21-year-old Daniel Asenov was born in the Bulgarian village of Kukorevo, near Yambol. This month he won his sixth European boxing title –this time from the U22 European Boxing Championships Vladikavkaz 2019 in Russia. His younger brother, Boyan, won silver in the 56-kg category. This way the Bulgarian boxers, led by senior coach Joel Soler, ranked second when it comes to medals in the men's competition. The talented young boxer did not hide it was a difficult competition:

"It was certainly quite difficult. You know that Europe is big and there are quite good boxers. But I am glad that a small country like Bulgaria managed to rank second in medals after the hosts of Russia. "

This victory comes just a month after Daniel Assenov won for the second time the prestigious Strandzha Cup at the 70th anniversary edition of the oldest boxing tournament in Europe. Behind the success lies a lot of hard work, sweat and persistence in the boxing hall, but Daniel is firm that he does not regret it. Gold for Bulgaria is what means the most. Sport also redirects the energy of young people in the right direction. We asked him if there were moments when he wanted to quit.

“In the beginning I had moments when I wanted to quit but I'm glad I managed to stay focused and did not give up. When you're younger, it's easier to get distracted.”

Today Daniel is also known under the nickname of Tyson. His coach Mladen Stalev from Haskovo called him this way. "When I was younger Tyson was my idol and I liked his style of boxing. But later on, I started developing a different and unique style that I like and that has brought me success.”

Daniel became attracted to boxing thanks to his elder brother Katin and stepped into the ring a year after him. His younger brother Boyan also started training a year later.

Career in sports is associated with many challenges. To deal with them, Daniel relies mostly on himself. Support from his coaches, his girlfriend boxer Rosalia Paycheva, and his family is of great importance. “These people believe I could succeed and help me. They do not try to distract me in any way. And perhaps this leads to such a success,” Daniel says, adding:

“I am happy that I have two great brothers, also medalists from European championships. We always help and rely on one another. My parents are also wonderful people. They always say what they think and If I'm wrong, they're trying to fix me. It's not always pleasant, but let's not forget that the people who think the most about us are our mothers and fathers.”

Today Tyson from Kukorevo prefers not to draw plans for the future, or at least not to speak about them:

“I just want to be healthy. Everything that needs to happen will happen. I believe that with my style of playing, with the qualities that I have at the moment and which I continue to develop, I would succeed. So, I just hope I do not have any injuries,” Daniel Asenov, six-time European boxing champion, told Radio Bulgaria.

English: Alexander Markov