Sofka Popova

Assoc. Prof. Sofka Popova, PhD, serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Athletics at the National Sports Academy 'Vasil Levski', Sofia, within the Faculty of Pedagogy. She has held this academic position since 1999 while maintaining an active coaching career since 1983 as a national and club athletics coach.

Her academic journey began with higher education at the Georgi Dimitrov Institute of Applied Sciences, Sofia (1973), followed by her Candidate of Sciences degree in 1995. Career progression includes:

• 1983-1986: Assistant and Senior Assistant at "Angel Kanchev" Technical University, Ruse
• 1987: Senior Assistant at National Sports Academy
• 1999-present: Associate Professor at National Sports Academy
• 2011-2014: Dual role as Fitness Coach and Head of Scientific and Applied Activities at Ministry of Youth and Sports

Prof. Popova's research centers on Conditioning Training Methodology, Sprint Running Technique, and School Physical Education. Her work bridges theoretical frameworks with practical applications in athletic performance enhancement, particularly in sprint events and conditioning protocols for combat sports like Taekwondo, while significantly contributing to national physical education curricula development.

Her scholarly output includes over 45 journal publications and 20 conference proceedings alongside major textbooks such as "Athletics" (2014) and "Conditioning Training for Taekwondo Competitors" (2018), demonstrating consistent focus on athletic pedagogy and performance assessment methodologies.

Prestigious recognitions include:

• Honored Master of Sports designation
• People's Order of Labor (gold) and Order 1300 Bulgaria
• Medal for Special Merits (1st degree) from Bulgarian Football Union
• Encyclopedia of Bulgaria inclusion by Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
• Honorary citizenship of Ruse and Nikopol

Prof. Popova has supervised doctoral candidates, served on the editorial board of the scientific journal "Athletics", and participated in international initiatives including the IAAF's "Olympic Solidarity" program. She currently trains elite athletes at KLASA sports club, including Balkan champions and European Championship finalists, while maintaining regular student consultation hours on Tuesdays.