The forty-eight preliminary bouts guaranteed the exciting sessions in the opening day at the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships which began in Montesilvano, Italy. Among the top names, Bulgaria’s Viktorio Iliev and Georgia’s Levan Demurovi both had to do their very best already in the Round of 32 to beat their rivals.
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine are the participating nations in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships.
The number of the female boxers is 119 and their most crowded category is the featherweight (57kg) with the participation of 15 boxers. The 234 male boxers is near to the record in the history of the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships.
The girls and boys both are able to participate in 13-13 weight categories from the pinweight (46kg) up to the heavyweight (+80kg) in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships. The female and the male boxers who were born in 2006 and in 2007 are eligible to participate in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
Bulgaria’s Viktorio Iliev lost his first preliminary contest at the Tbilisi 2021 EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships but the 16-year-old boxer is in very different form and he developed in all aspects of boxing. Iliev had a far from optimal first opponent in the Round of 32 but he had the strong start against Georgia’s Mate Kharaishvili at the featherweight (57kg). Iliev received shots from the Georgian side in the second round but he had the right responses in their meeting which means the talented Bulgarian bowed out a dangerous rival in Montesilvano.
The Round-Up
England competed at the 2019 EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships and after three years of hiatus, their squad returned to the event. Joshua Callum Jarvis fought on the very first contest of the entire championships and he defeated Lithuania’s Matas Grigorianas at the flyweight (50kg). His teammate, Luke Cameron Rodda also controlled all of the three rounds against Turkey’s Alperen Yilmaz and joined the next stage at the busy featherweight (57kg) which is the most crowded category in Montesilvano.
The Greek boxers are in strong developing stage and their talents participated in several preparation events in 2022. Georgios Pleas has strong family roots in our sport, his father is the coach of the national team and despite his age of 16, he has nearly 10 years of experiences in boxing. Pleas knew his rival from Finland, Leevi Salo well enough to build up the right tactics which paid off already in the first round. The Greek featherweight (57kg) boxer was able to perform in the same level until the last gong and Pleas celebrated his unanimous success in the first session of the day.
Moldova earned a few medals in the previous editions of the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships and they have podium hopefuls in Montesilvano. Artiom Tolstoi has strong family name but he does not have enough international contests yet therefore he had a huge motivation to show his extraordinary combinations on Day1. The Moldovan won two out of the three rounds against Israel’s Ali Shahawan which was enough to join the last 16 at the men’s featherweight (57kg). His compatriot Nichita Simanschii had a successful mission against Israel’s Yuriy Lapchevskyi at the light bantamweight (52kg).
Turkey’s Ibrahim Alp Bakir is a new Junior National Champion in his homeland and the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships is his most important competition during his whole career. The Turkish light bantamweight (52kg) boxer had a strong opening in Montesilvano against a medal favourite opponent, Georgia’s Davit Nikabadze. Bakir not only handled the tactical issues in the bout but he dominated one of his rounds and that superiority guaranteed for him a place in the last 16. Germany’s Achmed Aslakhanov and Ireland’s John Harty also won their contests among the gold medal contenders of this weight category.
Georgia’s Levan Demurovi arrived to the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships with a clear goal, to earn the title of the bantamweight (54kg) in Montesilvano. The Caucasian region is absolutely strong in this weight class and the 16-year-old Georgian proved that he is in fantastic shape in the most important event of the year. The Polish junior boxers are progressed in the recent one year but Igor Adrian Sulek was not able to keep the rhythm in all of the three rounds. Demurovi’s next rival in the last 16 will be Hungary’s Bornemissza Junior Memorial Tournament winner Matyas Nagy who eliminated Albania’s Bujar Hekuri.