Cyprus earned a historical gold medal in an EUBC Championships on the sixth day in Tbilisi
11 August 2019Following the marathon long semi-final bouts, the first 17 finals were held in the EUBC European Schoolgirls and Schoolboys Boxing Championships in Tbilisi. Armenia, Cyprus, England, Georgia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy and Ukraine won gold medals in the first part of the finals in Georgia’s capital.
Altogether 30 nations are attending in the EUBC European Schoolgirls and Schoolboys Boxing Championships and several of these young talents have already international experiences. Boxers who were born in 2005 and in 2006 are eligible to attend in the event where 13 girls and 20 boys will be crowned among the participating 78 schoolgirls and 238 schoolboys.
The following 30 nations are taking part in the EUBC European Schoolgirls and Schoolboys Boxing Championships: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Finland, host Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine.
Bout of the day
Cyprus has been attending almost all of the EUBC Championships since decades but the country never had any gold medallists in these events yet. Their strong female hope Laila Abdullatif is a talented girl at the flyweight (40kg) who eliminated Ireland’s Shakira McCrudden in the semi-finals on Day5. She had to step into the ring in the next sixth competition day but the Cyprian girl had the strong motivation to make history in Tbilisi. Abdullatif had a few difficulties in the first round against Ukraine’s strong favourite Emilia Mykhailiuk but her excellent fighting spirit was enough to turn back the final making new history in Cyprus’ boxing life.
Surprise of the day
England’s Alice Pumphrey is a talented girl but she had to face in the final of the girl featherweight (46kg) with Ukraine’s Valeria Telpis who claimed already medal in the last edition in Albena one year ago. The Sharpstyle boxer and her coaches analysed the Ukrainian talent’s tactic and best combinations to avoid them during the final. Pumphrey followed the strong strategy step by step and defeated the main gold medal contender claiming the title of the category in Tbilisi.
The Round-Up
England’s Sophie Harker, who lives and trains in Middlesbrough, eliminated Ireland’s Carlagh Mullarney in the semi-final of the pinweight (36kg) which was a top contest on Day5. The English girl had a stronger rival but she was still enough fresh to do her very best against Ukraine’s Anastasia Burlak. Harker received also strong punches from the Ukrainian opponent but she attacked more in the third round to win her career highlight in Tbilisi.
Hungary’s best schoolgirl Izabel Devenyi produced strong performances in the previous international competitions and training camps therefore she was names as main favourite for the gold medal at the girl welterweight (54kg). The 14-year-old Hungarian won the title at the Nations Women’s Schoolgirl Boxing Cup in Serbia on January. Devenyi eliminated Turkey’s Melike Demirel in the semi-final by large margin of difference and she continued her winning path in the final against Moldova’s top female boxer Irina Ciubova.
Italy had tough results in female’s boxing in the past and their Francesca Falconeri claimed gold medal in the first 2018 edition of the EUBC European Schoolgirls Boxing Championships. Among their new wave Valentina Marra performed strongly in the whole competition in Tbilisi and she was still enough motivated to bear England’s Abby Louise Briggs in the final of the middleweight (70kg).
Georgia prepared well to their home event and four of their talents earned gold medals in the sixth competition day in Tbilisi. The first Georgian who claimed gold was Gor Ayvazian who defeated Ireland’s Sean Tyndal at the 41.5kg weight class. His teammate Gocha Gordulava was confident against Azerbaijan’s Mahammadali Ashyraliyev in the next final.
Saba Eremeishvili was not the main favourite of the bantamweight (48kg) but he defeated Ukraine’s Anatoliy Yem in the final. Georgia’s four-in-a-row gold medal was taken by Demur Kajaia who produced one of the best performances in the whole event beating Ukraine’s Dmytro Mishchenko unanimously in the final.
Three Irish boxers achieved silver medals in the sixth competition day before Adam Folarian Olaniyan took the gold for the traditional boxing country. The Dublin-based boxer controlled all of the rounds in the final against Georgia’s Davit Khutsishvili at the heavyweight (90kg) and won Ireland’s first title in Tbilisi.
