Potkonen, Khataev and Abdilrasoon delighted the local fans in the first day of the 40th Tammer Tournament
23 November 2019The 40th edition of the Tammer Tournament started with its quarter-finals in the city of Tampere where 21 bouts were in the official program which were divided into two sessions. Finland’s top star Mira Potkonen started her Robin Round formula campaign with a success over an EUBC European Women’s Champion Italian but the host country’s best males as Arslan Khataev and Muhammad Abdilrasoon also delighted the home fans in Tampere.
The city of Tampere hosted already AIBA World Boxing Championships, European Boxing Championships and Olympic Qualification Event in the recent decades but their big brand is the Tammer Tournament. The reputation of the competition is very high worldwide which guaranteed Mr. Aarno Laukkanen and Ms. Anna Laukkanen.
Bout of the day
Finland’s biggest boxing star European Games winner and two-time EUBC European Women’s Champion Mira Potkonen had such a tough opponent as first as Italy’s Francesca Amato. The Italian claimed the gold medal at the light welterweight (64kg) of the Madrid 2019 EUBC European Women’s Boxing Championships. Since that event she moved down also to the lightweight (60kg) and became competitive to the Finnish No.1 in the first round. Potkonen was more energetic in the second round when she landed effective jabs against the experienced Italian. The Rio 2016 Olympic Games bronze medallist performed strongly in the third round and won her first fight in Tampere.
Surprise of the day
Ukraine’s Yaroslav Samofalov was bronze medallist in the Baku 2015 European Games and won already their National Championships therefore he was named as gold medal contender at the welterweight (69kg) in Tampere. The 24-year-old Ukrainian controlled the first round against France’s Rayane Yahia Berrouiguet who joined to the national team only this year. The French boxer received strong advices from head coach Luis Mariano Gonzalez and surprisingly his tactical change delivered for him a success over the experienced Ukrainian.
The Round-Up
Ukraine’s Denys Pesotskyi is a well-known name from the international events who competed also in the World Series of Boxing. The Ukrainian boxer moved back to the lightweight (63kg) and he looked confident in the first round against Norway’s 19-year-old Martin Skogheim. The Ukrainian controlled the opening minutes and attacked more than his Norwegian teenage rival who competed in the 2018 EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships. Pesotskyi caught the Norwegian with tough body shots in the second round and won all of the rounds with aggressive style of boxing.
France’s star in the national team Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Champion and Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver medallist Sofiane Oumiha lost his quarter-final bout in the Yekaterinburg AIBA World Boxing Championships two months ago which was a surprise. The French lightweight (63kg) boxer returned to the international events after a refreshment and used his long distance tactic against Finland’s Santeri Kemppainen. The referee counted the Finnish boxer in the third round who was brave but could catch the French No.1.
Brazil’s Wanderson Oliveira proved tough performance in several international events and he is one of the best boxers at the lightweight (63kg) in the American continent. The Brazilian was confident against Belgium’s Ibrahima Diallo and advanced to the semi-finals of the strong weight class. His teammate Youth Olympic Games winner Keno Marley Machado is only 19 but he demonstrated his power against Finland’s Topias Vaittinen whose ringside abandoned the unequal fight of the light heavyweight (81kg).
Germany’s Ibragim Bazuev was quarter-finalist in the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships and he was seeded also in Yekaterinburg. The German boxer was shocked in the first round by Belgium’s Ziad El-Mohor when he was knocked down following a heavy hook. The German light heavyweight (81kg) boxer turned up the heat in the second and he was able to make the biggest comeback of the first competition day. The final verdict was split decision in the favour of Bazuev who has done an amazing finish in their close fight.
Germany’s Hamsat Shadalov was quarter-finalist in the Minsk 2019 European Games and won high number of top international bouts during his career. The 21-year-old German moved back to the bantamweight (57kg) and tried to use his quick hooks in the first round against Belgium’s Vasile Usturoi who delivered several surprises this year. The Belgian southpaw had effective jabs in the opening minutes but Shadalov also found his rhythm in time. Their meeting was one of the closest in the first day of boxing which was won by Hamsat Shadalov by split decision.
Finland’s EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships silver medallist Arslan Khataev won the Gee Bee Tournament this March. The 21-year-old bantamweight (57kg) boxer is Finland’s best male elite hope who met with an experienced Ukrainian, Nikita Dineiev in the first round of the Tammer Tournament. Khataev caught his opponent already in the first round and looked confident also in the second period. Dineiev found the bets fighting distance too late therefore Khataev advanced to the last four of the Tammer Tournament.
Sweden’s best male boxer Adam Chartoi impressed all of his international events this year and worked well against France’s Ezzedine Ben Nasser and advanced to the semi-finals of the middleweight (75kg) in Tampere. Another Nordic boxer in this division Finland’s 22-year-old Muhammad Abdilrasoon delighted the home crowd with his performance following he defeated Belgium’s Lancelot Proton de la Chappelle winning the bout by RSC in the first round.
