Lithuania’s Paulius Bublis advanced to the quarter-finals of the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships with smart style

The last preliminary day was held in the fourth competition day at the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia. Altogether 47 bouts were in the official schedule on Day4 when Lithuania’s Paulius Bublis proved his impressive technical skills. Russia, Georgia, Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, Poland, Germany and Italy have done excellent competition day in Tbilisi.

The number of the participating boxers is 335 including 111 girls in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, host Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine are the participating nations of the event.

Girls and boys who were born in 2005 and in 2006 are eligible to attend in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships in Tbilisi. Georgia’s capital hosted the 2019 edition of the EUBC European Schoolboys & Schoolgirls Boxing Championships and a top event returns to Tbilisi after two years of break.

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 Georgia to avoid any new Covid-19 cases during the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships Tbilisi 2021.

The bout of day

Lithuania’s new flag bearer in the junior nations team, Paulius Bublis had excellent performance in the first preliminary round and the Baltic boxer tried to use his strong hooks well against Azerbaijan’s Fuad Babayev. The Lithuanian lightweight (60kg) boxer was patient in the first round and tried to follow his strategy against the Azeri talent. Bublis felt the fighting distance in their contest and landed the better punches while Babayev was too passive in the first and second rounds. The Azeri boxer performed better in the third round but Bublis had the advantage and the stamina to win their contest.

The surprise of the day

Poland’s technician boxer Artur Proksa, whose father was also a tough boxer, won his first contest in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships and he had to meet with his second opponent on Day4. Belarus’ Kiryl Stankevich was a tough opponent but the Polish boxer used his great footwork to reach him with jabs and hooks. The Belarusian increased his tempo in time in the beginning of the second round and he tried to pressurize Proksa from close range. Stankevich surprisingly eliminated his Polish rival in their lightweight (60kg) contest and advanced to the last eight.

The Round-Up

Greece’s Georgios Pleas won his preliminary contest yesterday and his teammate Georgios Efthimiadis tried to follow his pathway in the fourth competition day. The Greek southpaw gained the control against Israel’s Adham Kayouf in the first round and reduce the fighting distance. The Greek light welterweight (63kg) boxer had difficulties in the second round, he lost the fighting range following the tactical change of the Israeli corner. Kayouf had some difficulties in the third round but his stamina was enough to beat his Greek rival winning the bout by split decision (3:2).

Georgia’s Mamuka Sartania lives and trains in Poti and made his debut in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships. He won the Georgian Junior National Championships in Batumi this April and that result guaranteed his place in the squad in Tbilisi. His opponent was a top one, Ukraine’s Dmytro Mishchenko but Sartania began the first round in different rhythm and the referee counted his rival. Sartania reduced the fighting distance successfully against the 10cm taller Ukrainian and won their narrow contest in Tbilisi.

The Turkish team finalized a successful third competition day in Tbilisi where their next boxer in action was Ahmet Gunduz. The light welterweight (63kg) boxer had to meet with Germany’s Canel Seref Gunal who had Turkish roots. Gunduz moved forward in the first round and he had tough punches from closer distance therefore he led by 10:9 in each scorecard. The Turkish boxer used the same attacking style while Gunal tried to move more on feet in the second. The German produced his best round in the third but his efforts were not enough to turn back their contest in Tbilisi.

Moldova’s Andrei Oseivschii took the control of his preliminary contest at the light middleweight (70kg) very quickly against Latvia’s Aleksandrs Dmitrijevs therefore he led after two minutes of fight. The Moldovan landed several single left-handed jabs in the first and second rounds which reached the target. His strength decided their contest and Oseivschii will be able to continue his campaign in the quarter-finals of the event. The Moldovan will be meeting with Ukraine’s Maksym Naumov in the next stage who eliminated Azerbaijan’s Latif Hasanov using his experiences to control the bout.

Russia’s Mokhadan Makhauri won their Junior National Championships but he is still inexperienced in the international stage. He met with Hungary’s Bornemissza Junior Memorial Tournament winner Krisztian Nileborg who landed some good shots in the first round and fought bravely against the Russian. Makhauri moved more on feet in the second and tried to find the best attacking positions against the Hungarian. The Russian received also punched from the strong Hungarian but finally he was able to beat Nileborg in a high rhythm contest.

Georgia’s EUBC European Schoolboys Champion Tariel Sharikadze met with Moldova’s Grigori Chireacov in his opening contest in the last 16. The 16-year-old Georgian heavyweight (+80kg) boxer landed the stronger punches in the first round and the referee counted also the Moldovan. Sharikadze is a relatively small boxer in the heaviest weight category but he landed several hooks from closer range to catch Chireacov. The Georgian was better in all of the three rounds and advanced to the quarter-finals as several of his compatriots.

Belarus’ Denis Matsuliov has got strong athletic skills at the heavyweight (+80kg) and he had impressive attacks already in the first round against Latvia’s Stanislavs Girsa. The Belarusian was too strong for the Latvian boxer in the second round and the Serbian referee counted Girsa once in that period. The Latvian boxer spent times also in the medical corner following Matsuliov’s powerful shots and the ringside doctor finished their contest. The 16-year-old Belarusian was confident in the whole contest and performed in world class level today.  

Poland’s Dominik Przywara competed mostly national events during his career but he has got good technical skills to keep the fighting distance against his opponents. The Polish welterweight (66kg) boxer was taller than Latvia’s Daniils Vociss but he moved ahead bravely in the opening minutes. The Latvian southpaw was too static in the end of the second round which used Przywara to land strong punches. Vociss was more active in the third period but Przywara had the technical and tactical knowledge to beat him.   

One of the top Italian junior male boxers, Davide Fiore started well against Belarus’ Uladzislau Kuznetsou but his opponent was able to turn back their welterweight (66kg) contest. Following that unexpected Italian loss, his teammate Alfio Caniglia proved strong performance against Bulgaria’s Dean Shishinyov. The Italian middleweight (75kg) boxer landed strong punches and the Bulgarian newcomer has been counted twice by the referee and those moments guaranteed Caniglia’s triumph in the fourth competition day.

Montenegro’s Mirko Sarcevic won the gold medal at the Junior Nations Cup in Serbia which was a big surprise in the event. That was the last preparation competition for Montenegro’s 16-year-old talent before the start of the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships. Sarcevic had not an easy opponent as first, Georgia’s Gia Mitagvaria but he started their contest better. Montenegro’s lone boxer in the whole event demonstrated his power and he was slightly stronger in the exchanges today.

The quote of the day

“We had the game plan and we succeeded today. The opponent was good, he felt the distance but I knew how to handle that tactical job. We had a couple of scenarios before the contest and I have done one of them. I am expecting another good fights as next and I will try to do my best to win that quarter-final,” said Lithuania’s Paulius Bublis following his impressive success.