Stoyka Petrova, Beatriz Ferreira and Stanimira Petrova won their weight classes in the 6th Balkan Women’s Tournament
25 October 2020The three competition days of the 6th edition of the Balkan Women’s Tournament was held in Bulgaria’s capital city in Sofia. AIBA Women’s World Champions Stanimira Petrova and Beatriz Ferreira of Brazil, furthermore Bulgaria’s returning hero Stoyka Petrova-Krusteva were also among the winners of the Balkan Women’s Tournament.
The safety of all participants, the continuous medical checks, the social distancing, the hygienic preparations, wearing masks and all of the health controls were the responsibility of the local Bulgarian organizers in Botevgrad to avoid any new Covid-19 cases in the event.
Botevgrad was the host in the recent two editions of the Balkan Women’s Tournament, following the opening three editions which were all held in their capital city in Sofia. The Balkan Women’s Tournament returned to Sofia following the decision of the LOC. The Bulgarian Boxing Federation hosted the event firstly in 2015 and all of their stars attended in the new edition of the Balkan Women’s Tournament.
The bout of the finals
Stoyka Petrova-Krusteva claimed silver medals at the 2016 and 2018 editions of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. The two-time European Women’s Champion returned to the world of boxing after a short break and amazed in the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event earlier this year. The Bulgarian veteran had to meet with Turkey’s defending EUBC European Women’s Champion Busenaz Cakiroglu in the final of the flyweight (51kg). Their battle was the most anticipated one in Sofia where Petrova used her fantastic tempo to catch the quick Turkish. Cakiroglu, who won also the European Games in 2019, landed also counter-punches but this time the Bulgarian was better in the tactical final.
The round-up
Bulgaria’s veteran EUBC European Women’s Champion Sevda Asenova had to face in the final of the light flyweight (48kg) with her main national rival Melek Zakifova in the battle of the generations. Asenova was born in 1985 while the EUBC European Women’s Youth Boxing Championships silver medallist Zakifova in 2001. Asenova landed her punches with perfect timing and achieved the first title of the event.
Stanimira Petrova joined to the national team in 2014 and in that year she became AIBA Women’s World Champion. The experienced Bulgarian featherweight (57kg) boxer met in the final of the category with Brazil’s Jucielen Romeu who is one of the most promising athletes and a Tokyo medal hopeful. The nine-year-older Petrova used her longer reach to land counter-punches in their final and claimed gold medal.
Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira joined to the national team in the first months of 2017 and she became the best boxer of the women’s lightweight (60kg) in the current Olympic era. The Brazilian star is the defending AIBA Women’s World Champion and Panamerican Games winner who met with Kosovo’s EUBC European Women’s Youth Champion Donjeta Sadiku in the next final. Ferreira, who eliminated strong Turkish and Bulgarian boxers in the road to the finals, controlled the three rounds against her Kosovan rival.
Bulgaria’s Melis Yonuzova was EUBC European Elite Champion and EUBC European U22 Champion in 2018. The 21-year-old Bulgarian is their best welterweight (69kg) boxer who spent the recent months with strong training sessions. Yonuzova met in the final with another young talent, Brazil’s Gabriele Beatriz Gomes Oliveira Soares and claimed Bulgaria’s next gold medal in Sofia.
