For 20 years petanque fans have been organizing an international tournament at Shabla on the Black sea coast. They all come attracted by the untamed nature in the northern portion of the coastline, and to have a good time with people who share the same passion. Every year more and more people join the petanque club in Shabla because more and more people enjoy the game. The participants are aged 11 to 82 because it is a social sport which creates enduring friendships and contacts on all levels. The people who come to the tournaments say they find it difficult to leave:

“Every year, during the tournaments we have friendly matches so that it is not just coming here, playing and then going home,” says Polina Kalcheva, organizer of the tournament. “This three-day event has been taking place for 20 whole years, and we are glad we have been able to preserve it. There aren’t many places in Bulgaria where tournaments like this are organized. And it all ends with fun and dancing – the aim is not just to play, but to meet people, and form friendships.”

Such friendly tournaments are also organized in Belene and in Polski Trambesh. Sofia is usually the venue of the national championships and the qualifiers for European and world championships. And because they open the doors to important competitions abroad, the rules there are very strict, and there is so much more pressure on the contestants.

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At the tournament in Shabla the rules are laxer, and you can spend time at the beach which is right next to the petanque fields. The guests come from all over Europe, and in the past few years from Israel as well:

“This year we had participants from Slovakia, Hungary, France, Israel, and from clubs in Bulgaria – Sofia, Plovdiv, Polski Trambesh,” Polina says. “I am glad our club has quite a lot of newcomers. There used to be just the three of us, and I do believe we shall continue to play – it is not very physically demanding, you don’t need any expensive equipment, all it takes is to want to have fun.”

Having fun, meeting different people and taking a break by the sea is what attracted Vera Boneva-Cholashka who, together with her partner, came first in the triples tournament - two three-member teams playing against each other with two throws of the metal balls at the target -  a little wooden target ball called the cochonnet.

“The tournament was organized in 5 rounds,” says Vera and goes on to explain:

“We had four victories and one loss. Then came the semifinals and the finals, it was really difficult but we grabbed the title, the cup with the medals, it was so emotional. Our rivals were a very accomplished team, they played very well throughout the entire tournament. On the whole it was lots of fun, a tough contest with lots of emotions. Then, of course, we had an official party to mark the end of the contest.”

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Vera has been tent camping here with her husband for three years in a row – amidst the sounds of the crickets and the night birds like the Eurasian scops owl, for example.

“It is a really nice place,” says Vera. “The guests come from different countries, so the company is international, very interesting. The organizers do everything so we can all have a good time, and plan to come back here in the future. Of course, the combination with the sea is really enjoyable – you play all day in the heat, and then go off to the sea and take a dip. The combination of petanque and sea is what makes it perfect for summer.”

More:

• Kamen Bryag and Yailata: Romantic sunrises and times long gone by
• The oldest lighthouse on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast opens its doors to visitors

Translated and posted by Milena Daynova

Photos: Darina Grigorova, Facebook-Polina Kalcherva