Setting the Stage: BEST Foundation Holds First Tournament of the Year

From the 8th to the 10th of November 2024, BEST Foundation held its first tournament for the 2024-2025 academic year in the prestigious FLHS “Lyudmil Stoyanov” in Blagoevgrad. Students from high schools all over Western Bulgaria took part in five events - World Schools Style debate, poetry and prose interpretation, duo interpretation, and original oratory. We were delighted not only to open the academic year with such a successful tournament, but to welcome 280 students and 81 teachers and community members from 16 schools from 10 cities. Additionally, we had the pleasure to welcome a team which consisted of students from different schools.

Furthermore, BEST Foundation would like to express its immense gratitude to our sponsors, without which, these tournaments would not have been possible. 

Management team members, students and community members alike had the pleasure to listen to several admirable speakers during the opening and closing ceremonies. The Fall West Tournament was opened by several short motivational speeches from the following speaker: Mrs Nicole Fox, Public Affairs Officer at the US Embassy in Bulgaria, Valya Nadova from America for Bulgaria Foundation, Filip Lyapov, Education Advisor in Fulbright Commission, Svetoslav Dragiev, Executive Director of Lead by Example Foundation, Simeon Hinkov, lawyer at Stankov, Todorov, Hinkov & Spasov, Attorneys-at-Law. 

At end of a tournament weekend filled with excitement, the following speakers gave inspirational closing remarks: Boryana Shalyavska, Deputy Mayor for Education, Business development, Health and Social issues at the Blagoevgrad Municipality and Mariya Stoyanova, coach of the team from the host school FLHS “Lyudmil Stoyanov”. 

Our next tournament for students from Eastern Bulgaria is going to be held from the 29th of November till the 1st of December in the sea coast city of Burgas.


Participating Schools/Teams

Dupnitsa, St. Paisii Hilendarski Secondary School

Gotse Delchev, PMG Yane Sandanski

Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

Blagoevgrad, Akad. S. Korolyov

Kyustendil. Dr. Petar Beron Language School

Lovech, Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS

Montana, Petar Bodgan FLHS

Pernik, Simeon Radev FLHS

Pravets, Aleko Konstantinov FLHS

Sofia, 119th Academician Mihail Arnaudov

Sofia, 51st Elisaveta Bagryana School

Sofia, 97th Bratya Miladinovi school 

British School of Sofia

Sofia, Second English Language High school 

Team Sofia

Plovdiv, "Acad. Kiril Popov" High School of Mathematics

Vidin, Yordan Radichkov FLS

AWARDS

DUO INTERPRETATION - NOVICE (8th - 9th grade)

Semifinalists

  • Yoanna Yotova and Asya Dudinska - Pravets, Aleko Konstantinov FLHS

  • Neda Mitreva and Mariya Krivoshieva - Sofia, Second English Language School

  • Aleksandar Georgiev and Kaloyan Iliev - Sofia, Second English Language School

  • Maria Kirilova Borisova and Alisa Vasileva Peeva - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  • Ralitsa Spasova and Millitsa Zhivkova - Sofia, 97th school Bratya Miladinovi

  • Yavor Petrov and Karina Andonova - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  • Alina Bakalova and Iva Hristova - Gotse Delchev, PMG Yane Sandanski

Finalists

  1. Hristo Hadziev and Svetoslav Glosov - Sofia, Second English Language School

  2. Palmiriya Petrova and Nikol Dimitrova - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

  3. Svetlozara Georgieva and Diana Loginova - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  4. Lyubov Vasileva and Raya Hussain - Pravets, Aleko Konstantinov FLHS

  5. Dara Tsoncheva and Sophia Anova - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  6. Jasmina Malinova and Pamela Sivrieva - Gotse Delchev, PMG Yane Sandanski

DUO INTERPRETATION - VARSITY (10th - 12th grade)

Finalists

  1. Nadia Mateeva and Denislav Aleksandrov - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

  2. Sofia Bosilkova and Petya Tsvetkova - Lovech, Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS

  3. Kalina Poromanska and Stefani Strezova - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  4. Kristina Petrova and Ivan Ivanov - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

  5. Liliya Zhostova and Yoanna Popkocheva - Blagoevgrad, Akad. S. Korolyov Maths and Science High School 

  6. Yana Zhekova and Nia Mariyanova - Vidin, Yordan Radichkov FLS

  7. Emma Vasileva and Yoana Kirilova - Lovech, Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS

ORIGINAL ORATORY

Semifinalists

  • Deyan Chonev - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  • Borislava Buchinska - Blagoevgrad, Akad. S. Korolyov Maths and Science

  • Daria Yankova - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

  • Filipa Karadzhova - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  • Kamelia Evtimova - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

