Budimir-Bekan and Zalys are the unexpected heroes of Day1 at the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships

The first competition day of the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships started in Kielce, Poland with 22 preliminary contests. France’s Sthelyne Grosy won the bout of the day while Germany’s Anna Budimir-Bekan caused a small surprise in Kielce. Lithuania’s Ruslanas Zalys is also a surprise boxer from the first day of boxing.

Altogether 414 boxers including 140 women from 52 nations are competing in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Poland. Among the European nations, Armenia, Belarus, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Turkey and Ukraine sent at least 10 boxers to Kielce.

The following 32 European nations are attending in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine.

The safety of all participants, the continuous medical checks, the social distancing, the hygienic preparations, wearing masks and all of the health controls are the responsibility of the local organizers in Poland to avoid any new Covid-19 cases during the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships. The competition is holding with strict Covid-19 protocols same which used in the recent EUBC Championships.

The bout of the day

France’s Sthelyne Grosy is one of their best female talents who defeated Russia’s EUBC European Youth Champion Alina Kantemirova during her preparation events. The French featherweight (57kg) boxer landed tough hooks in the first round against Ukraine’s Kateryna Bodnarchuk who has just moved up to this division. Grosy continued her strong performance and impressed in the second and third rounds therefore the final result was determined, she won the contest by unanimous decision.

The surprise of the day

Germany’s Anna Budimir-Bekan is not an experienced boxer in the international events yet but she was selected to attend in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships. Her rival was Hungary’s Szabina Szabo who won three international youth tournaments in 2019 and she is the reigning Elite National Champion. The German bantamweight (54kg) boxer started the first round better, she had a well-built tactic and followed it well also in the second. Szabo had to miss a few weeks in the preparations but produced a great third round in Kielce. Budimir-Bekan was able to keep her advantage and caused a surprise in the opening day of the competition.

The Round-up

Armenia’s EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ruslan Aslikyan was highly confident against Spain’s Oier Ibarreche in the first preliminary round of the men’s bantamweight (56kg). The Armenian southpaw was stronger than his Spanish opponent and Aslikyan can continue his campaign in the last 16. His neighbouring Azrak Babirov of Azerbaijan used aggressive style of boxing against Kyrgyzstan’s Maksat Zhusupov and he also succeeded in the first day of the event.

Italy’s Michele Baldassi had 55 contests during his career and he arrived to Kielce as one of the favourites of the men’s bantamweight (56kg). The EUBC European Junior Champion Italian moved forward against Poland’s Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament silver medallist Marcel Materla in spite of his longer hands. Baldassi knew his opponent and the best strategy against him which delivered for him a clear success. The Italian won all of the rounds in the scorecards and he can prepare to his next preliminary contest.

Russia’s Aleksey Shendrik is the defending EUBC European Youth Champion at the men’s bantamweight (56kg) who used a different style of boxing what he has done in Kielce. The 18-year-old Russian moved forward more than his German opponent, Malik Shadalov and his motivated boxing caused advantage in the scorecards after one round. Malik’s elder brother Hamsat has qualified already for the Tokyo Olympic Games and he proved a few nice things today but Shendrik’s dominancy decided the contest.

Lithuania’s Ruslanas Zalys replaced more experienced boxers at the welterweight (69kg) in the national team but he had the strong attacking style to beat Kyrgyzstan’s Mukhamed Bagiyev in the preliminary round. Another boxer in this weight class, Greece’s Dimitrios Meimetis was seriously motivated in the first round against Latvia’s Igors Novikovs. The Greek boxer knew what he wants to show in the preliminary round and his skills were enough the beat the Baltic rival.