Spain’s Gabriel Escobar eliminated the top Indian at the Boxam Tournament
05 March 2021The quarter-finals for the men’s boxers took place in the third competition day at the 35th edition of the Boxam Elite International Boxing Tournament in Castellon de la Plana, Spain. Spain’s European Games winner Gabriel Escobar won one of his most difficult contests in the recent period but he bowed out India’s AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal.
Thirty-one male contests were held in one session in the third day of the Boxam Tournament in Castellon de la Plana where the winners joined to the last four. Boxers from the flyweight (52kg) up to the super heavyweight (+91kg) all were in actions on Day3.
Altogether 127 boxers from 17 different countries are competing in the Boxam Tournament this week and 15 champions will be crowned following the finals. The following nations are attending in the Boxam Tournament: Belgium, Chile, Denmark, Ecuador, France, India, Italy, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, Monaco, Morocco, Panama, Puerto Rico, Romania, Russia, Spain and United States of America.
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 Castellon de la Plana to avoid any new Covid-19 cases during the Boxam Tournament.
The bout of the day
India’s AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal met with Spain’s European Games winner Gabriel Escobar in a crucial quarter-final battle in the men’s flyweight (52kg). Both boxers are among the bests in the world therefore it was one of the most anticipated contests of the day. Amit started a bit better in the first round but Escobar has done a great finish in that period. The Spaniard began to move more in the second round and his hooks worked well from better fighting range. The Indian began the third round actively but he received punches from counter-attacking distance and Escobar could win their fantastic battle in Castellon de la Plana.
The surprise of the day
Italy’s Matteo Girolamo is a newcomer in the international stage but the heavyweight (91kg) boxer had a brave attempt to put himself into the spotlight at the Boxam Tournament. The Italian boxer arrived from Florence to Castellon de la Plana with less experiences but he impressed against India’s AIBA World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Sanjeet. Girolamo moved down to the heavyweight (91kg) since his silver medal at the Italian National Championships a few weeks ago and surprisingly eliminated the Indian boxer.
The Round-Up
Lithuania’s Edgaras Skurdelis has got more than 10 years of experiences in the international events and moved ahead from the opening seconds to catch Spain’s Enrique Jose Florentino Mejia. The Baltic lightweight (63kg) boxer is a real fighter who tries to pressurize his opponents but Florentino was not an easy target. The younger Spaniard organized his defence well enough in the first and second rounds. Skurdelis caught Florentino on body in the third which slowed down the Spanish therefore the Lithuanian marched into the last four. Skurdelis will be meeting in the last four with Denmark’s Nikolai Terteryan who eliminated Puerto Rico’s Bryan Perez.
France’s Lounes Hamraoui attended at the St. Petersburg 2016 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships and he became Elite National Champion as a teenager. The French lightweight (63kg) boxer could not get the right to compete in the top team in the recent three years due to their star Sofiane Oumiha. Hamraoui returned in amazing shape and his technical skills controlled his quarter-final over United States’ Charles Sheehy. Following the standing count of the US boxer, the French won the contest by unanimous decision in Castellon de la Plana.
Generally, Spain’s Rio 2016 Olympian Youba Ndiaye Sissokho is taller than all of his opponents at the welterweight (69kg) but he met with Puerto Rico’s Bryan Polanco in the quarter-finals. Sissokho, who will be turning to 30 this year, was more experienced than his Puerto Rican rival but there were only tiny differences between them today. Polanco’s jabs were dangerous for Sissokho in the bout but the Spanish veteran had the stamina and the physical skills to win that narrow challenge.
Monaco’s Hugo Micallef has written many pages to his tiny nation’s boxing history in the recent five years. The Monegasque boxer is still in the competition at the suspended European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event and returned to the events after a log break. The welterweight (69kg) boxer used a good tactic in the first round against Lithuania’s strong Saimonas Banys and he looked fresh and motivated. His Baltic opponent pressurized Micallef more actively in the second and third rounds therefore Banys is the guaranteed medallist in Castellon.
Spain’s Miguel Cuadrado was quarter-finalist in the Minsk 2019 European Games and he has the chance to qualify for Tokyo this year. The Spanish middleweight (75kg) boxer moved a lot on feet in the first round and he was a hard target for Italy’s Giovanni Sarchioto. The Italian increased his tempo in the second round but Cuadrado’s skills were enough to win that difficult contest today. Spain’s next boxer in this weight category, 20-year-old Pablo Coy lost to Romania’s tough Dumitru Vicol in Castellon.