  • Stiliyan Tsolov - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

Finalists

  1. Elena Miloshova - Sofia, Second English Language School

  2. Yoana Georgieva Stefanova - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  3. Trayan Beshkov - Lovech, Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS

  4. Alexandra Stefanova - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  5. Nikol Mihaylska - Pravets, Aleko Konstantinov FLHS

  6. Katerina Nikolova - Dupnitsa, Saint Paisii Hilendarski Secondary Language School

Top 3 Novice Original Oratory Speakers

  1. Yoana Georgieva Stefanova - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  2. Trayan Beshkov - Lovech, Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS

  3. Yana Topcheva - Sofia, Second English Language School

POETRY INTERPRETATION - NOVICE (8th - 9th grade)

Semifinalists

  • Dayana-Mariya Kirilova - Kyustendil, Dr. Petar Beron Language School

  • Raya Markova - Vidin, Yordan Radichkov FLS

  • Stefan Petrov - Kyustendil, Dr. Petar Beron Language School

  • Kristina Konstantinova - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

  • Raya Plamenova - Vidin, Yordan Radichkov FLS

  • Bozhidara Vasilieva - Kyustendil, Dr. Petar Beron Language School

Finalists

  1. Lyubov Vasileva - Pravets, Aleko Konstantinov FLHS

  2. Raya Dikova - Sofia, 97th school Bratya Miladinovi

  3. Ralitsa Ivanova - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

  4. Asya Dudinska - Pravets, Aleko Konstantinov FLHS

  5. Raya Hussain - Pravets, Aleko Konstantinov FLHS

  6. Diana Loginova - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

POETRY INTERPRETATION - VARSITY (10th - 12th grade)

Semifinalists

  • Yana Zhekova - Vidin, Yordan Radichkov FLS

  • Sofia Markova - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  • Velizara Martinova Stoeva - Kyustendil, Dr. Petar Beron Language School

  • Tsvetina Tsvetkova - Vidin, Yordan Radichkov FLS

  • Yova Gancheva - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  • Izabella Borislav Hristov - Team Plovdiv

Finalists

  1. Maya Bateva - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  2. Preslava Rusalieva - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  3. Nadezhda Kancheva - 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  4. Elena Valeva - Team Plovdiv

  5. Vili Georgieva - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  6. Gergana Georgieva - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

PROSE INTERPRETATION - NOVICE (8th - 9th grade)

Finalists

  1. Milen Iliev - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

  2. Ivana Tsvetanova - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  3. Tsvetelina Tsvetkova - Blagoevgrad, Akad. S. Korolyov Maths and Science H

  4. Lili Ivanova - Sofia, 119th School

  5. Glory Georgieva - Vidin, Yordan Radichkov FLS

  6. Ivet Nikolova - Montana, Peter Bogdan FLHS

PROSE INTERPRETATION - VARSITY (10th - 12th grade)

Semifinalists

  • Preslava Rusalieva - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  • Aleksandra Bakardzhieva - Lovech, Ekzarh Yosif I FLHS

  • Vili Georgieva - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  • Sofia Markova - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  • Elis Imamova - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  • Kaloyan Georgiev - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

Finalists

  1. Yoanna Netezilova - Sofia, 119th School

  2. Tsvetina Tsvetkova - Vidin, Yordan Radichkov FLS

  3. Maya Bateva - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  4. Emma Miltcheva Lebron - Sofia, 51 Elisaveta Bagryana School

  5. Zarina Popova - Blagoevgrad, Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS

  6. Karina Peovska - Sofia, 97th school Bratya Miladinovi

WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATE – NOVICE (8th - 9th grade)

Finalists

  1. Magdalena Balgaranova, Stela Georgieva, Aliya Karakash - Second English Language School, Sofia 

  2. Stela Kavalova, Ivayla Temelkova, Sara Shengova - PMG Yane Sandanski, Gotse Delchev 

Top Speaker Award

  1. Stela Georgieva - Second English Language School, Sofia 

  2. Sara Shengova - PMG Yane Sandanski, Gotse Delchev

  3. Melani Genova - 119th School, Sofia

WORLD SCHOOLS DEBATE – VARSITY (10th - 12th grade)

Finalists

  1. Mariyana Dimitrova, Yoanna Netezilova, Kristina Shadova - 119th School, Sofia

  2. Daria Vasileva, Desislava Pencheva, Valentin Manov - Second English Language School, Sofia

Top Speaker Award

  1. Alexander Petrov - Akad. S. Korolyov Maths & Sciences, Blagoevgrad

  2. Daria Vasileva - Second English Language School, Sofia 

  3. Monika Dimitrova - St. Paisii Hilendarski Secondary School, Dupnitsa

TEAM AWARDS

Big Team Division

Lyudmil Stoyanov FLHS, Blagoevgrad

Small Team Division

Peter Bogdan FLHS, Montana


BEST Foundation