Ibrahim Karmadzhe, a junior from Asenovgrad, Bulgaria, studying computer science, has been playing tennis since he was 6 years old. His friend introduced him to the sport and he went on to play for the Advantage Tennis Academy before coming to Hawaii. Karmadzhe said he liked tennis because it was a competitive game.
“It’s very fun because you can do a lot of interesting things while playing,” he said. “If you watch the pros, they have very interesting and long rallies and it’s fun to be able to do it.”
Karmadzhe first learned about BYU-Hawaii from one of his coach’s brothers. Through him, he came into contact with Coach David Porter and applied for the team through emails and video recordings of his gameplay. Having identified potential in Karmadzhe, Coach Porter told him to apply to the school.
“He recommended me, and I got a good scholarship,” said Karmadzhe. “Also, the school is in Hawaii and I’ve never been.”
BYUH has benefitted from Karmadzhe, as he is one of the best players on the team and now team captain this year. Friend and tennis player Colton Pate said, “I know his work ethic and I know he’ll be good for the team.”
Fellow teammate and friend Grant Zukeran, a junior studying accounting from Kaneohe, said, “He stands out because of his game style. He’s very aggressive and attacking.”
Coming to Hawaii, Karmadzhe said he has traveled with the team from California to Florida and has made close friends with his teammates. “[They are] some of the closest friends I’ve had,” he said. “I love practicing with them when they’re all dedicated to the team and they want to win.”
Zukeran added, “Not only is he a very prominent player on our team, he’s also a very good friend. And the fact that he has that kind of leadership quality that allows us to follow his example, it kind of draws us to him and makes us want to be more like him.”
According to his friends and fellow tennis players, Karmadzhe is one of the hardest workers on the team, working hard both on and off the court. He helps his friends stay on track, “and asks if we are caught up in our classes,” said Pate.
Pate added whenever they get together to study in the Aloha Center as a team, Karmadzhe finishes his homework and then will have fun. “He’s on top of his coursework more than anyone else.”
His friends also said since Karmadzhe has been here, he has improved mentally in tennis. “He has this desire to be really, really good at this sport, and in the beginning, that got in the way of his improving because he was so focused on things that he couldn’t do at the moment,” said Zukeran. “Over the years, Coach has been able to calm him down.”
Karmadzhe said he has missed his family and friends. He hasn’t been back to Bulgaria since 2013.
But his connections with his teammates is strong. When it comes time for them leave, he said it “gets pretty tough sometimes…It’s not about where you are. It’s the people.”