Malanga and Bucsa won tight contests in the Governor Cup on Day4
23 April 2021Twelve world class contest have been held at the fourth competition day of the Governor Cup in St. Petersburg, Russia. Italy’s Gianluigi Malanga and Moldova’s Dorin Bucsa won the narrowest contests of the day at the Sibur Arena where stars as Albert Batyrgaziev, Andrey Zamkovoy and Imam Khataev all controlled their bouts.
The money prize event was held last time in 2019 but and after two years of break the Governor Cup is scheduled once again. Many of the top nations such as Uzbekistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, India, Thailand, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Italy, Romania, Moldova, Netherlands, Morocco, and others joined to the new edition of the Governor Cup.
The champions and medallists are awarded with medals and money prizes in the Governor Cup in St. Petersburg. Elite male boxers can compete in 10 weight categories and those who were born between 1981 and 2002 are eligible to attend in the Governor Cup.
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 Russia to avoid any new Covid-19 cases during the Governor Cup.
The bout of the day
The Italians sent their U22 national team to the Governor Cup to strengthen their international experiences before the EUBC European U22 Boxing Championships. Gianluigi Malanga could be their next top welterweight (69kg) boxer after veteran Vincenzo Mangiacapre and he has been working hard to get top results in the upcoming years. Malanga had a tough opponent, Russia’s Magomed Murtazaliyev in the quarter-finals but he did not overestimate the local boxer and followed his strategy. The Russian boxer was strong but Malanga managed to win the contest using his tactical knowledge and advanced to the semi-finals in St. Petersburg.
The surprise of the day
Russia’s Vladimir Strygin began boxing at the age of 10 and joined to the national team as a schoolboy in 2011. He had impressive European schoolboys, junior and youth results but in the recent years he was not enough successful as U22 and elite boxer. Strygin eliminated Kyrgyzstan’s Mirzokhidjon Imamnazarov in the preliminary stage and surprisingly he suffered a loss to Moldova’s Dorin Bucsa in the quarter-finals of the lightweight (60kg). His Moldovan opponent knew his weak points therefore Bucsa is now a guaranteed medallist.
The Round-Up
Russia’s Albert Batyrgaziev is one of their best boxers who moved back to the lightweight (60kg) in this competition which is his preparation before the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event. He has qualified for the Olympic Games already and spent the recent months to strengthen his physical condition. Batyrgaziev amazed with his strong punches in St. Petersburg and after two dominated rounds, he decided his quarter-final against Tajikistan’s Somon Khabibov in the third.
Russia’s defending AIBA World Champion at the welterweight (69kg) Andrey Zamkovoy is one of the most experienced boxers in the category who began his big march in the elite age group still in 2009. The 34-year-old veteran is still in top shape which he demonstrated against Greece’s Theodoros Ritzakis in the quarter-finals of the Governor Cup. Zamkovoy used his longer reach and better technical skills to keep the distance and after the contest, he is now a guaranteed medallist in St. Petersburg.
Russia’s Imam Khataev is a native talent in the sport who is one of the biggest puncher at the light heavyweight (81kg) in the whole world. The experienced Russian was too strong for Greece’s Anastasios Berdesis in the quarter-finals and will now meet with Morocco’s Mohamed Assaghir. Another Russian boxer, Andrey Kosenkov controlled all of the rounds against Moldova’s Vadim Todorov and also advanced to the semi-finals.
