News

This week marks 10 years since the historic victory of Sensei Zahari Damyanov — the absolute world title in Kyokushin karate, won in Japan on November 22, 2015.

“What’s special about this tournament is that the World Championship without weight categories is held once every four years. Back then, there were 192 competitors. We fought for three days. I had eight matches,” he recalled the story of his global success in an interview for the “Bulgaria Morning” TV show.

According to Sensei Damyanov, the consistency and determination he maintained over the years helped him reach the top of the world and place Bulgaria among the leading nations in Kyokushin.

“At that time, as a competitor, I didn’t fully believe in such a result, because this World Championship has been held since 1975, and until the moment I became world champion, the title had been won seven times by Japanese fighters, twice by Brazilians, and once by a Russian,” he said. In his words, the preparation is both physical and mental, but cannot be achieved without the right team.

In addition to his competitive experience, Sensei Damyanov has also been gaining experience as the coach of the Bulgarian National Kyokushin Karate Team.

“On December 11–13 we have the upcoming World Championship with the team of the Bulgarian Kyokushin Karate Federation in Saudi Arabia. I advise young people that when they want something, they must pursue it, remain disciplined, and stay dedicated. There is great interest in my dojo. Kyokushin karate continues to be a popular and sought-after sport among youths and children. We also have another major event ahead — SENSHI 29 in Varna on December 6. There will be 12 fights, with five Bulgarian fighters taking part,” he announced, adding that he will be both an instructor and a referee. The trend for Bulgarian fighters in SENSHI is positive, the guest emphasized. Tickets for the fighting event are still available through the network of Eventim.bg

Watch the full interview with the absolute world champion Sensei Zahari Damyanov on the website of Bulgaria ON AIR TV.