The second section of the quarter-finals was on the schedule of the sixth competition day at the EUBC European Women’s Elite Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro. Ireland’s star Kellie Harrington returned to the boxing business after an injury but she had a very difficult battle against England’s Shona Whitwell.
Altogether 154 elite female boxers from 30 strong countries are participating in the EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships in Budva. Mrs. Susanne Karrlander of Sweden is the Technical Delegate of the EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships and she followed all of the contests on Day1.
Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales are the participating nations in Budva.
The bout of the day
Ireland’s Kellie Harrington competed in the international stage for the very first time in 2009 but she needed nearly a decade to reach a first strong highlight, a gold medal at the 2018 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. The Irish lightweight (60kg) girl is a dominant boxer in her category, she won all of the major championships but she had in injury this year tgherefore the Budva event is a return for Harrington. The Irish veteran did not have an ideal rival in the quarter-finals as she had to face England’s tall Shona Whitwell in Budva for the guaranteed medal. The English boxer tried to keep Harrington on long and she had brilliant combinations but the Irish star had the best strategy to beat her in the bout of the day.
The surprise of the day
Poland’s Wiktoria Rogalinska eliminated two of the main favourites at the bantamweight (54kg) and she joined the quarter-finals of the category. The 21-year-old Polish boxer was confident after these two fantastic and unexpected successes but she looked nervous and exhausted in the quarter-finals. Her opponent in the last eight, Ukraine’s Anastasia Kovalchuk has just won the FISU University Boxing World Cup but she in newcomer in the elite national team. Despite the previous odds, the outstanding Polish talent suffered a loss to Kovalchuk who earned a guaranteed medal in Budva.
The Round-up
Turkey’s two IBA Women’s World Champions such as Ayse Cagirir and Hatice Akbas both had early exit in this EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships. Busenaz Cakiroglu is not only defending World Champion but also a titleholder in the continental stage therefore she was named as the main favourite at the light flyweight (50kg) in Budva. The 26-year-old Turkish boxer used her same game play as in the previous contests but Poland’s Natalia Rok was a strong opponent on Day6. Cakiroglu managed to win her contest due to an excellent finish but Rok proved her impressive development in Montenegro.
Montenegro’s best female boxer, the four-time European Champion Bojana Gojkovic is only 19 but she has all of the technical and tactical knowledge to beat all of her rivals at the bantamweight (54kg). The Montenegrin had another teenage rival in the quarter-finals, Czech Republic’s Claudia Totova who joined the elite age group this year. Gojkovic knew her opponent’s weak points and won all of the three rounds in the scorecards which means she will now meet for the title contest Armenia’s ex-Russian Ekaterina Sycheva who eliminated Finland’s No.1, Vilma Viitanen.
Bulgaria’s Stanimira Petrova made a strong decision in the beginning of the year, she moved down to the bantamweight (54kg). The former World Champion, European Champion and multiple international tournament winner star had a warm-up against her teenage rival and she looked seriously confident from the first moments against Serbia’s Jelena Zekic. Petrova’s opponent was quarter-finalist at the recent IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships but the Bulgarian moved too fast before her counter-attacks. Petrova joined the semi-finals of the category and she will be boxing for the title contest Ukraine’s new sensation, Anastasia Kovalchuk.
Lithuania’s Ana Starovoitova worked had in the previous years to reach the level of the top boxers at the lightweight (60kg) but this EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships is her real breakthrough. The experienced Lithuanian gave in everything in her most important contest of her entire boxing career and she eliminated Finland’s Ani Viantie who replaced Mira Potkonen in the national team. The Lithuanian boxer will be facing in the semi-finals with Czech Republic’s 21-year-old Lenka Bernardova who bowed out Armenia’s Elida Kocharyan in the next crucial contest.
Following Azerbaijan’s Anakhanim Ismaylova’s success in the afternoon session, another nation joined the medal table. Serbia’s Jelena Janicijevic was a favourite against Azerbaijan’s Shahla Allahverdiyeva at the welterweight (66kg) but she decided the contest earlier than expected. After the standing counts, the Italian referee confirmed the Serbian boxer’s RSC triumph in the second round and Janicijevic became her nation’s first ever elite medallist in this level.