Twenty contests were on the schedule of the second competition day at the EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro. Italy’s best female boxer Irma Testa had a tough opener at the featherweight where all of the winners are not quarter-finalists. Romania’s Loredana Marin made a revenge while the Irish girls proved their strong skills on Day2.
Altogether 154 elite female boxers from 30 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
Italy’s Irma Testa is the defending champion at the featherweight (57kg) and she earned a silver medal in the last edition of the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul. The Italian star has nearly 160 bouts but she had a very difficult strategic job in the second day of boxing against England’s Elise Glynn. The Italian boxers lost their first contests in the opening session on Friday and Testa looked a bit nervous in her debuting bout. The 21-year-old English talent had wonderful pedigree from the junior and youth age groups but it was one of the sensations of the day, that she became competitive against Testa. The Italian started slowly but she could increase her speed and efficiency to beat the talented English girl in Budva.
The surprise of the day
Romania’s Loredana Marin is a super talented 19-year-old boxer at the lightweight (60kg) but she lost to Germany’s Jenin Heck in the final of the Porec 2022 EUBC U22 European Boxing Championships this March. The Romanian talent had to meet her main U22 rival in Budva but this time she used a different strategy. Marin was patient against the 19-year-old Germany and did not use all of her attacking possibilities well enough but she had the long distance tactics which she followed step by step. Marin was a strong counter-attacker in this re-match and she made a revenge after her previous loss in Porec.
The Round-up
France’s Wassila Lkhadiri achieved a bronze medal at the 2014 EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships when she was only a 19-year-old talent. The French boxer returned to the national team after one year of break and she bagged the title at the Balkan Women’s Tournament. Lkhadiri knew the game plan against Ukraine’s veteran Tetiana Kob but she failed in this attempt to follow the strategy. The 35-year-old Ukrainian was aggressive from the first seconds and she had the clear control to beat the French boxer in one of the most exciting contests of the flyweight (52kg).
Ireland’s Commonwealth Games silver medallist Carly McNaul reached the quarter-finals at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and she arrived to Budva to reach another highlight in her career. The experienced flyweight (52kg) boxer dominated all of the three rounds against Romania’s Ana Maria Gheorghe and joined the quarter-finals in Budva. Her compatriot, Michaela Walsh has finally earned the title in the Commonwealth Games after two failed attempts. Walsh thought that her first bout is always the most difficult one and she had to make an extraordinary last round to beat France’s Amina Zidani.
Denmark sent only one girl to the EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships but Melissa Mortensen has the quality to beat top rivals at the featherweight (57kg). The 21-year-old Danish boxer controlled most of the exchanges against Czech Republic’s Katerina Cavajdova and advanced to the last eight. Hungary’s Szabina Szucs was unlucky in the official drawing ceremonies several times in the past but this time she has the luck to turn back this bad luck. The experienced Hungarian won all of the three rounds against Armenia’s Tatevik Khachatryan in the same weight class as Mortensen.
Kosovo’s Donjeta Sadiku earned a historic bronze medal at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and the 23-year-old boxer demonstrated her power once again when she defeated Greece’s Marinela Cani at the lightweight (60kg). The main favourite of the weight category, Ireland’s Olympic Games winner and World Champion Kellie Harrington returned to the competitions after her injury today. Harrington was not 100% yet in her opener but she could beat Turkey’s Gizem Ozer in the last bout of the second competition day.