The Bulgarian Sumo Federation (BSF) was established in 1995 and since then its President- associate professor Nikolay Dimitrov and the Executive director – Mrs. Liliana Kaneva run it successfully. The Federation is licensed by the Bulgarian Ministry of Youth and Sports and is recognized by the Bulgarian National Olympic Committee.

The first National Sumo Championships took place in August 1995. Up to the moment 13 Open National Sumo Championships for men, women, juniors and cadets are held. The three International Sumo Tournaments “VARNA CUP” complement this impressive amount. 

The Bulgarian Sumo Federation is a co-founder of the European Sumo Union (ESU) and the Bulgarian athletes took part in all 13 European Sumo Championships, for men and women carried out since the foundation of the ESU; 6 ESC for juniors and 3 ESC for cadets.

We are proud to say that we have a representative in the governing bodies of the European Sumo Union – Mrs. Liliana Kaneva – President of the Development of the Sumo Sport in Europe Committee, Chairman of the Sumo Women Committee and at present – member of the Board of Directors of the International Sumo Federation (IFS) and the European Sumo Union.

In addition, the Bulgarian Sumo Federation has three International Sumo referees, licensed by the IFS. These are: Mrs. Liliana Kaneva, Mr. Nikolay Dimitrov and Mr. Nikolay Toshkov.

Since 1995 BSF is a regular member of the International Sumo Federation. The Bulgarian National Sumo Teams took part in 13 World Sumo Championships for men and women and
4 WSC for juniors. Our wrestlers are regular participants in a number of International Tournaments and Qualifications as well.

The sports successes of the Bulgarian Sumo Federation are an outstanding contribution to the Bulgarian sports as a whole. For example, in 1999 Bulgaria has won o­nly four world titles in three sports – o­ne of them belongs to the twice World and European Sumo champion Svetoslav Binev. He was declared “Sportsman of the month” in December the same year and was included in the “Top BG Sportsmen of the year” rank list. In 2000, for the exceptional successes he achieved, the Bulgarian Sumo Federation and the Bulgarian sports society declared him “Sportsman of the 20th century”.

At pesent, o­ne of the best Bulgarian sumo athletes is Petar Stoyanov with a record number of national and International competitions: 15 times national Champion, 8 times European champion, 5 times European vice – champion, 6 times European bronze medalist; 2 times World vice champion and 3 times World bronze medalist. He was declared “Sumo athlete N 1 of Bulgaria for 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and  BG N 1 sportsman of the month of December 2004.

Up to July, 2007, the Bulgarian rikishis won 23 medals from World Championships and Cups for men, women and juniors, (incl. 4 golden, 6 silver and 13 bronze medals), 55 medals from European Championships for men, women, juniors and cadets /14 golden, 8 silver and 33 bronze medals/, as well as more than 170 medals from International Tournaments. That is why, o­n the grounds of the above-mentioned achievements, the entire sports community and media declared the Sumo sport for the fastest making progress sport in Bulgaria.

18 sport clubs, 16 of which are licensed, develop Sumo in Bulgaria, with more that 500 sumo athletes. 

In May 2003, the Bulgarian Sumo Federation organized its first demonstrations and competitions for growing ups – age 3-16. More than 150 kids from all over the country visited the activities and together with the representatives of the media showed great interest in the happening.

Since 1997 the Bulgarian National Sports Academy offers its students a new subject – Sumo. The first group of Bulgarian experts in this ancient Japanese sport took their diplomas in 2001. The Bulgarian National Sports Academy is the o­nly university in the world, apart from Japan, to include the “Sumo” subject in its curriculum. 

The successes, achieved by the Bulgarian wrestlers gave our country the opportunity to join the first ranks of the World and European Amateur Sumo.

In 2002,  the Bulgarian rikishi Kaoyan Mahlyanov /Kotooshu/ was accepted to train in the professional Sumo school “Sadogatake”, Tokyo. In a very short periode he was honored with the degree “OZEKI”. This impetuous success is unique not o­nly for Europe and the rest of the world, but even for Japan – the motherland of this sport.

In December, 2004, the Prime-minister Simeon de Saxe -Coburg Gotha met Kaloyan Mahlyanov in Tokyo, and the President of France – Mr. Jaques Chiraque, during his state visit in March 2005, invited the prominent Bulgarian Sumo wrestler to dinner. His Excellency Koichiro Fukui, Ambassador of Japan to Bulgaria, gave an official reception in honour of Kaloyan Mahlyanov, in the presence of several heads of states, political leaders and representatives of the media. During the reception, His Excellency declared Kaloyan Mahlyanov – Kotooshu, a national hero of Japan. The Bulgarian Minister of Youth and Sports – Mr. Vassil Ivanov-Luciano bestowed a special prize o­n Kaloyan Mahlyanov – a bronze plastic arts “KOTOOSHU” for his exceptional contribution to the Bulgarian sports. He received also prestigious distinctions for his confribu tion to the European sport from the European Union and other international institutions. For 2005 Kaloyan Mahlianov – Kotooshu is ranked N 4  in the list of the top 10 Bulgarian sportsman.

For its successful activity in 2005 the Bulgarian Sumo Federation received from the Government of Japan a financial assistance  for SUMO equipment and o­n January 11, 2007 the Minister of Foreign Affaires of Japan Mr. Taro Asso personally opened the new Sumo Hall in the National Sport Academy, Sofia. Another high recognition of the Bulgarian Sumo Federation activities and its Executive Director Mrs. Liliana Kaneva was her awarding by the Japanese Government with the Order of the rising sun  with golden rays and rosette o­n 29. 11. 2006.

The anthem of the IFS, called “The Big o­nes” is also an international Bulgarian achievement. Its authors are Liliana Kaneva and the composer Toncho Russev. It is the o­nly official international anthem, performed in Bulgarian. 

The continued interest of the Bulgarian audience and the media in this attractive sport (hundreds of press publications, more than 20 research and belles letters works, among which are the book “Phenomenon of the Bulgarian Sumo in facts and figures” by Liliana Kaneva, ( first prize for publicism, 2003) the first volume of the encyclopedic book “The ROAD OF THE BIG o­nES, OR THE SUMO IN THE BULGARIAN SPORTS JOURNALISM”, by Liliana Kaneva, (first prize for publiciism, 2005), films, video clips, dozens of TV and radio broadcasts) is a phenomenon in the sports sphere so far as it goes.

The IFS and its President, Mr. Hidetoshi Tanaka appreciate highly the outstanding success of the Bulgarian Sumo and support the efforts of the Bulgarian Sumo Federation to introduce and strengthen the positions of the Sumo – a new and unconventional sport in Bulgaria. 

Despite of its everyday engagement in the sports activity, BSF takes part in different public forums, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the National Olympic Committee, the Atlantic Club in Bulgaria, the Presidency of the Republic of Bulgaria, “Bulgarian Sport” Foundation, foreign embassies and other state and public institutions. o­n the other hand, distinguished representatives of different diplomatic missions and institutions are often guests of honors of the events, organized by the Bulgarian Sumo Federation.

The Bulgarian Sumo Federation carries out an intense collaboration with the Embassy of Japan to Bulgaria, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), regarding the organization of the Bulgarian National Championships and other activities of BSF, the Days of the Japan Culture, the National Holiday of Japan, publications in the regular Bulletin of the Japanese Embassy and many more sports and creative appearances not o­nly in Sofia but throughout the country.

The personal moral support given by H.E. Koichiro Fukui and his predecessors  is of great value and is highly appreciated by the Bulgarian Sumo Federation.