Desislava Bozhilova confirmed as referee for World Snooker Championship final - 'It has been my dream'
Updated 03/04/2025 at 18:49 GMT+1
Desislava Bozhilova will don the gloves for snooker's showpiece event, following confirmation the 32-year-old from Bulgaria will be in charge of the World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield next month. The World Championship begins on April 19. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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Desislava Bozhilova has been confirmed as the referee for this season’s World Championship final.
The Bulgarian will become the second woman to take charge of snooker’s biggest final, following in the footsteps of Michaela Tabb who took charge of the 2009 and 2012 editions.
When she steps out at the Crucible in Sheffield for the final, Bozhilova will complete her own Triple Crown of finals - having refereed the showpiece matches at the UK Championship and the Masters in 2022.
"I am really excited, it was an amazing feeling when I was given the news," Bozhilova told World Snooker. "It is what I have worked towards for many years, it has been my dream.
"It will be different to any other final because of the atmosphere at the Crucible.
"Since I started working in snooker I have learned everything from the more experienced referees. They give advice and tell us how to improve. There is a lot of team work and we support each other."
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The 32-year-old made her debut on the World Snooker Tour in an event in her native Bulgaria in 2012, and made her bow at the World Championship in 2019.
Bozhilova has been in charge of a Crucible semi-final before - Judd Trump’s win over Mark Williams in 2022.
This year’s World Championship gets underway on April 19 - live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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