The President of the Bulgarian Boxing Federation, Mr. Krasimir Ininski is one of the EUBC Board of Directors who was appointed to this new position in Assisi, Italy during the European Boxing Confederation’s Ordinary Congress. Mr. Krasimir Ininski celebrates his birthday today and the European Boxing Confederation arranged a special interview with him to introduce Bulgaria’s current boxing life.
Bulgaria hosts every year three international tournaments, the Strandja Memorial, the Emil Jechev Youth Memorial and the Balkan Women’s Tournament. The Strandja Memorial Tournament is Europe’s oldest continuous elite competition and this year it was the strongest event in our continent with the participation of a record number of 368 boxers.
The Bulgarian Boxing Federation was the host of the recent EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships in Sofia. Their professional management are planning to host several international tournaments in the upcoming period and they have strong plans for the important next year.
– What are the final conclusions of the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships which was held in Sofia this April?
– In my opinion we have hosted the European Youth Boxing Championships at a very high level in Sofia. First, the logistics and the overall organization structure were recognized by all of the participants and the official guests. This could not be achieved without the excellent work of our team not only before the tournament but also during the match days. On the other hand the boxers offered a great spectacle. We witnessed very close matches and high competitiveness between these youth boxers. I am happy that Bulgaria was a milestone in their career as those are the future of our sport. All of them are yet to develop their potential. I am happy that the Bulgarian boxers have also stated their talent and strength in this wonderful European Youth Boxing Championships.
– Are you satisfied with the performance of the Bulgarian boxers at the EUBC European Men’s Elite Boxing Championships? Could you please analyze all of the boxers briefly?
– Overall I would say yes, I am satisfied with their performance in Yerevan. The Bulgarian national team proved their best and showed a good international level. I noticed both the positive and strong sites as well as the weaknesses that need to be cleaned up. We still have a lot of work to do but we have a young team that is yet to develop and bring us victories and medals. In general, I can point out Ergyunal Sebahtin, Daniel Asenov and Javier Ibanez, who performed really very strongly in Yerevan. I think Javier deserved to play in the finals of the Championships.
– Which will be the next national and international events in Bulgaria?
– We will organize state championships in all of the age groups at the end of the year. Meanwhile we will be working on the “Strandja” Memorial Tournament that always marks the beginning of the year. We will see if we will be able to organize another big international tournament, including Olympic qualification for Paris 2024.
– How many boxers are you planning to send to the upcoming IBA and EUBC Championships?
– We will plan to send a maximum number of boxers, in any of the ages. Our goal is to give everyone the opportunity to express themselves, to gain experience and international participation in order to develop.
– What are your biggest strengths in the Bulgarian Boxing Federation?
– The basis of the good work we do in the our Federation is the team, and their passion and devotion to boxing. Every single member of the Federation knows what to do and how to do it. From that it is simple, we follow the plan that we have prepared and established but nothing will be possible without team work. For us, the team always comes first and that brings us good results.
– Do you have any new programs, campaigns to impress the Bulgarian youth?
– We are constantly looking for ways to promote boxing in Bulgaria. Our coaches, boxers and even persons from the recent and distant past participate in various public initiatives. We are looking for ways to enter schools where we can introduce the beauty of boxing to our children, to the successes and to the opportunities that the sport provides. Promotion is one of the options to find new faces, grow and continue on the path we have taken.
– What are your plans for the year of 2023?
– Our main idea is to take part in as many tournaments as possible. Next year is pre-Olympic and it is very important in terms of earning quotas for Paris 2024. At the same time we are also working hard to build our young talents, so the plans are to continue the development of boxing and the successes we are achieving.
– When are you planning to host your international events in 2023?
– I can’t confirm yet. The first tournament most likely will be the „Strandja“ Memorial Tournament, the oldest competition in Europe, which should take place in February. However, nothing is known after that. We have ambitions to organize more big competitions, but it is too early to specify, negotiations in this direction are pending.
