Strong Spanish and Georgian start at the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships

The EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships opened with 21 preliminary bouts in Budva, Montenegro where altogether 339 boxers are attending for the medals. Boxers at the men’s bantamweight (54kg), featherweight (57kg), lightweight (60kg), light welterweight (63.5kg) and middleweight (75kg) were in action in the first competition day in Budva where the Spanish and the Georgian youngsters opened well enough.

Boxers who were born in 2003 and in 2004 are eligible to attend in the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships in Budva. The event will be introduced also the new youth weight categories, the girls can attend in 12 while the boys in 13 different weight classes in Montenegro. The Technical Delegate of the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships is Mrs. Susanne Karrlander of Sweden.

Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine are competing in the event in Budva.

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 organizers in Montenegro avoid any new Covid-19 cases during the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships.

The bout of the day

Italy’s Christian Chessa impressed in the Golden Gloves of Vojvodina Youth Tournament one and half month ago where he defeated one of the best Romanian talents, Adrian Preda in the preliminary stage. The 18-year-old Italian had 44 bouts during his career including seven international contests but he has all of the skills to get a top result in Budva. The Italian had a hard first challenge against a Hungarian boxer, Mark Rozsavolgyi who competed at the 2019 EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships in Galati. Chessa has just moved up to the featherweight (57kg) but he was fresh enough and adopted the strength of the punches quickly to win his tight opening bout.

The surprise of the day

North Macedonia’s Ilhan Ozmen competed in several international events and he claimed a few surprise medal as a junior boxer. The light welterweight (63.5kg) talent was the favourite against Albania’s Fatjon Rucaj and he began the bout with good shots. His inexperienced Albanian opponent turned up the heat and he was better in closer distance from the second round which meant Rucaj could win that narrow contest.

The Round-up

Spain’s Juan Pantoja competed in the recent two editions of the EUBC Championships as junior and youth and developed rapidly since his Galati edition. The 18-year-old Spanish No.1 had to meet with an inexperienced Hungarian, Kruzito Kovacs who also progressed this year. Pantoja, who claimed bronze medal in the 2020 EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships, controlled most of the exchanges in all of the three rounds and won the opening contest of the day in Budva.

Spain’s second boxer in action was Salvador Flores Luque who had less international experiences than Juan Pantoja but he also progressed rapidly in the recent one and half year. The 18-year-old Spaniard won the Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament in Lithuania and he had the confidence against Italy’s Romanian-descent Cristinel Alexandru Bindar. Flores gained the control immediately and he had the better shots in their lightweight (60kg) bout therefore the Spanish advanced to the last 16.

Georgia’s Saba Tkebuchava claimed gold medal at the 2018 EUBC Schoolboys European Boxing Championships but since then he was not able to compete in the international stage, only in smaller events. The 17-year-old lightweight (60kg) boxer returned to a major championship and amazed against Turkey’s Doganay Ozturk earning a place in the last 16. His teammate Lasha Gagnidze had an even stronger rival, Ukraine’s Andrii Kostenko but the Georgian managed to win that light welterweight (64kg) contest.

Croatia’s Antonio Grabic achieved several medals in various competitions as schoolboys, junior and youth boxer in the previous five years.  The 18-year-old Croatian kept his weight also, and arrived to Budva as one of the favourites at the middleweight (75kg). Grabic opened his campaign successfully against Georgia’s Irakli Janelidze and advanced to the last 16 in that popular weight class. Czech Republic’s Jindrich Janecka, Ukraine’s Oleksandr Balabin and Lithuania’s Arvydas Dainys were also among the winners of the middleweight (75kg) on Day1.