Following the Boxam Youth Tournament, one of the last preparation events for the upcoming IBA Youth World Boxing Championships, the 30th edition of the Julius Torma Youth Memorial Tournament started in Prague, Czech Republic. The event returned to the boxing agenda after two years of break and Romania’s Sally Palapiuc, furthermore Croatia’s Ivan Ante Greguric won the tightest bouts on Day1.
Mr. Viorel Sima of Romania is the Technical Delegate of the Julius Torma Youth Memorial Tournament in the Czech capital. Boxers who were born in 2004 and in 2005 are eligible to attend in Julius Torma Youth Memorial Tournament.
Mr. Julius Torma was a Hungarian-descent star boxer who was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1922 but competed for Czechoslovakia in the international competitions several decades ago in the 1940s and 1950s. He earned a gold medal in the London 1948 Olympic Games at the welterweight (67kg) and participated in the 1952 Helsinki and the 1956 Melbourne Olympics.
Mr. Julius Torma was gold medallist in the Oslo 1949 European Boxing Championships and claimed further bronze medals in the in the Dublin 1947 and in West Berlin 1955 editions. He defeated Hungary’s three-time Olympic Champion legend Laszlo Papp at the Dublin 1947 European Boxing Championships as the lone boxer in that period.
The bout of the day
Romania’s Sally Palapiuc had a few excellent results in 2022 and he increased his international experiences in several tournaments. The Romanian caused surprises also in the previous competitions and he is ready to get a medal at the IBA Youth World Boxing Championships. The Romanian bantamweight (54kg) boxer had a tough opponent, Slovakia’s 17-year-old Lukas Vymyslicky who competed mostly in smaller weight categories in 2022. The Slovakian was a competitive rival for Palapiuc but the Romanian had the great finish to win their contest in Prague.
The Round-up
The Greek boxers amazed in the recent EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships, three of their young talents earned gold medals in Montesilvano. Their youth team contains also excellent hopes including Antonios Remus Velles who started the entire Julius Torma Youth Memorial Tournament in Prague. The 17-year-old Greek controlled the first round against Czech Republic’s Filip Horvat and took the lead in all of the five judges’ scorecards. Velles was able to continue his performance in the same level until the last gong and he eliminated his local rival at the bantamweight (54kg).
Croatia’s Ante Ivan Greguric was quarter-finalist in the 2020 EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships and he has four years of international experiences since his schoolboy ages. The 18-year-old Croatian competes still at the lightweight (60kg), his weight is stable therefore Greguric looked fresh enough in the first round against a dangerous rival, Montenegro’s Tomislav Djinovic. It is always hard to beat a boxer from Montenegro but the Croatian man in blue was able to win this hectic bout in Prague. Greguric’s teammate, the experienced Leon Buzik eliminated a local hope, Frantisek Horvath at the light middleweight (71kg).
Czech Republic’s Samuel Korcek competed in the recent two editions of the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships in Budva and in Sofia. The 18-year-old Czech is aiming for a gold medal in this 30th Julius Torma Youth Memorial Tournament which is his next huge step on the road for the IBA Youth World Boxing Championships. Korcek faced a top Slovakian, Samuel Horvath in the first round of the welterweight (67kg) and he needed to do his very best to win this fight.
Greece’s Christos Karaitis was invited to the youth national team in 2022 several times and his technical skills could be enough to win the light middleweight (71kg) in Prague. The Greek talent shined in the first day of boxing against Germany’s Tony Schmaedicke and joined the next stage of boxing. In the next Germany vs. Greece battle in Prague, the result was the opposite, Younes Ouchaou eliminated Stelios Roullias at the super heavyweight (+92kg).