Russia, Wales, France and Ukraine won the titles in the Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament
24 March 2019The ten final contests were taking place in the fourth and last competition day at the 14th edition of the Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament in Vilnius, Lithuania. Russia won four gold medals in the event but Wales’ three titles is record in the history of the Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament. France’s strong duo Ibrahim Boukedim and Wilfried Florentin earned gold medals while Ukraine’s Volodymyr Kushnir won the bout of the finals.
The competition was named after Lithuania’s national boxing hero Danas Pozniakas who claimed gold medal at the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games and also crowned three-times in the history of the European Boxing Championships. During his long and successful career Danas Pozniakas won 203 bouts out of his 217 total contests in the ’60s.
Bout of the finals
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Kushnir claimed bronze medal in the EUBC European Confederation Junior Boxing Championships and he was selected to their youth national team. The Ukrainian light heavyweight (81kg) boxer eliminated top rivals during his road to the finals at the Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament. The 17-year-old Ukrainian had a powerful rival in the final and Russia’s Nikiforov & Denisov U17 National Cup silver medallist Evgeniy Frolov was more than a competitive opponent for him. Kushnir turned up the heat in the second round and he mobilized all of his remaining power to beat his Russian rival closely in the bout of the final competition day.
Surprise of the finals
Lithuania’s Aleksandr Trofimciuk claimed two medals in the recent two editions of the EUBC European Confederation Junior Boxing Championships and he was the main favourite of the middleweight (75kg) in Vilnius. The best Lithuanian youth boxer had strong semi-final contest on Day3 and he was not enough fresh in the final of the Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament. His opponent Stanislav Sotskov started their final better and the Russian boxer was able to continue his strong performance until the end of the last gong. Sotskov competed over his previous limit and defeated the Lithuanian No.1 in Vilnius causing the main surprise of the last competition day.
The Round-up
Russia’s Nikiforov & Denisov U17 National Cup bronze medallist Airat Muslimov received the right to fight for his nation at the very first time out of the country but the light flyweight (49kg) boxer impressed in Vilnius. The 17-year-old Russian eliminated against Romania’s Mihai Laurentiu Vaduva in the semi-final and he delivered his best performance just in the final of the event. Muslimov defeated Ukraine’s Oleksandr Korniev and celebrated his first ever international title in Vilnius.
France’s Ibrahim Boukedim claimed bronze medal in the last edition of the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Roseto degli Abruzzi and arrived to Vilnius as a favourite at the flyweight (52kg). The French talent had to meet with Bulgaria’s two-time EUBC European Confederation Junior Boxing Championships silver medallist Yasen Radev for the title which was another top contest in Vilnius. The younger Bulgarian was quick in their final but Boukedim’s combinations were effective and the French won their close title contest in the Lithuanian capital.
Wales sent three top boxers to the Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament and all of their boxers won the titles in the event. Firstly Ioan Croft defeated France’s Hugo Grau at the lightweight (60kg) and secondly his brother, the Julius Torma Youth Memorial Tournament winner Garan Croft triumphed over Ukraine’s Elvin Aliyev in the final of the light welterweight (64kg). The third Welsh gold medal was achieved by Julius Torma Youth Memorial Tournament winner Taylor Bevan at the welterweight (69kg) who defeated Bulgaria’s EUBC European Junior Champion Emirdzhan Mehmed and Czech Republic’s Milos Beranek during his campaign in Vilnius.
Next to Ibrahim Boukedim his teammate Wilfried Florentin was also achieved bronze medal in the last edition of the EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships. Florentin, who attended also in the Budapest 2018 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships, maintained the best fighting distance in the final against Lithuania’s Aras Dudenas. The French heavyweight (91kg) boxer had to do his very best against his Lithuanian rival but finally his hand was raised after the last gong.
