Strong day for the Russians at the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships in Sofia
28 November 2020Further 24 contests were held in the new edition of the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria where the first guaranteed medals are revealed. Russia’s best junior boxers such as Boris Eroshkin, Sergei Koldenkov and Ismail Magomadov all won their contests on Day2.
The re-scheduled competition moved to Bulgaria’ capital where all of the requirements, experiences and professional organizational team are waiting for the participants. Boxers who were born in 2004 and in 2005 are eligible to attend in the EUBC Junior European Confederation Boxing Championships in Sofia.
The following nations are attending in the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships Sofia 2020: Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Israel, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.
The European Boxing Confederation’s medical and safety rules are very strict in the whole competition as it was followed in Montenegro. 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 Bulgaria to avoid any new Covid-19 cases during the EUBC Junior European Confederation Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
Russia’s Ismail Magomadov achieved gold at the 2018 EUBC Schoolboys European Boxing Championships in Albena and returned to Bulgaria after two and half years. The 16-year-old boxer competes at the middleweight (75kg) in the junior level and he had to meet with his main rival in the event already in the quarter-finals, Ukraine’s Oleksiy Stepanov. His one-year younger Ukrainian opponent won also title in the EUBC Schoolboys European Boxing Championships but in 2019. The Ukrainian boxer moved ahead and had the strong motivation to beat his Russian rival in the early final of the category. Stepanov was stopped by counter-punches and Magomadov’s tough hooks decided their narrow contest on Day2 therefore the Russian is the guaranteed medallist now.
The surprise of the day
North Macedonia’s super talented 15-year-old Petar Arsovski lives and trains in Sofia therefore he knew the environment of the event. He had more than 60 contests already in spite of his young age and won several Bulgarian competitions. He was the favourite against Poland’s Nikolas Pawlik but his opponent had the brave attempt to beat the North Macedonian talent. The Polish boxer moved ahead without any stoppage and eliminated Arsovski in another top fight of the day.
The Round-up
Russia’s Boris Eroshkin attended at the light flyweight (48kg) in the last edition of the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships in Galati, Romania. One and half year is gone since that event and the Russian hope moved up to the lightweight (60kg). Eroshkin had strong confidence in the first round against Serbia’s Radomir Jovanovic and dictated the tempo of the bout. The Russian talent caught his Serbian opponent with tough punches in the end of the second round. Jovanovic moved forward more in the third round of the bout but he did not have realistic chance to beat one of the best Russian juniors.
The Czech Boxing Association is working hard to develop all of their talents and give them international experiences. Following their impressive successes in the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships in Budva, the Czech junior boxers also started well in Sofia where Filip Jilek and Daniel Danicek won their contests on Day1. Their first boxer in action on Day2 was Jiri Fuxa who tried to be competitive against one of the favourites of the lightweight (60kg), Oleksandr Yarovyi of Ukraine. Following the Ukrainian control in the first and second rounds, Fuxa gave in everything in the third, gave up his defences but Yarovyi was too strong for him today.
Poland’s Krzysztof Szot was one of the best boxers of his country in the end of the 1990s and in the beginning of the 2000s. His son Oliwier is the best future hope of the country and started well against France’s 16-year-old Mohamed Stitou who claimed silver medal at the Schwerin International Junior Tournament in Germany. The French boxer received strong advices from his coach Mr. Stephane Cottalorda in the first break and his rhythm change was able to turn back their tough lightweight (60kg) contest in Sofia.
Lithuania’s Edgaras Trotenskis and Slovakia’s Pavol Fleischhacker both were born in 2005 and spend their first year among the junior boxers. The Lithuanian landed the better punches in the contest and eliminated the Slovakian by unanimous decision in Sofia. Another Baltic boxer at the lightweight (60kg), Renats Sarovs spent less than one round in the ring against North Macedonia’s Qemal Fetai and stopped his inexperienced opponent achieving his nation’s second triumphs in Sofia.
Russia’s best junior boxer Sergei Koldenkov is two-time EUBC European Schoolboys Champion and he won all of his contests in the recent one year. He moved up to the welterweight (66kg) this year and he is one of the best junior boxers in the whole European continent. The 16-year-old Russian landed tough punches already in the first round against Spain’s newcomer Roberto Munoz and the referee counted his opponent. Koldenkov continued his dominancy in the second and finished the fight before the final gong.
Russia’s Daniyal Tuktubayev has been added to the junior national team just before the start of the competition but he impressed in his first appearance in Sofia. The 16-year-old Russian met in the first round of the light heavyweight (80kg) with Israel’s Ahmad Jabarin in the Bulgarian capital. Tuktubayev had different rhythm and stronger punches than his Israeli opponent which paid off quickly. One of Tuktubayev’s powerful punches hurt well and after the standing count the referee stopped their unequal contest.
Romania’s Ionut Marian Pavel began boxing at the age of 11 four years ago and had altogether 57 contests therefore he was more experienced than Albania’s Ariol Zeneli. The 15-year-old Romanian, who has the nickname of Shaolin, controlled his pinweight (46kg) quarter-final contest and became a guaranteed medallist in Sofia. He will be meeting in the semi-finals with Russia’s Rasul Magomedov who bowed out Ukraine’s Maksym Altunyan in an exciting quarter-finals.
