The final competition day saw 13 contests at the Olympic Hopes Junior Tournament in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. Latvia, Hungary and the Czech Republic won the gold medals in the final day of boxing in Usti nad Labem.
The three-days long competition was a preparation event for the upcoming EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships. The EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships will start in Montesilvano, Italy on September 25 and almost all of the participants of the Olympic Hopes Junior Tournament are planning to attend there.
Usti nad Labem is the boxing capital in the Czech Republic, the city is famous of its Elite Grand Prix. Following the elite competition, Usti nad Labem hosted an international junior competition to give chance for their younger talents. The Olympic Hopes Junior Tournament was a regional event in the past but several new nations joined the competition. Boxers who were born in 2006 or in 2007 were eligible to compete in Usti nad Labem.
The bout of the day
Czech Republic’s best junior girl, Katrin Ivanovova is a medal contender in the forthcoming EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships and she is nearly in her peak form. The tall lightweight (60kg) boxer defeated Aneta Vytaskova in the final of the 2022 Czech Junior National Championships this April and faced her opponent once again in Usti nad Labem. Ivanovova used her longer reach effectively from the first seconds and won her next international tournament title winning their re-match. The 16-year-old Ivanovova has enough international experience and number of bouts to be a sensation in the continental championship.
The Round-Up
Czech Republic’s 15-year-old Eliska Ostra was the first female winner of the Olympic Hopes Junior Tournament, following she had a tight success over Hungary’s Greta Bojti at the light flyweight (48kg). One of the top Czech girls, another 15-year-old talent Julie Polednikova used her height advantage against Hungary’s EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships competitor, Adrienn Drobilits and her tactics were effective in their final. The tall Czech light bantamweight (52kg) boxer has strong family roots in our sport and she continued the tradition. Her jabs decided the final and secured the second gold medal for the Czech Republic.
Czech Republic’s Tomas Ondra is a newcomer in the junior national team but he won his flyweight (50kg) contest in Usti nad Labem on Day3. The Czech talent won two out of the three rounds in the judges’ scorecards against Slovakia’s Tomas Handzus and celebrated his title. Lukas Kucera is a more experienced male junior boxer who had strong expectations in the Olympic Hopes Junior Tournament. He faced another Slovakian boxer in the final, Filip Presinsky and landed the better shots to take the gold medal in the event.
Latvia sent also their best boxers to the Olympic Hopes Junior Tournament and after their national competitions, they shined in Usti nad Labem. Emmanuils Sidorenko is a strong bantamweight (54kg) boxer and he used an aggressive style of boxing in the final. The Latvian talent dominated the first round against Hungary’s Matyas Nagy and took the lead on the scorecards. The Hungarian found the best options and tactics only in the third round and his efforts were not enough to turn back their final contest. Sidorenko’s teammate, Nikolajs Zamjatins eliminated Hungary’s Daniel Frank on Day1 and continued his winning path against Slovakia’s Tobias Zelenak at the featherweight (57kg).
Hungary’s 15-year-old Peter Benedek impressed in the whole competition and claimed the first gold medal for his nation. His teammate, Szebasztian Budai also amazed in the entire competition, his technical skills dominated the welterweight (66kg) final against Czech Republic’s Martin Rusnak. The third Hungarian male winner was Zalan Doka at the middleweight (75kg), he had to meet with one of the top Czech male boxers in the final, Marek Svoboda. Doka found the best fighting distance against the Czech in the first exchanges and won all of the three rounds in Usti nad Labem.