SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgaria is not organizing “just another tournament.” It is building a host country concept. And the Bulgaria Open 2026 will once again be the stage where that ambition will be put to test: three days, two disciplines, G2 category, and the same stadium as the operational home base —Sports Complex “Asics Arena”— to welcome delegations from around the world from February 27 to March 1, 2026.
In conversation with MASTKD, Slavcho “Slavi” Binev, president of the Bulgarian Taekwondo Federation and member of the World Taekwondo Council, wants that everyone planning to joing the event can feel what they are working for: excitement, vision, and a direct message to the international community.
Binev to MASTKD: “This year marks the beginning of the journey… let’s make history together.”
“In 2026, starting this year, athletes will begin collecting points toward the Olympic Games,” Binev noted. And from there, he set the tone for his invitation: “Let’s make this an incredible tournament together. Let’s make history together.”
The president was clear about the goal: it’s not just about a successful edition, but about improving year after year, raising standards, attracting more athletes, and achieving higher goals each season. In his view, the Bulgaria Open should not be a “correct” event, but an event that leaves a mark on those who compete, travel, accompany, and manage.
One stadium, two disciplines, one narrative
The 2026 bet is simple and, at the same time, strategic: to centralize Kyorugi and Poomsae at the Asics Arena so that the event works as a full week of Taekwondo—competition, logistics, and operation—without spreading out across different venues.
“We want the delegations to feel well taken care of, to arrive and know that everything has been thought out for competition,” said Binev. That phrase, beyond its cordial tone, points to the core of sports policy: turning the organization into a competitive advantage and Sofia into a reliable venue on the circuit.
Daily schedule: what is being competed each day
Without going into specific times—which will be confirmed in the official documentation—the sports schedule has been defined as follows:
Thursday, February 26: Kyorugi pre-competition operations (registration, weigh-ins, and competition procedures).
Friday, February 27: Kyorugi – Seniors.
Saturday, February 28: Kyorugi – Cadets and Juniors + Poomsae registration/accreditation.
Sunday, March 1: Poomsae (full day of competition).
“It’s not a one-year project”: the background of the President’s Cup
Bulgaria already showed a concrete intention to host international events in 2025. Last year, the country hosted the WT President’s Cup – Europe, also as part of a strategy that sought visibility, organization, and continuity in the calendar.
Binev mentioned it as a milestone that reinforced the circuit’s confidence in Bulgaria and, above all, as an internal confirmation: “When you organize at that level, you understand that the event does not depend only on the tatami; it depends on the team, the processes, the administration, and how you welcome the world.”
That is the point the president wants to make: Bulgaria does not compete solely on results. It competes on organizational capacity.
The political reading: Bulgaria wants to be a “host brand”
Towards the end of the conversation, the tone shifted from invitation to positioning. Binev spoke of growing in athletes, improving each edition, and “reaching higher goals,” but what is perceived behind this is something broader: Bulgaria wants to be a Taekwondo destination, a place people travel to because they trust its structure.
In that logic, the Bulgaria Open 2026 serves as a showcase: two disciplines, three days, centralized operation, and an emotional message that points to the Olympic dream. The invitation is to the event, yes. But the political message is to the world: Sofia wants to be on the map permanently.
MAS: Media About Sport.
TKD: Taekwondo.
MASTKD: Worldwide Leader on Taekwondo Information.
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