PLAY IT FORWARD 2026: A day on court. An impact beyond.

On 17 September 2026, DIAMATIX Community Shield and Acronis Cyber Foundation Program held the first edition of PLAY IT FORWARD, a charity tennis challenge bringing together sport, partnership and a shared cause in Sofia.

At the heart of the initiative was one clear goal: to support one Bulgarian child on the journey to Space Camp Türkiye 2027.

The event brought together players from DIAMATIX and Acronis, partners, colleagues and guests for an informal day where competition on court went hand in hand with the opportunity to create positive impact beyond it.

5 vs 5. 13 Matches. One Shared Purpose.

Five tennis enthusiasts represented each side.

DIAMATIX:
Boyan Raychev, Tihomir Dukov, Sezen Anefi, Ivan Dragoev and Petar Atanasov.

Acronis:
Daniel Petrov, Vasily Semyonov, Tsvetozar Ivanov, Evgeny Shnayder and Martin Georgiev.

The programme included 10 singles matches and 3 doubles matches across two courts. Each match victory added one point to the team score, with the first side to reach seven points winning the challenge.

After all 13 matches, DIAMATIX won the first PLAY IT FORWARD Tennis Charity Challenge with a final score of 12:1.

The result provided the sporting conclusion to the day, but PLAY IT FORWARD was designed from the beginning to be about much more than the scoreboard.

Beyond the Score

The cause behind PLAY IT FORWARD is to support one Bulgarian child in participating in Space Camp Türkiye 2027, an educational programme combining science, technology, teamwork and hands-on experiences inspired by space exploration.

The initiative is supported together with the Center for Creative Training (CCT), which coordinates the participation of Bulgarian children in Space Camp Türkiye.

A special thank you goes to Blagoy Tsitselkov and the CCT team for their work in supporting Bulgarian children on their journey to Space Camp Türkiye and for their role in making this cause possible.

During the event, guests were also able to support the cause through on-site donations or by bank transfer.

PLAY IT FORWARD 2026 generated more than  USD 2,000 in company donations,  contributed by Acronis and DIAMATIX. An additional EUR 330 was raised on site by participants and guests during the event. Together, we raised €2,200 — enough to fund a full scholarship for one child to attend Space Camp Türkiye 2027.

The initiative was also supported by advertising agency By Surprise, which provided the event T-shirts and contributed to the overall visual identity of PLAY IT FORWARD 2026. We thank the By Surprise team for their support and for being part of the first edition of the initiative.

This turned PLAY IT FORWARD from a symbolic gesture into a practical opportunity for more people to become part of the cause.

A Day Designed to Be Shared

The programme began with the first matches in the morning, continued with the singles competition, time for refreshments and networking, and the doubles matches in the afternoon. The day concluded with the awards, charity moment and group photo.

The format was intentionally informal and friendly, giving players and guests time to meet, talk and share the idea behind the initiative between matches.

Thank you to all DIAMATIX and Acronis players, Acronis Cyber Foundation Program, CCT, and every partner, colleague and guest who joined us and supported the cause.

The DIAMATIX Perspective

At DIAMATIX, we believe the value of a partnership is reflected not only in the projects we deliver together, but also in what we can create beyond everyday business.

PLAY IT FORWARD began as an idea for a friendly tennis challenge. On court, it became a day that brought together people, teamwork and a concrete cause.

For us, this is what makes the initiative meaningful: sport creates the opportunity to meet, partnership provides the foundation for action, and the impact continues beyond the final point.

This was the first PLAY IT FORWARD, but it will not be the last.

Together with Acronis and the partners around the initiative, we are building the beginning of a format we want to continue developing through new events, new opportunities to participate and new causes worth supporting.

Play together. Compete with purpose. Make a difference.

Gallery

Moments from PLAY IT FORWARD 2026: the players, matches, guests, charity initiative and awards.