Desislava Bozhilova celebrates 34 years with a historic record

When Desislava Bozhilova stands at the snooker table, every move matters. The position of the balls, the silence in the hall and a single signal can change the course of the most important match. Today, the Bulgarian referee turns 34, and behind her is already an achievement that no other woman has recorded in the history of snooker.

Bozhilova was born on October 16, 1992 in Sliven. Her first contact with the cue was through billiards, which she started playing at the age of 13. Snooker came from the television screen, and later from the halls in Sofia, where she moved to study landscape architecture at the Forestry University.

Her path to refereeing began in 2012, when she passed the international referee exam. The decision turned out to be more important than her experience as a competitor. “I played billiards, then I came to Sofia and tried to play snooker, but as a competitor I was not good“, Bozhilova tells BNR.

From the professional tables to the big finals

Her name is gradually becoming established on the international snooker tour. In 2022, Bozhilova was assigned to the “Masters“ final between Neil Robertson and Barry Hawkins. The match ended with a 10:4 victory for Robertson.

The same year, she also refereed the final of the UK Championship. In it, Mark Allen defeated Ding Junhui 10:7. The two appointments put the Bulgarian among the referees entrusted with the most prestigious matches on the calendar.

The strongest chapter of her career came in May 2025 at the “Crucible“ theater in Sheffield. Bozhilova was the referee of the world championship final between Zhao Xintong and Mark Williams, won by the Chinese with 18:12.

With this, she became the second woman after Michaela Tabb to referee a world championship final. However, her achievement is broader: Bozhilova is the first woman to referee the finals of all three tournaments of the “Triple Crown“ - “Masters“, the UK Championship and the World Championship.

The calm behind the difficult decisions

Referring in snooker requires knowledge of the rules, concentration and the ability to react immediately. The referee must simultaneously monitor the shots, the placement of the balls and the behavior around the table, without becoming part of the spectacle.

Bozhilova continues to maintain her connection with billiards, but admits to the Bulgarian National Radio that she more often plays it for pleasure. In professional snooker, her role is different - to remain inconspicuous until she has to make a decision.

At 34, Desislava Bozhilova already has a place among the important Bulgarian names in international snooker. Her story begins in Sliven with a pool cue in hand, passes through Sofia and leads to the center of the “Crucible“ - the place where the quietest decisions often weigh the most.