On June 19, Sensei Zahari Damyanov appeared on the morning show “Bulgaria Sutrin” on Bulgaria ON AIR TV, where he spoke about his role as the head coach of the Bulgarian Kyokushin Karate National Team under BKKF and as a referee for the upcoming fight night SENSHI 27. He is also the personal coach of the young and promising Kyokushin karate athlete from Varna, Kaan Akiev, who recently won a silver medal at the 2025 Kyokushin Karate World Championship in Leipzig, Germany. Both of them joined the program in the morning show together to discuss the development of Kyokushin in Bulgaria and the upcoming sports events this season.
“My preparation started as soon as I found out about the competition in Germany. I began training twice a day and followed a strict regimen,” said three-time national champion Kaan Akiev on the show. At just 15 years old, he is already reaching for the top of the global sports scene.
Kaan shared that he was satisfied with his second-place finish in Germany but believes he can achieve even more. “The harder part is motivating athletes to go out and win,” added Damyanov.
On July 8, Kaan Akiev is expected to compete at the upcoming World Cup Varna in Kyokushin Karate in Kamchia, although his opponent is yet to be announced. He has already resumed twice-daily training sessions — once in the morning and again in the evening whenever possible. He is focusing on technique, developing new strategies for the upcoming tournament, working on surprising combinations, and honing knockout techniques.
“I believe Bulgaria will continue to be one of the leading nations in Kyokushin Karate. The age barrier is dropping. In our club, we start accepting children as young as six,” shared Sensei Damyanov.
The full interview with Sensei Zahari Damyanov and young athlete Kaan Akiev is available on the official website of Bulgaria ON AIR.
