Bulgaria wins Bursa’s 26th Golden Karagöz folk dance competition

Folkdance teams from 21 countries took part in the 2012 Golden Karagöz competition, organized by the Greater Bursa Municipality and the Bursa Foundation for Culture, Art and Tourism (BKSTV).

Eighteen countries, ranging from Poland to Mexico and from Greece to Turkmenistan, qualified for Thursday’s finals at the Kültürpark Open-air Theater that also marked the end of the 51st Bursa International Festival.

South Korea won second place and the Silver Karagöz award, while the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (KKTC) came in third, winning the Bronze Karagöz. The Bulgarian team, in addition to the Golden Karagöz trophy, won a cash prize of 5,000 euros. Prize money for the second place winner was 3,000 euros, with 2,000 euros going to third place. The South Korean team donated its 3,000-euro prize to the Bursa Korean War Veterans Association, the Anatolia news agency reported.

Bulgaria was also the big winner in the competition’s 2010 edition. Georgia remains the most successful country in the competition’s 26-year history with six first place wins.