The featherweight bouts were the most exciting battles in Sofia on Day2
07 June 2018The second exciting competition day was held in the EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. The featherweight (57kg) delivered the most difficult contests in the second competition day when Bulgaria’s Stanimira Petrova, Russia’s Daria Abramova, France’s Mona Mestiaen and Ireland’s Michaela Walsh won these spectacular bouts.
Altogether 23 preliminary bouts have been held in the second competition day in Sofia where the winners are advanced to the last eight. Finally 146 boxers from 32 countries are attending in the EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships in Sofia where 10 champions will be crowned on June 12.
Spain’s Laura Fuertes celebrated her 19th birthday only a few weeks ago and arrived to the venue of the EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships without any international experiences. The Spanish teenager, who began boxing only in 2015, proved she is a native talent in our sport and eliminated Czech Republic’s Bocskai Memorial Tournament silver medallist Jana Prokesova at the light flyweight (48kg).
Romania’s Steluta Duta won her first continental title in 2006, achieved her second in 2007 and gets her last one in 2014. The 36-year-old veteran boxer had to meet in the first preliminary round of the light flyweight (48kg) with France’s 17-year-younger Gloria D’Almeida and as expected the Romanian favourite controlled their contest using her experiences to beat the teenager in Sofia.
Ireland sent only a small team to the EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships to Sofia but the quality of their delegation is world class. Two-time Commonwealth Games silver medallist Michaela Walsh eliminated a dangerous rival England’s soldier Karriss Artingstall. The 25-year-old Irish featherweight (57kg) boxer did a sensation in the second competition day and defeated Italy’s AIBA Women’s World Champion Alessia Mesiano with her tough combinations.
Two favourites had to meet at the featherweight (57kg) in the second competition day in Sofia where Russia’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Daria Abramova and Germany’s AIBA Youth World Champion Ornella Wahner have done a big battle. The German boxer started better but Abramova cam back to the match in time and eliminated Wahner who was also a gold medal favourite.
Bulgaria’s AIBA Women’s World Champion and Rio 2016 Olympian Stanimira Petrova is titleholder at the EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships and fights at the featherweight (57kg) in this important competition. The 28-year-old Bulgarian used her longer hands to keep the safest distance against Croatia’s Sara Beram who attacked from the first seconds. Petrova handled the tactical job and her counter-attacks delivered for her a clear success on Day2.
“I felt good myself in my opening bout in Sofia. It was my debut in the EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships and I know I can’t show everything I can but this is a long competition and I will be better in the next stage of the event,” said Bulgaria’s defending champion Stanimira Petrova after her victory on Day2.
France’s Mona Mestiaen moved up to the featherweight (57kg) and impressed in the first competition day when she met against a strong rival Sweden’s Balkan Women’s Tournament winner Helena Envall. The 26-year-old French boxer has done another impressive job in the second competition day and eliminated Turkey’s EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships silver medallist Sati Burcu who was seeded as No.2 in the event.
Denmark’s best woman boxer Yvonne Baek Rasmussen won her first medal in the history of the continental event in 2005 and after a long break she returned to the boxing world in 2015. The Danish light welterweight (64kg) boxer, who is the current European Union Champion, dominated her opening fight against Spain’s Lucia Blazquez and proved she is a favourite for the title in her category.
Ukraine’s Maria Badulina-Bova was gold medallist at the Qinhuangdao 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships but she had some break in her boxing career. The experienced Ukrainian moved down to the light welterweight (64kg) and she arrived to Sofia as a favourite once again. Badulina-Bova had to do her very best against a 10-year-younger rival Armenia’s Ani Hovsepyan but finally her hand was raised.
Poland’s Karolina Koszewska-Lukasik was a top boxer when women’s boxing was launched in the early years of the last decade. The Polish boxer was European Women’s Champion in 2005 and after a long hiatus she returned to the sport one year ago and fought out her place in the national team quickly. The 36-year-old veteran knows everything about boxing and her skills were enough to beat Sweden’s Marianne Ahlborg and advanced to the next round of the welterweight (69kg).
