Bulgarian beach volleyball concludes 2026 with a record number of registered athletes, an expanded calendar, two Balkan titles in junior categories, and a historic final in the international Beach Pro Tour series. The successes were reported at a special press conference of the Bulgarian Volleyball Federation, where the results of the past season and the main challenges for the development of the sport were presented.
280 registered athletes and record interest among children
In 2026, a total of 27 clubs registered beach volleyball players, two of which specialize entirely in this discipline – in Varna and Burgas. The registered athletes are 280, of whom 245 actively participated in the national championship.
The national series Grifid Masters Beach Volley included seven tournaments for men and women – one more than the previous year. The competitions were held in Sofia, Primorsko, Shabla, Byala, Sunny Beach, Smolyan, and Burgas, with 135 volleyball players participating.
An even more significant increase was reported among juniors. The tournaments increased from four to eight, and 35 pairs, or a total of 70 athletes, registered for the final competition.
The Beach Volleyball Commission described this interest as unprecedented for children's tournaments in the last nearly 30 years.
Two Balkan titles and fourth place in Europe
The most significant international success among juniors was achieved by Zahari Zgurov and Georgi Antov. The Bulgarian pair consecutively won the Balkan titles for U20 in Greece and U22 in Moldova, despite both not yet having turned 20.
Subsequently, Zgurov and Antov reached fourth place at the U20 European Championship in Italy. The Bulgarians had a match point in the semi-final against Switzerland but lost 1:2 (21:17, 23:25, 9:15), after which they remained outside the medals.
In the men's category, Dimitar Kalchev and Dimitar Mehandzhiyski won bronze medals at the Balkan Championship in Turkey, while in the women's category, Darina Kindova and Eleonora Gicheva reached the final and finished with silver medals.
Kalchev and Mehandzhiyski also recorded a historic second place at the Beach Pro Tour Futures series tournament in Budapest. The two established themselves as the leading Bulgarian pair on the international stage and managed to enter the top 100 in the world rankings.
First-time separate state funding
An important step in 2026 is the provision of independent funding for beach volleyball from the Ministry of Youth and Sports, amounting to approximately 150,000 euros.
For the first time, a mechanism was also introduced that allows clubs to apply for additional funds based on quantitative and qualitative indicators of their activities.
The Federation also secured funding for national beach volleyball coaches, who organized preparatory camps and the participation of Bulgarian pairs in international championships.
The commission emphasized that the selection of national athletes is based on results and ranking, and the final squads are determined by the coaching staff after preparation and internal qualifications.
The big problem – lack of year-round training
Despite the reported progress, the main obstacle for Bulgarian beach volleyball remains the lack of sufficient covered facilities for winter training.
The Beach Volleyball Commission explained that opportunities are being sought for the construction of two or three more covered facilities to allow young athletes to train year-round.
The President of the Bulgarian Federation, Lyubomir Ganev, emphasized that serious international results cannot be expected from volleyball players who train on sand only during the two or three summer months.
According to him, conditions must be created in which athletes can support themselves by practicing only beach volleyball, instead of combining it with commitments to indoor teams.
"With a lot of training, you become more trained. But with more competitions, you become a competitor and grow as an athlete," said Ganev.
The pair Kalchev - Mehandzhiyski was cited as a positive example, as they have focused entirely on beach volleyball and have conducted part of their preparation in Brazil.
Alexander Tsanev and Boris Georgiev have also taken steps towards specialized training, while the younger Zgurov and Antov still face the choice between indoor and sand volleyball.
The Olympic dream remains alive
The press conference also discussed the possibility of Bulgaria having representatives at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028.
Although Kalchev and Mehandzhiyski are already among the top 100 pairs in the world ranking, for real chances for an Olympic quota through the ranking, a significant move forward, to the top 25, will be necessary.
The commission representatives admitted that the road to Los Angeles is difficult, but did not rule out the possibility with proper planning of international participations. Greater hopes are associated with the next Olympic cycle and the development of young Bulgarian pairs.
Over 100 hours of television broadcasting and half a million online views
The development of beach volleyball in 2026 was also supported by a more serious media presence.
Ivan Petrov, Circle Media, which provided the television production of the national circuit, announced that the medal matches from all seven tournaments were broadcast live on RING TV.
A total of about 35 hours of live broadcasting turned into more than 100 hours of television content thanks to reruns during the summer period.
The established social media channels have reached over 100,000 unique users and generated more than half a million views.
For the next season, the possibility of broadcasting not only the medal matches but also the other matches through the platforms of the federation or the national circuit is being discussed.
What's next in 2027?
The organizers' intention is to maintain at least the number of tournaments from the current season, and if possible, to increase it.
The main limitation remains the short summer period, especially for athletes who also play indoor volleyball. In reality, the calendar must be fitted into about eight to nine weekends between the end of the club season and the start of preparation for the next one.
After the record-breaking year of 2026, the big challenge for Bulgarian beach volleyball is no longer just attracting new participants, but creating conditions for them to continue their development as professional athletes throughout the year.