Greece, Norway and Spain won their first gold medals at the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships
24 October 2021The twenty-five finals were held in the eighth competition day at the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships in Budva, Montenegro. Greece, Norway and Spain won their first ever gold medals in the history of the championship while Bojana Gojkovic, Nadezhda Golubeva, Azalia Amineva, Radoslav Rosenov and William Cholov won their next titles.
Russia claimed seven gold medals in the women’s part of the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships. Italy, Greece, host Montenegro, Ukraine and Norway won the remaining female titles in Budva. Russia was also the best nation in the men’s part of the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships with their four gold medals. Armenia, Bulgaria, and Ukraine each bagged two male titles in Budva where the remaining men’s gold medals were share between Spain, Georgia and Germany.
Altogether impressive number of 27 nations claimed at least one medal in the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships in Budva and 18 countries represented the 25 finals. All of the sessions and actions at the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships was live streamed in the EUBC YouTube channel as all of the previous competitions in 2021.
Boxers who were born in 2003 and in 2004 were eligible to attend in the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships in Budva. The event was introduced the new youth weight categories, the girls could attend in 12 while the boys in 13 different weight classes in Montenegro. The Technical Delegate of the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships was Mrs. Susanne Karrlander of Sweden.
Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine competed for the medals in the event in Budva.
The safety of all participants, the continuous medical checks, the social distancing, the hygienic preparations, wearing masks and all of the health controls were the responsibility of the local organizers in Montenegro avoid any new Covid-19 cases during the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
Spain’s Rafael Lozano Serrano achieved silver medal at the 2020 EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships but this year she started her campaign among the youth boxers with perfect pedigree in the preparation events. The 17-year-old Spaniard won three tough bouts during his road to the European finals where he met with Russia’s Nikita Polukhin. Lozano, who spent his whole life in the boxing gyms with his coach father, was highly confident in the first round but his Russian opponent also proved his talent in the second. The Spanish youngster was able to turn up the heat in the third and delivered his nation’s first ever gold medal in this level of boxing.
The surprise of the day
Ukraine’s Matviy Razhba was gold medallist at the 2019 EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships in Galati, Romania and he is one of their best hopes in their current youth national team. The Ukrainian light heavyweight (80kg) boxer started well against Russia’s Aleksandr Grunichev but his opponent received strong advices in his ringside in the first break. The Pavlyukov Youth Memorial Tournament winner Russian turned back their final and defeated the Ukrainian favourite.
The Round-up
Italy’s Sophia Mazzoni is their best youth talent who marched to the final of the flyweight (50kg) in Budva as expected. The 17-year-old Italian had a wonderful preparation for this championship and she tactically overcame Serbia’s Sara Cirkovic who lost her second European final after 2020. The light bantamweight (52kg) gold medal in the women’s part of the event was taken by Russia’s EUBC European Junior Champion Valeria Linkova who had a narrow fight against Turkey’s Gamze Soguksu.
Greece’s Antonia Filippa Giannakopoulou lost to her main Russian opponent, Anastasia Kirienko in an international tournament a few weeks ago but she able to do revenge this time in the semi-finals of the bantamweight (54kg). Following her impressive semi-final performance, the Greek girl amazed also in the final of the event against Turkey’s Kevser Tutuncu. Giannakopoulou maintained the best fighting distance successfully and she was able to take Greece’s first ever gold medal in this level.
Montenegro’s Bojana Gojkovic claimed two EUBC European Junior titles and she was the titleholder also at the featherweight (57kg) in the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships. The 18-year-old talent lost to Russia’s Alina Pushkar in the final of the Golden Gloves of Vojvodina Youth Tournament a few weeks ago but she used more aggressive tactic this time. Gojkovic kept the focus until the last gong and she was able to manage her victory on their re-match which means she is now four-times European Champion.
Russia’s Nadezhda Golubeva earned one EUBC European Schoolgirls title and two-times became the champion also among the junior boxers. She moved up to the youth age group this year and following her semi-final success over Romania’s Loredana Andreea Marin, she was too strong for Armenia’s Elida Kocharyan in the final of the lightweight (60kg). Russia’s next key boxer in their youth national team, AIBA Youth World Champion Azalia Amineva claimed her next gold medal after beating Ukraine’s Anna Sezko at the welterweight (66kg).
Ukraine’s second female finalist Veronika Nakota delivered a gold medal for her nation at the light middleweight (70kg) which is a new category in women’s boxing. The Ukrainian talent defeated Russia’s Anastasia Demurchian and celebrated her career highlight after the final. Norway’s EUBC European Junior Boxing Championships silver medallist Sunniva Hofstad dominated all of her contests in this competition and Greece’s new hope, Vasiliki Stavridou was also not able to stop the tough Scandinavian at the middleweight (75kg).
Georgia’s Lasha Gagnidze had fantastic performance in the whole EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships and Belarus’ Matsvei Davydau was not able to stop him in the final of the light welterweight (63.5kg). Bulgaria’s powerful duo, Radoslav Rosenov and William Cholov are multiple European Champions and both met with their main Russian rivals in their finals at the lightweight (60kg) and at the middleweight (75kg). Rosenov defeated Aleksey Shendrik while Cholov landed the better jabs in his final against Akim Pavlyukov.
