2014 Liventsev Memorial Tournament: AIBA REPORT
20 June 2014
christianmbilliassomo
The latest edition of the Liventsev Memorial Tournament was held in Minsk, the city which memorably hosted the 2013 EUBC European Continental Championships.
Some of the greatest European and Asian boxers competed for the medals in the twelfth edition of the event, which was hosted by the Belarusian Boxing Federation in the Minsk Sport Palace.
French teenage star Christian M’Billi Assomo continued his excellent winning run, and won yet another international event in 2014.
Athlete of the tournament
France’s defending EUBC European Youth Continental Champion, the 19 year old Christian M’Billi Assomo is a super talented boxer, who in spite of his low amount of bouts at international level, has quickly amassed a number of world class performances in his first elite year.
The Frenchman won the Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki, where he was too strong for Kazakhstan’s AIBA World Champion Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in the final of the Middleweight class (75 kg).
M’Billi Assomo’s winning path continued at the Chemistry Cup in Halle, Germany where he defeated EUBC European Continental Champion Maksim Koptyakov of Russia in the final of the competition.
The French teenager continued his winning series in Minsk, where he defeated Kazakhstan’s National Championships silver medallist Yerik Alzhanov in the final, earning his third successive gold medal in international tournaments this year.
Team of the tournament
The host nation of the Liventsev Memorial Tournament claimed five gold medals in Minsk in the front of their home crowd.
Dzmitry Asanau, the EUBC European Junior Continental Champion, won his first elite tournament following his triumph over Armenia’s Narek Abgaryan in the final of the Flyweight class (52 kg).
Dzmitry Sapon is another young hope of Belarusian boxing, and won the Bantamweight class (56 kg) in the Liventsev Memorial Tournament.
Yauheni Dauhaliavets recently moved back to the Light Welterweight class (64 kg) and defeated his strong teammate, the EUBC European Continental Championships quarter-finalist Ivan Baranchyk in the gold medal bout of that weight class.
EUBC European Continental Championships bronze medallist Pavel Kastramin had an extremely tough opponent in Georgia’s Zaal Kvachatadze in the final, but the 23 year old local star defeated his strong rival in Minsk.
The host nation’s last gold medal was delivered by their best boxer, the AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Siarhei Karneyeu, who convincingly won his Heavyweight class (91 kg) final against Kazakhstan’s exciting Magzhan Bazarbay.
Surprise of the tournament
Russia’s AIBA Youth World Championships bronze medallist 19-year-old Idris Shakhmanov caused a small surprise with his gold medal victory in Minsk.
His final opponent was the home favourite, and EUBC European Continental Championships bronze medallist Siarhei Novikau, but the 20 year old Russian Light Heavyweight class (81 kg) boxer outperformed his rival in the final.
One to watch in the future
Georgia’s EUBC European Continental Championships bronze medallist Mikhail Bakhtidze defeated two World Series of Boxing athletes in the Liventsev Memorial Tournament in Minsk.
The Super Heavyweight class (+91 kg) boxer defeated Serbia’s Milutin Stankovic and the tough Belarusian Yan Sudzilouski in the final.
Stat/fact of the tournament
Qatar is a developing boxing nation, and their Light Flyweight class (49 kg) competitor, Yahya Saleh Ahmed Al-Rafiq claimed a silver medal at the recent Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament.
The star from Qatar was able to earn further medal in Minsk as the Qatari squad continues to prepare for the upcoming Incheon 2014 Asian Games.
49 kg: Kuanysh Sarsenbayev, Kazakhstan
52 kg: Dzmitry Asanau, Belarus 56 kg: Dzmitry Sapon, Belarus
60 kg: Tigran Uzliyan, Russia
64 kg: Yauheni Dauhaliavets, Belarus 69 kg: Pavel Kastramin, Belarus
75 kg: Christian M’Billi Assomo, France
81 kg: Idris Shakhmanov, Russia
91 kg: Siarhei Karneyeu, Belarus
+91 kg: Mikhail Bakhtidze, Georgia
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