Italy’s Delle Curti twin brothers, Gutierrez, Enge, Richon and Jurcenoks were the heroes of the junior finals in Crevillent

The 12 junior finals in the Boxam Youth & Junior Tournament were on the schedule of the fourth competition day in Crevillent, Alicante region. There were four finals for the girls in the session and among them Spain’s Noelia Gutierrez, Norway’s Julie Enge and France’s Maelys Richon proved their impressive future potentials. Italy’s Delle Curti’s twin brothers both won gold medals in their first ever international competitions.

The following 13 nations are attending in the Boxam Youth & Junior Tournament: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, EUBC Team, Finland, France, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine and Wales. Altogether 90 boxers could arrive to the competition and 64 bouts will be held in the upcoming days in 12 junior and 14 youth weight categories. The Technical Delegate of the Boxam Youth & Junior Tournament is Mrs. Susanne Karrlander of Sweden.

Boxers who were born in 2003 and in 2004 are eligible to attend in the youth part of the competition in Crevillent. The 2005 and 2006 born talents can attend in the junior age group in this international tournament. Following the Opening Ceremony of the Boxam Youth & Junior Tournament, thirteen contests are scheduled in the first day of boxing.

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 Spain avoid any new Covid-19 cases during the new edition of the Boxam Youth & Junior Tournament.  

The bout of the day

Belgium’s promising Vasken Ghayenian competed in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships in Tbilisi and he is using the Boxam Tournament as preparation for the main goals of 2022. He was a hard target for Ukraine’s Oleh Sapizhak in the first round of their light welterweight (63kg) final and used better footwork in their final. The Ukrainian moved forward and attacked without any stoppage in the second and third rounds and his efforts paid off in their final which was one of the closest ones on Day4. Sapizhak won the final by split decision and claimed his first international tournament title.

The surprise of the day

Spain’s Juan Pantoja Moreno is two-time EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships bronze medallist but his younger brother Jose is also a strong talent in our sport. The younger Pantoja met in the final of the junior lightweight (60kg) with Italy’s Junior National Champion Dario Delle Curti who had also 21 contests during his career as his teammate, Raucci. The taller Spanish kept the long distance successfully until Delle Curti caught him with a tough jab in the beginning of the second round. Following that turning point, the Italian felt that he can win the final and gave in everything to take his first ever international tournament title.

The Round-up

Spain’s Noelia Gutierrez Salmeron claimed silver medal at the light bantamweight (52kg) in the 2021 EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships. She went down to the flyweight (50kg) and faced in the first final of the Boxam Youth & Junior Tournament with Switzerland’s Angela De Felice who claimed medals in several events this year. The Spanish boxer landed more punches in the second and third rounds which were decisive between them. The referee counted the 15-year-old Swiss boxer in the third round which increased Gutierrez’s activities to win the opening final in Crevillent.

France’s 16-year-old Maelys Richon had a quick success in the semi-final of the junior welterweight (66kg) and she had also a strong start against Spain’s Ana Ubis Rodriguez in the final. The taller French moved forward and received a few shots from her local rival but Richon landed the stronger punches. The 16-year-old French had a great finish in the end of the first round and she controlled also the second with her longer hands. The Spaniard had the fighting spirit in their contest but her current knowledge was not enough to beat the stronger and more experienced French boxer.

The fourth junior girl final was held at the light heavyweight (80kg) where two Spanish boxers faced each other for the title. Ana Esther Arias and her teammate Daniela Irina had the same height and fighting style therefore the first round was a tactical one in Crevillent. Irina moved ahead more, tried to dictate the tempo in the second round but received punches from Arias in longer range. Irina produced her best round in the third but Arias had enough advantage to win the fourth final of the day.

Italy’s Giuseppe Del’Aquila competed in the schoolboy age group in 2020 and despite of that he is new in the junior level, he has excellent technical skills already at the age of 15. The Italian flyweight (50kg) boxer started the final strongly against Spain’s Asier Jimenez and he used great footwork. The Spanish boxer adopted that rhythm and he increased it minutes by minutes in their final bout. Jimenez caught the young Italian in the middle of the second round with clear punches and defeated a good opponent in the first male junior final.

Spain’s Asier Lanzarote proved impressive development in the semi-finals of the junior featherweight (57kg) in Crevillent. He had a stronger rival in the title bout where he met with Italy’s current Junior National Champion Gaspare Raucci who had 21 contests during his career. The 16-year-old Italian was smaller than Lanzarote but he tried to move closer in the exchanges and remained patient in the first round. Lanzarote had good jabs in the second round which stopped Raucci’s attacks and the promising Spanish won their final by unanimous decision.

Italy’s Ciro Delle Curti followed his twin brother’s gold medal from the warm-up and he has done strong start in his middleweight (75kg) final against Spain’s Edey Morales. The 16-year-old Italian was confident and landed a powerful jab in the end of the first round when the referee counted the local boxer. Morales had brave actions in the second round but his defensive skills were not matched with the Italian technical knowledge. Both boxers have been counted by the referee in the third round but Delle Curti was better in all of the three rounds to win the second Italian title.

Latvia’s Ilja Jurcenoks eliminated Croatia’s Mateo Pejic in the semi-finals of the light heavyweight (80kg) and he had another strong rival, Spain’s Juan Ramon Delarrosa in the final. The 16-year-old Latvian was quarter-finalists in the 2020 and also at the 2021 edition of the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships therefore he had better pedigree before their final. Jurcenoks was never stopped attacking in their final contest and landed three-times more shots during the bout. Both boxers received warnings in the final but Jurcenoks worked so hard against the local favourite to win the title of the last junior weight class.

The quote of the day

“It was a longer contest than in my semi-final and of course more difficult. I had to keep my best distance and follow the instructions of my coaches. I will join to the youth age group in January and I hope I can make a big impact in the next European Youth Boxing Championships in Sofia on April 2022,” said France’s Maelys Richon who had only eight contests prior the Boxam Youth & Junior Tournament.