Eight countries shared the gold medals in the Balkan Women’s Tournament
16 October 2018The 4th edition of the Balkan Women’s Tournament finished with its fourth competition day in Botevgrad, Bulgaria where six youth and eight elite boxers won the titles. Bulgaria’s most experienced female boxers such as Sevda Asenova, Stoyka Petrova and Stanimira Petrova won the gold medals in Botevgrad where eight different nations claimed at least one title.
Botevgrad, which is located in the Western part of Bulgaria, is the host at the very first time the previous editions were all held in their capital city in Sofia. The Bulgarian Boxing Federation hosted the event firstly in 2015 to raise the number of the international possibilities for the female boxers.
The youth and the elite female boxers could take part in the Balkan Women’s Tournament in Botevgrad where high number of non-European countries is also sent their teams. The Balkan Women’s Tournament was a preparation event before the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships which will be taking place in New Delhi in November.
The first gold medal of the whole competition was achieved by Thailand’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist Nillada Meekoon who defeated Kazakhstan’s Anel Kudaybergen using her strong footwork in the final of the youth light flyweight (48kg). Her teammate Manika Baison is newcomer in the national team this year but she was too strong for France’s Shannon Toure in the final of the youth welterweight (69kg).
France’s Golden Girl Youth Box Cup winner Jeyssa Marcel moved back to the flyweight (51kg) and the 17-year-old talent defeated in the youth final her strong Vietnamese opponent Do Thi Thuy. The next French youth gold medal was achieved by Johanna Wonyou who is member of the national team since 2015 and she was slightly better against another Vietnamese talent, Nguyen Thanh Thanh Thom at the youth bantamweight (54kg).
Bulgaria’s first title was taken by Marina Sivenova at the youth featherweight (57kg) where she stopped Russia’s Angelina Glebova. Bulgaria’s EUBC European Women’s Champion Sevda Asenova is a veteran boxer at the elite light flyweight (48kg) but she is still enjoying the sport and to be in the world class level. The 33-year-old Bulgarian defeated all of her opponents including Romania’s EUBC European Women’s Champion Steluta Duta.
Bulgaria’s EUBC European Women’s Champion and AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Stoyka Petrova had a strong rival as first but she landed tough punches and eliminated Morocco’s Rio 2016 Olympian Zohra Ez-Zahraoui. In the next stages of the elite bantamweight (54kg) the Bulgarian boxer dominated her fights and triumphed over her teammate Zlatislava Chukanova in the final.
Bulgaria’s AIBA Women’s World Champion and EUBC European Women’s Champion Stanimira Petrova continued her winning path also in the Balkan Women’s Tournament in Botevgrad using her long distance tactic but her final was a narrow one. The 28-year-old Bulgarian featherweight (57kg) boxer had to do her very best to beat Romania’s aggressive Lacramioara Perijoc in the final.
Following Stanimira Petrova’s success Brazil claimed two gold medals in the Balkan Women’s Tournament where Beatriz Ferreira and Gleisiele Gomes won their weight classes. Russia’s 19-year-old Natalia Sychugova impressed at the elite welterweight (69kg) and claimed the next gold medal in Botevgrad after beating Sweden’s Marianne Ahlborg and Russia’s Tatiana Solomatina in the last two competition days.
Sweden’s former AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Love Holgersson is trying to replace former star Anna Laurell in the national team at the middleweight (75kg). She returned to her successful pathway this year after an injury and won the Republic of Kazakhstan President’s Cup in June. The 25-year-old Swedish boxer controlled her long distance well against Puerto Rico’s Nisa Rodriguez and claimed her next title in 2018.
