Bulgaria’s Stanimira Petrova defeats a strong US opponent in the Strandja Memorial Tournament on Day4
23 February 2018The women and also the men boxers were in action in the fourth competition day of the 69th edition of the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia where the quarter-finals were held today. Bulgaria’s AIBA Women’s World Champion Stanimira Petrova won her key contest on Day 4 when Romania’s Lacramioara Perijoc did a small surprise with her close triumph.
Altogether 143 men and 93 women boxers from 30 countries are taking part in the 69th edition of the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia. Russia, Kazakhstan, United States of America, China, England, Ukraine, India, Mongolia, Brazil, Italy, Canada, Romania, Morocco, and host Bulgaria are all attending among the top boxing nations in Sofia.
Bulgaria’s defending EUBC European Women’s Champion Sevda Asenova is member of the national team since 2006 and she is one of the most experienced European boxer at the women’s light flyweight (48kg). The veteran Bulgarian is still in top shape and her skills were enough to beat Italy’s 12 years younger Roberta Bonatti in the quarter-final stage of the Strandja Memorial Tournament.
Bulgaria hosted the 2013 AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships in Albena and among those boxers Gabriela Dimitrova reached the top level of the continent at the flyweight (51kg). The 22-year-old Bulgarian talent delivered one of her best ever performance in the quarter-final and eliminated Sweden’s EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships silver medallist Lise Sandebjer.
Greece amazed the crowd of the Strandja Memorial Tournament in the recent three days with their perfect performance and their top woman boxer Aikaterini Koutsogeorgopoulou continued that incredible winning path on Day 4. The 21-year-old flyweight (51kg) boxer found her best rhythm in time and bowed out Brazil’s Grazieli De Sousa who is one of the best female athlete in the American continent.
Romania’s Lacramioara Perijoc started the year with a top performance at the Nations Women’s Cup in Serbia where she achieved a gold medal. Following her first victory over Canada’s Sabrina Aubin she captured a real scalp in the fourth competition day when she defeated Bulgaria’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Denitsa Eliseeva in a hectic featherweight (57kg) contest.
Bulgaria’s second top pride at the featherweight (57kg) is AIBA Women’s World Champion Stanimira Petrova who is trying to fix her category before the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and its qualification events. The Rio 2016 Olympian Bulgarian boxer used her longer reach against United States’ new national team member Nephateria Miller and won their bout by unanimous decision.
Finland’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games bronze medallist Mira Potkonen is one of the best lightweight (60kg) boxer in the whole world but she had to do her very best combinations and rhythm to beat Morocco’s AFBC African Women’s Champion Hasnaa Lachgar in Sofia. Potkonen’s main rival could be Russia’s AIBA Women’s World Champion and Rio 2016 Olympic Games bronze medallist Anastasia Beliakova who dominated her quarter-final against Croatia’s Sara Beram.
Russia’s Rio 2016 Olympian Iaroslava Iakushina decided to moved down to the welterweight (69kg) in the recent months and she is still trying to adopt the speed of the bouts therefore she had only a close success over Sweden’s Golden Girl Box Cup winner Marianne Ahlborg on Day4. Iakushina’s top rival England’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Sandy Ryan was confident against India’s Lovlina Borgohain and also advanced to the last four of the category.
Spain’s Martin Molina is their No.2 boxer at the light flyweight (49kg) behind Rio 2016 Olympic Games quarter-finalist Samuel Carmona but the 22-year-old hope did not give up his Olympic dreams yet. Molina controlled the first round against Ukraine’s Anar Umidov but he could increase the tempo well enough and following his lethal shots the referee confirmed his RSC success in the third round.
Russia’s experienced Artysh Soyan won the title of the light flyweight (49kg) in their last National Boxing Championships and also in the World Cup of the Petroleum Countries Tournament in Beloyarskiy two months ago. The 25-year-old Russian eliminated United States’ Salaam Gonzalez in the preliminary stage and continued his winning path against Armenia’s Rio 2016 Olympian Artur Hovhannisyan in Sofia.
Shakhriyor Akhmedov is Russia’s promising bantamweight (56kg) boxer who won their U22 National Championships and involved also to their WSB team as well. The former Tajik boxer felt the rhythm and his efficient boxing was enough strong to beat Ukraine’s EUBC European Junior Champion Vladyslav Vyetoshkin in Sofia.
Bulgaria’s Radoslav Pantaleev moved up to the heavyweight (91kg) where he is not enough tall but his fighting spirit and attacking style could be the way to the success. The 24-year-old Bulgarian is on the best road to win his next title at the Strandja Memorial Tournament where his strong punches were too much for China’s Wang Zhibao. The Chinese ringside abandoned their fight in the third round and Pantaleev is now in the last four.
