A challenging and busy summer lies ahead for Bulgaria's best international volleyball referee, Ivaylo Ivanov. The Bulgarian official received a series of prestigious appointments for Volleyball Nations League (VNL) tournaments and will travel thousands of kilometers between North America, Europe, and Asia in the coming weeks.
Ivanov departs today for Canada, where he will begin his participation in the first women's tournament in Quebec. The national teams of Ukraine, USA, France, Japan, Canada, and Germany will gather in the Canadian city, and the Bulgarian will be among the referees assigned to the most important matches on the schedule.
After the women's tournament, Ivaylo Ivanov will not return to Bulgaria. He will remain in Canada for the first week of the men's Nations League, which will take place in Ottawa. Turkey, USA, France, Italy, Canada, and Germany will participate there.
The busy schedule continues with a move to Europe. After the Canadian leg, the Bulgarian referee will travel to Gliwice (Poland), where he will officiate matches from the second men's tournament. The teams of China, Turkey, Argentina, Germany, Poland, and Belgium will play in the Polish city. It is there that Ivanov will work side-by-side with another representative of world-class Bulgarian officiating – Dobromir Dobrev.

The presence of two Bulgarian referees among the International Federation's chosen officials is further proof of the high reputation that the Bulgarian refereeing school continues to hold on the international stage.
Ivanov's final stop on his schedule will be Hong Kong. From July 8 to 14, he will be among the official referees for the third women's Nations League tournament. In the Asian metropolis, Belgium, Dominican Republic, Ukraine, Italy, China, and Canada will compete.
This series of appointments is a recognition of the professionalism and authority of Ivaylo Ivanov, who has been among the most highly-rated international referees for years. Few officials get the opportunity to work in so many Nations League tournaments within one summer, which once again demonstrates the trust the International Volleyball Federation places in the Bulgarian.
The coming weeks will be a true marathon for Ivanov – from Quebec and Ottawa, through Gliwice, to Hong Kong. For Bulgaria's most elite referee, however, this is another challenge at the highest level in world volleyball.

photos: Nikolay Varadinov