing committee’s goal was to ensure a solid event for the athletic development of the participants.

MAS: Media About Sport.
TKD: Taekwondo.
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