La Piana vs. Akbas could be the highlight of Day1 at the EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships
06 September 2019Following the Technical Meeting, the Official Draw of the EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships was held in the Park Hotel Moskva which is the accommodation place of the delegations. The fight between Italy’s Youth Olympic Games winner Martina La Piana and Turkey’s Hatice Akbas could be the highlight of Day1 in Sofia.
The following 37 nations will be taking part in the EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships from tomorrow: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, host Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales.
The total number of boxers is 339 including 126 female athletes and 213 male hopes in the competition. All of the boxers were born in 2001 and in 2002 and in spite of their ages most of them are already experienced in the international stages.
Russia’s new Youth National Champion at the light flyweight (49kg) Dmitriy Naimov will be meeting in the first round with Pavlo Pavlov of Ukraine which could be the highlight of the preliminary round. Another top Russian Dmitriy Zakharov will have also a tough opponent as first as he will be meeting with England’s EUBC European Junior Champion Jack Oliphant in a key preliminary bout at the welterweight (69kg) which is the most crowed category.
Most of the Bulgarians are satisfied with their first opponents after the Official Draw but two-time EUBC European Junior Boxing Championships silver medallist Yasen Radev can expect a hard battle against Daniel Malik at the flyweight (52kg). In the same category another top fight will be held between last year’s bronze medallist Jude Gallagher of Ireland and strong Ali Dahly of Ukraine.
England’s EUBC European Junior Champion Adam Azim arrived to Sofia as one of the gold medal contenders of the men’s lightweight (60kg) but his first opponent is not an ideal one, France’s Hugo Grau. England’s another young hope Daniel Toward will be boxing with Croatia’s best youth boxer Gabrijel Veocic at the middleweight (75kg).
There are also several anticipated fights among the girls as well where France’s Rim Bennama will be meeting with Russia’s Alena Stepanova at light flyweight (48kg). Italy’s Youth Olympic Games winner Martina La Piana has to box for the last 16 but her opening rival is Turkey’s Hatice Akbas which could be the highlight of Day1. England’s super star Caroline Dubois and Finland’s Vilma Viitanen will be making an early final in the preliminary round of the lightweight (60kg). A spectacular fight could be expected between Germany’s Stefanie Von Berge and Italy’s Sabrina Er-Raqioui at the light welterweight (64kg).
Number of the boxers by weight classes
- Women’s 48kg: 14 boxers
- Women’s 51kg: 17 boxers
- Women’s 54kg: 15 boxers
- Women’s 57kg: 15 boxers
- Women’s 60kg: 15 boxers
- Women’s 64kg: 15 boxers
- Women’s 69kg: 10 boxers
- Women’s 75kg: 9 boxers
- Women’s 81kg: 8 boxers
- Women’s +81kg: 8 boxers
- Men’s 49kg: 16 boxers
- Men’s 52kg: 20 boxers
- Men’s 56kg: 23 boxers
- Men’s 60kg: 28 boxers
- Men’s 64kg: 24 boxers
- Men’s 69kg: 29 boxers
- Men’s 75kg: 25 boxers
- Men’s 81kg: 17 boxers
- Men’s 91kg: 16 boxers
- Men’s +91kg: 15 boxers
