Further preliminary contests took place in the fourth competition day at the EUBC European Women’s Elite Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro. Armenia’s Anush Grigoryan met Finland’s Pihla Kaivo-Oja in the third time this year and she won their next re-match in Budva. Bulgaria’s Sevda Asenova and Wales’ Rosie Eccles made world-class performance in the fourth competition day.
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
Armenia’s 2019 EUBC European U22 Champion Anush Grigoryan joined the international events in 2013 and she is famous of her brilliant technical skills. The 25-year-old Armenian faced a well-known rival, Finland’s Pihla Kaivo-Oja who is another top young talent in their national team next to Vilma Viitanen. Grigoryan was well-prepared to her re-match in Budva and she used her speed to catch the 20-year-old Finnish boxer in the first round. Kaivo-Oja felt the rhythm as well but Grigoryan’s motivation was decisive between them today and the Armenian will be able to continue at the light flyweight (50kg).
The surprise of the day
Romania’s Steluta Duta is member of the national team since 2002 and she is multiple European Champion with more than 400 contests during her career. The Romanian veteran was born in 1982 which means this is her last year in the boxing competitions due to the age limit. Duta not only planned to compete in her last EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships and earn a medal in Budva but Ukraine’s Olha Shalimova knew how to handle the Romanian star in their meeting. The small Duta was aggressive but this factor was not enough to beat the young Ukrainian therefore Shalimova moved forward to the medal stage of the championships.
The Round-up
Bulgaria’s Sevda Asenova earned her first world medal, a bronze at the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul five months ago. The Bulgarian veteran had a clear dominancy in the first round against Finland’s Noora Kirppu and she had 10:8 advantage in four of the scorecards. Kirppu, who was known as Kosonen in the past, was not able to handle Asenova’s speed and punches in Budva on Day4 and the Bulgarian won the minimumweight (48kg) bout by RSC.
Slovakia’s EUBC European U22 Champion Miroslava Jedinakova won her opening bout in the third day of boxing and her teammate Nicole Durikova also made her debut in Budva. The 21-year-old minimumweight (48kg) boxer was highly confident in the first round against Poland’s Natalia Kuczewska and she took the advantage after three minutes. The Polish teenager was silver medallist at the 2021 Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships but Durikova handled this tactical bout joining the last eight.
Italy’s Roberta Bonatti was unlucky in several of the recent championships, she lost by split decisions against top rivals therefore she has the strong motivation to earn her career highlight in this EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships. The Italian minimumweight (48kg) boxer knew her Spanish rival, Marta Lopez Del Arbol from events and training camps therefore she had the key in tactics to win this Round of 16 bout. Bonatti’s compatriot, Giovanna Sorrentino won the second Italy vs. Spain battle in Budva, she defeated Laura Fuertes, the historic bronze medallist from the last IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.
England’s Demie-Jade Resztan earned silver medals at the 2019 EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships and the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 26-year-old English boxer competes at the minimumweight (48kg) as all of her previous events and she had the experience how to catch Azerbaijan’s Gunel Rahimova. Resztan looked quicker in all of the exchanges and she proved that she is in top shape once again but her next rival in the last eight will be Turkey’s defending IBA Women’s World Champion, Ayse Cagirir who eliminated her Serbian rival.
The favourites of the welterweight (66kg) such as the new Commonwealth Games winner Rosie Eccles of Wales and Aneta Rygielska of Poland both advanced to the quarter-finals with remarkable performance. The 26-year-old Welsh girl dominated all of the three rounds of her preliminary bout against France’s Fatia Benmessahel who won the FISU University Boxing World Cup. Rygielska, the silver medallist from Alcobendas, enjoys her new weight class and eliminated England’s newcomer, Hannah Robinson.