Below is a ready-to-publish English version for balkanairsports.org. I’ve kept it celebratory and professional, while grounding the sporting details in the official ranking PDFs you provided. The citations are only for verification and can be removed when you publish.
Shumen, Bulgaria | 9–13 September 2026
For five unforgettable days, the skies above Shumen became a meeting point for skill, precision, friendship and the shared passion that unites the Balkan air sports community.
The 2nd Balkaniada, organized by the Balkan Airsports Federation (BAF), brought together athletes and national teams from across the region for a multi-discipline celebration of aviation sport. From the smallest margins in paragliding and skydiving accuracy to competitive F1N aeromodelling and demanding microlight precision flying, Balkaniada 2026 showcased the diversity and quality of air sports across the Balkans. The official F1N programme identifies the event in Shumen as the 2nd Balkaniada, held from 9 to 13 September 2026.
More than a competition, Balkaniada once again demonstrated what Balkan Airsports Federation was created to promote: sporting excellence, cooperation between national federations, opportunities for the next generation and stronger friendships across borders.
Paragliding Accuracy: Outstanding Precision from Kosovo
The Paragliding Accuracy competition produced some of the most impressive performances of Balkaniada 2026.
In the Female Category, Kosovo secured the top two positions. Lisjeta Thaqi claimed first place with an exceptional total score of just 2, followed by Anisa Shala with 12. Greece's Natalia-Sevasti Chatzi completed the podium in third place.
The men's competition brought another victory for Kosovo. Fanol Shala finished first with a total score of only 3, ahead of Greece's Konstantinos Chourmouziadis, who scored 238, while Dejan Durisic of Montenegro took third place with 488.
These results made paragliding one of the strongest displays of the championship for Kosovo, with victories in both the men's and women's categories.
F1N Aeromodelling: Experience Meets the Next Generation
The F1N Aeromodelling programme was one of the most internationally competitive parts of Balkaniada 2026, featuring individual, women's, junior and team classifications.
In the overall team competition, Greece claimed first place with 940.25 points, followed by Bulgaria with 418.99, while Cyprus completed the podium with 87.88 points.
The individual overall ranking was led by Anastasis Andronidis, followed by Evaggelos Manikas and Aristotelis Spanoydakis, giving Greece a remarkable presence at the top of the classification.
The women's competition was won by Dimitra Kastrinaki, with Evaggelia Grimm in second place and Ioanna Papadima third.
Particularly encouraging was the strength of the junior field. Evaggelia Grimm took first place in the Junior Category, ahead of Ioanna Papadima and Magdalena Tzoleva.
The junior team competition also underlined the regional character of Balkaniada. Greece won the team title with 417.23 points, Bulgaria finished second with 337.53, and Kosovo earned third place with 114.83, represented by Andi Shala, Anisa Shala and Abion Hajredini.
The strong junior participation was one of the most important achievements of the event, demonstrating that Balkan air sports are not only celebrating today's champions, but actively developing tomorrow's.
Microlight: A Fly-Off Decided by the Finest Margins
The 3-Axis UL Airplanes Balkan Competition, held in Shumen from 10–12 September, combined a timed circuit with precision landing and concluded with a competitive fly-off.
The final could hardly have been closer.
Lampros Vangelis, flying with co-pilot Eirini Vangeli for Greece, became the 2026 champion with a fly-off total of 72.
Only two points behind, Romania's Iulian-Andrei Stanciu and co-pilot Alexandru Cataonu finished second with 74, while Radu-Mihai Ciovica and Petru-Alin Brutariu, also representing Romania, took third place with 87.
A difference of only two points between first and second place perfectly captured the level of concentration, consistency and precision demanded by microlight competition.
Skydiving Accuracy: Romania Dominates the Men's Podium
Precision was equally decisive in Skydiving Accuracy, where every centimetre mattered.
Romania delivered an outstanding team performance, taking first place with a combined score of 0.47. Bulgaria finished second with 0.95, while Montenegro secured third place with 1.54.
The Individual Female Ranking was won by Bulgaria's Adina Iacob with a total score of 0.13. Romania claimed both remaining podium positions, with Gabriela Balascau second on 0.21 and Anna-Maria Serban third on 0.53.
Romania then produced a clean sweep of the men's podium. Zoltan Domschy won with 0.10, Gabriel Pop followed with 0.11, and Petru Horduna finished third with 0.13.
It was an exceptional demonstration of accuracy and consistency from the Romanian delegation.
One Balkaniada, One Balkan Air Sports Community
The medals and rankings tell an important part of the story of Balkaniada 2026, but they are not the whole story.
Across paragliding, skydiving, aeromodelling and microlight aviation, athletes from different nations competed under the same sky, exchanged experience, supported one another and strengthened the relationships that form the foundation of the Balkan air sports community.
There were champions from Greece, Kosovo, Bulgaria and Romania, podium performances from countries across the region, and young athletes competing alongside experienced champions. The results demonstrate both the sporting quality already present in the Balkans and the enormous potential for future development.
For the Balkan Airsports Federation, this is precisely what Balkaniada represents: creating a common platform where national federations, clubs, athletes, officials and future champions can meet through sport.
Looking Towards Balkaniada 2027
Balkaniada 2026 in Shumen has now entered the history of Balkan air sports.
Congratulations to every champion, medalist and participant, and sincere thanks to the organizers, officials, judges, volunteers, national federations and everyone who contributed to making the event possible.
The competition may be over, but the spirit of Balkaniada continues.
Different nations. Different disciplines. One sky.
See you at the next Balkaniada!
