After 301 bouts and six-in-a-row competition days, the final line-ups of the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships are revealed in Montesilvano, Italy. Record number of 21 countries have finalists in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships and among the titleholders Cyprus’ Laila Abdullatif and Romania’s Amalia Nita have chance to defend their junior thrones.
Following the exciting semi-finals, England is the best team with seven remaining boxers in the finals of the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships. The Irish team was also not able to participate in this championships since the 2019 edition as the English squad, but their boxers secured six spots in the finals. The competition to be continued with its finals after the rest day in Montesilvano on Tuesday.
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
Romania’s Amalia Maria Nita boxed as an adult in the 2021 EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships and her clever boxing delivered a gold medal for her in Tbilisi fifteen months ago. The 16-year-old Romanian dominated all of the preparation tournaments this year and she felt the fighting distance against England’s Lilly Sarah Deacon in the first round of their welterweight (66kg) semi-final. Nita met strong resistance, Deacon was her most competitive opponent in the recent one and half year but she managed to win their semi-final therefore the Romanian has the chance to win her second European junior title on Tuesday.
The Round-Up
Greece’s Anna Maria Tryfilli had plenty of junior experiences from 2021 but she remained unbeaten this year during the preparation tournaments. The 16-year-old Greek girl was names as the top gold medal contender of the women’s pinweight (46kg) in Montesilvano and she accomplished her minimum target, joined the finals. Tryfilli faced Ukraine’s 15-year-old Taisia Pokusai and she had a brilliant first round which determined the full image of their semi-final bout. The Greek No.1 was smart in the contest and her success means that she can box for the title with Turkey’s Rabia Eylul Duman.
England’s Alice Pumphrey delighted all of the experts with her comeback to the international events and she proved a spectacular performance in Montesilvano. The 16-year-old English girl, who bagged a title at the 2019 EUBC Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships, eliminated all of her opponents by large margin of differences in 2022. Pumphrey began the first round with outstanding right-handed shots and she continued that against Azerbaijan’s Aynur Mikayilova. The English flyweight (50kg) boxer won the bout unanimously and will now meet Ireland’s Grace Conway Dowling for her second European title.
Ireland’s best female junior boxer Ava Rose Henry Lyndon arrived to the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships with perfect record in 2022 and she eliminated her main Czech rival already in the Round of 16. Henry was expecting another final-level contest in the last four of the women’s lightweight (60kg) but she looked highly confident from the first seconds against a local boxer, Ginevra Muzzi. Her Italian rival proved also strong results in the recent four months but the Irish girl was in top shape during the semi-finals and will be meeting for the gold medal with Poland’s Kinga Krowka on Tuesday.
Cyprus earned its first European title at the 2019 EUBC European Schoolgirls Boxing Championships in Tbilisi and Laila Abdullatif made that historic step. The Cyprian girl claimed her second European gold in 2021 as a junior and she demonstrated her power and technical skills once again. Abdullatif moved up to the light bantamweight (52kg) but she have all of her boxing skills to beat strong opponents such as Italy’s Martina Vassallo in the semi-finals of the competition. As Romania’s Amalia Nita, Abdullatif has the realistic chance to defend her junior throne and will now meet Scotland’s lone finalist, Niamh Mitchell.
Czech Republic’s new teenage sensation, Viktorie Jilkova earned a surprise gold medal at the 2021 EUBC Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships in Sarajevo and joined the junior national team this January. She had a few issues in the previous months but she arrived to the venue of the junior championships in top shape. The 15-year-old Czech girl can prepare to her second European final following she was able to beat Lithuania’s Gabriele Sinickaite in Montesilvano. The Czech featherweight (57kg) pride will be boxing for her next big title against Greece’s Panagiota Kouzilou on Tuesday.
Mariela Steko lives and trains in Munich, she is German National Champion but she returned to her roots and represents Croatia in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships. The 16-year-old talent has a model career in Munich and following her fantastic stamina, she is a finalist in Montesilvano. The Croatian light welterweight (63kg) boxer eliminated Spain’s Ana Ubis in a hectic semi-final bout and joined the finals as lone athlete from her homeland. Steko will be facing for the gold medal Turkey’s Esmaul Husna Babbat, an experienced junior girl in two days.
England’s Leighton Steven Birchall lives in a boxing family, his elder brother competed at the Brandenburg Youth Cup in Germany this week. The English light bantamweight (52kg) boxer dominated the first round against Italy’s Francesco Crucilla and after the standing counts, the referee stopped their semi-final in the second round. Birchall’s final opponent will be Armenia’s Erik Arstamyan in the final of the weight class. His teammate, Martin Barrett marched to the final of the light welterweight (63kg) after his success over Turkey’s Mustafa Omer Sahin.
Hungary’s Krisztian Nileborg won all of his contests by large margin of differences since the Tbilisi 2021 EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships. The 16-year-old Hungarian was dominant against Poland’s Igor Marek Rondos and he will now meet for the gold medal Armenia’s Yeranos Ohanyan at the light middleweight (70kg). Albania’s Amar Koci proved a fantastic performance in Montesilvano, he will be his nation’s only finalist in the championship, following his semi-final triumph over Italy’s Giuseppe Cirillo at the middleweight (75kg).