Strong opening day for Georgia in the EUBC European Union Boxing Championships
10 November 2018Following the Technical Meeting, the General Weigh-in and Official draw the EUBC European Union Boxing Championships begun with its first competition day in Valladolid, Spain and revealed that 124 boxers are attending for the medals. The young Georgian boxers won both of their contests in the opening day of the EUBC European Union Boxing Championships.
The EUBC European Union Boxing Championships is the main competition for the men’s elite boxers in 2018 and the continent’s top boxers are attending in the event. The first edition of the EUBC European Union Boxing Championships was held in Strasbourg, France in 2003 and after the last Sofia event Spain’s Valladolid is the host.
Bulgaria’s Tinko Banabakov is member of the national team since 2012 and moved up to the flyweight (52kg) in the recent months. The 24-year-old Bulgarian regained his place in the squad and his stamina was enough to turn back his fight when he met with Ireland’s Conor Quinn which was the first bout of the whole competition.
Georgia’s Nodari Darbaidze achieved great youth results in 2014 and in 2015 and he was quickly involved to the elite squad. The 21-year-old Georgian was member of the Croatian Knights WSB franchise in Season VIII and those experiences paid off in the opening day of the EUBC European Union Boxing Championships. Darbaidze reduced the fighting distance successfully and eliminated Italy’s two-time Olympian Manuel Fabrizio Cappai.
Georgia’s second victory in the opening day of the EUBC European Union Boxing Championships was achieved by their Armenian-descent bantamweight (56kg) boxer Artyush Gomtsyan who spent less than three minutes in the ring against Slovenia’s Alex Guzej when the referee confirmed his RSC victory.
Italy’s EUBC European Youth Champion Raffaele Di Serio was too quick for his 19-year-old German opponent Ousainou Hansen and marched into the quarter-finals of the bantamweight (56kg) in Valladolid. The 21-year-old Italian will be facing with France’s Jordan Rodriguez in the next stage at the quarter-finals.
Ireland sent seven boxers to the EUBC European Union Boxing Championships and their bantamweight (56kg) No.1 Kurt Walker started his campaign well enough in Valladolid. Walker, who claimed bronze medal in the Kharkiv 2017 EUBC European Confederation Boxing Championships, combined his attacks to the head and body against Bulgaria’s Stefan Ivanov and advanced to the quarter-finals of the top competition.
England’s EUBC European Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Frazer Clarke is the main gold medal contender at the super heavyweight (+91kg) but had to do his very best to beat Ireland’s Dean Gardiner in his opening bout. WSB hero Clarke’s next opponent in the quarter-final will be Poland’s Aleksander Stawirej.
Another top bout in the heaviest category was held between two medallists from EUBC European Confederation Boxing Championships Bulgaria’s Petar Belberov and France’s Djamili-Dini Aboudou Moindze. The Bulgarian boxer used his longer reach and he felt the tempo better than his French opponent in Valladolid and advanced also to the last eight.
