Emona Ivanova is a competitor in Para-Badminton and the only woman representing Bulgaria in international forums in this sport. She is from Svishtov and was born with a physical impairment, but that hasn’t stopped her from pursuing her greatest aim – participation in the Paralympic Games. The mission that drives her forward is to inspire the underprivileged and encourage them to always fight for their dreams.
The Bulgarian competitor started training badminton in the 7th grade, and in 2017, she moved to Sofia, embarking on her professional journey with the coach Rumyana Ivanova. Since the beginning of the year, Emona has dedicated herself entirely to badminton, training daily to achieve her ultimate dream.
Her preparation has paid off, and in 2023, she won several prestigious awards. Among them are two third places in international tournaments in Spain in the “women’s doubles” discipline. Emona’s greatest success this year is the 3rd place in the singles competition at the European Championship, the first one for the Bulgarian competitor. These achievements contributed to Emona climbing 10 places in the world rankings. Currently, she holds the 11th position globally and the 4th position in Europe.
“Mihaleva for Hope” Foundation supports Emona Ivanova’s Olympic dream and provided financial resources for her participation in an international badminton tournament in Dubai. The competition is part of the qualification cycle for the 2024 Paralympic Games, finishing with the World Championship at the end of February.
The international tournament was held between December 11 and 17, with 321 competitors participating in 21 categories. Emona performed successfully, finishing 10th in the singles competition. In the women’s doubles category, the Bulgarian athlete reached the ¼ final, and in mixed doubles, she ranked 9th.
With her determined effort, the Bulgarian competitor gives hope to everyone facing challenging circumstances. We believe that, by joining forces, we can come one step closer to realizing our mission of achieving equality, a brighter future, and the success of people with talent.
