Piskunov, Erdemir and Dickinson were the stars of the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships

The 27th edition of the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships finished in Antalya, Turkey where ten champions were crowned. Russia claimed five gold medals in the continental event and topped the team rankings in Antalya. Azerbaijan, England, Georgia, Turkey and Ukraine also won gold medals in the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships.

The city of Antalya hosted the 2011 edition of the AIBA Women’s Youth & Junior Boxing Championships. After six years of break top level of boxing returned to the city of Antalya which is located off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.

Georgia’s 18-year-old Shakhil Allakhverdovi was gold medallist in the 2015 EUBC European Confederation Junior Boxing Championships in Lviv and after his big continental success two and half years ago he was able to reach the top of the podium once again. The Georgian light flyweight (49kg) boxer was too experienced for a younger hope Hungary’s Attila Bernath and achieved the first title in Antalya.

Ukraine’s Maksym Halinichev won the Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament in Lithuania a few months ago and since then he demonstrated his technique in all of his competitions. The 17-year-old Ukrainian flyweight (52kg) boxer moved closer to England’s promising talent Ivan Hope Price in the final of the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships. The Ukrainian boxer had difficulties in the final round but his advantage was enough to keep the gold medal in Antalya.

Russia’s first gold medal in the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships was achieved by Aleksei Kiselev who is member of the national team since 2012. The 18-year-old old bantamweight (56kg) talent felt the tempo against Turkey’s Ahmet Otcu in the first round. The Turkish boxer, who received the right to box in the continental event in the final minute, turned up the heat but finally Kiselev’s hand was raised after the last bell.

Russia’s AIBA Junior World Champion and European Youth Champion Nikita Piskunov eliminated his main rival Turkey’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Necat Ekinci in the first preliminary round of the lightweight (60kg) therefore he was the favourite in the title contest. The 18-year-old Russian, who is their No.1 in the youth age group, moved more on feet than Ukraine’s Taras Bondarchuk and defended his throne in the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships.

Turkey’s defending AIBA Youth World Champion Tugrulhan Erdemir is the host country’s best boxer in this age group who was motivated in his final in Antalya. The 18-year-old boxer, who is unbeaten this year, had such a hard road to the finals as he had to eliminate Azerbaijan’s EUBC European Junior Champion Bakhtiyar Gazibayov and Ireland’s AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships silver medallist Patrick Donovan in the previous rounds. Erdemir ruled the middle of the ring against Russia’s Brandenburg Youth Cup winner Musa Maruev in the final and his confident style was enough to get the title in Antalya.

England’s Mark Dickinson has been competing in the international level since 2012 and following his title in the Commonwealth Youth Games this July, he did enough to win the gold medal at the welterweight (69kg) in Antalya. The 18-year-old English talent had to meet in the final with Russia’s AIBA Junior World Champion Osman Aliyev who tried to overcome Dickinson’s punches in the first round. The Englishman was patient and waited for the best attacking moments and his tactic delivered for him a gold medal in Antalya.

Russia’s EUBC European Junior Champion Daniil Teterev lost only one contest in the whole year therefore he was the main favourite of the middleweight (75kg) in Antalya. The 17-year-old Russian, who will be also in the youth level in 2018, found the tiny holes on Azerbaijan’s Amin Kushkhov’s defense and took the lead after three minutes of fight. Kushkhov, who represented Russia in the recent years, did his very best in the final round but his efforts were not enough to turn back their battle.

Russia’s next title in the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships was taken by another 17-year-old talent, Ruslan Kolesnikov. In the absence of the best European youth light heavyweight (81kg) boxer Welshmen Sammy Lee, Kolesnikov controlled his final in Antalya where he met with Ukraine’s Yevhenii Pavlovskiy. The final verdict was unanimous decision to Kolesnikov who reached his career highlight with this gold medal.

Russia’s Vladislav Ivanov had to win an important national Box-off before the start of the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships. The 18-year-old heavyweight (91kg) boxer, who was bronze medallist in the 2015 AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships, landed several punches in his target area in the final of the event. Ivanov dominated the gold medal bout against Turkey’s Berat Acar and secured Russia’s fifth victory in the day of the finals.

Azerbaijan’s AIBA Junior World Champion Mahammad Abdullayev arrived to the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships as the top favourite of the super heavyweight (+91kg). The 18-year-old boxer, who is unbeaten this year, knocked out Croatia’s EUBC European Junior Champion Josip Biletic in the semi-final and continued his winning path against Greece’s new top boxer Vagkan Nanitzanian. Both boxers were quicker than most of the elite athletes in this category and following Abdullayev’s strong punches Azerbaijan’s No.1 was able to win his next gold medal.