Mingalimova and Metodiev proved their progress in the opening day of the 5th Junior Nations Cup
09 June 2021The 5th Junior Nations Cup began in the city of Vrbas, Serbia where the junior girls and boys began their campaigns. Altogether 109 boxers from 16 nations are attending in the competition where thirteen bouts were on the official program of Day1. Russia’s EUBC European Women’s Junior Champion Renata Mingalimova opened her campaign successfully while Bulgaria’s Lyuboslav Metodiev knocked out his rival.
The Serbian international competition is a preparation event before the upcoming EUBC European Junior Boxing Championships. The junior continental event will be held in Tbilisi, Georgia on July 1-12 after the EUBC European U22 Boxing Championships.
Boxers who were born in 2005 and in 2006 are eligible to attend at the 5th Junior Nations Cup. The following nations sent boxers to the 5th Junior Nations Cup: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia and the United States.
The Junior Nations Cup is holding at the Drago Jovovic Sports Hall in Vrbas where the Tournament Director & Competition Manager is Mr. Jovan Panic. The Junior Nations Cup was launched in 2017 and it is holding at the fifth times.
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 Serbia to avoid any new Covid-19 cases during the new Junior Nations Cup.
The bout of the day
Russia’s Renata Mingalimova won the gold medal at the 2018 EUBC European Schoolgirls Boxing Championships which was her first big highlight. She joined to the junior age group in 2020 and won the title of the EUBC European Junior Boxing Championships in Sofia half year ago. The Russian competes at the flyweight (50kg) in the Junior Nations Cup and opened her campaign against a dangerous rival, Italy’s Ginevra Benetazzo. Mingalimova increased her tempo in the second round against the talented Italian and won the bout of the first competition day.
The Round-up
Cyprus has got strong female junior boxers but their male talent, Nikolas Kambourakis also impressed in the first bout of the Junior Nations Cup. The young Cyprian is inexperienced in the international stage yet but he showed strong fighting spirit against North Macedonia’s Leonardo Lima. Kambourakis won all of the rounds against his opponent and marched into the next stage of the men’s flyweight (50kg).
Bulgaria’s Lyuboslav Metodiev is an experienced junior talent who not only competed in the 2020 EUBC European Junior Boxing Championships but he claimed bronze medal. The Bulgarian moved up to the flyweight (50kg) and arrived to Vrbas as one of the favourites for the gold medal. Metodiev quickly dominated the first exchanges against Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Marko Berendika and knocked out his rival before the end of the first period.
Romania’s Eduard Marian Musat started strongly against Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Lazar Bovan and continued his excellent performance until the end of the contest. The Romanian impressed in the opening day of boxing and eliminated the Bosnian at the light middleweight (70kg). His fellow at the light heavyweight (80kg), Angelo David Teodorescu worked hard in the ring against Kazakhstan’s Nurasyl Bauyrzhan and he also succeeded in the first competition day of the Junior Nations Cup.
