The next generation of the Ukrainian boxers won the titles in the Semen Trestin Memorial Tournament
16 July 2019Following the Boris Andreev Youth Memorial Tournament another international event was taking place in Ukraine. The 23rdedition of the Semen Trestin Memorial Tournament was a strong elite competition off the coast of the Black Sea in Odessa. Ukraine’s next generation boxers as Oleg Chulyacheyev, Oleksandr Zheleznyak, Maksym Pylypets and Dmytro Rybalko won their weight classes in the event.
The Semen Trestin Memorial Tournament was launched more than two decades ago and the new edition was even stronger than the last one. Altogether 140 boxers attended in the Semen Trestin Memorial Tournament in Odessa. The following 13 nations are taking part in Odessa: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Cuba, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Senegal and host Ukraine.
The bout of the finals
Ukraine’s Baku 2015 European Games bronze medallist Yaroslav Samofalov was named as the main gold medal contender of the welterweight (69kg) before the start of the Semen Trestin Memorial Tournament. The 24-year-old Ukrainian had to win four contests during his campaign from the preliminaries to reach the final of the Semen Trestin Memorial Tournament. Samofalov had to meet for the gold with Ukraine’s Maksym Pylypets who claimed bronze in the 2018 EUBC European Confederation U22 Boxing Championships. Samofalov was not able to use his best strategy in the final therefore the fresh Pylypets won the title of the key welterweight (69kg) in Odessa.
Surprise of the finals
Tsotne Rogava had a few strong national results in 2013 but after a few poor years he returned in top shape. The Ukrainian super heavyweight (+91kg) boxer eliminated Bahrain’s new sensation Denys Latypov in the quarter-finals and his veteran teammate Oleksandr Babich in the last four. Rogava was highly motivated after these successes and he had tough punches in the final against Viacheslav Havryliuk which delivered for him a well-deserved gold medal in Odessa.
The Round-Up
The first gold medal of the Semen Trestin Memorial Tournament was achieved by Kazakhstan’s teenager Damyr Abdykadyr who defeated three tough Ukrainian boxers at the flyweight (52kg) in Odessa. He started his campaign against Ihor Sopynskyi and continued his winning series against Rostyslav Bilostotskyi who both attended in EUBC Championships successfully. Abdykadyr controlled his final bout as well and triumphed over against Andriy Tyshkovets in Odessa claiming Kazakhstan’s lone gold medal.
Oleg Chulyacheyev had strong junior and youth results a few years ago but he returned to the sport after a short break and captured the gold medal at the Semen Trestin Memorial Tournament. The 22-year-old Ukrainian had to win four contests during his road to the gold medal and defeated his teammates including experienced Oleksiy Kozelok and Mikhailo Dziazko 5:0 at the bantamweight (57kg) in Odessa.
Oleksandr Zheleznyak was Youth National Champion in Ukraine three years ago and in that year he competed in the St. Petersburg AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships. Since then he moved up to the light welterweight (63kg) but he adopted the level of the category quickly and defeated Yuriy Shepelyuk in the final. The main favourites of the category as Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Taras Bondarchuk and Denys Pesotskyi were not able to advance to the finals of the Semen Trestin Memorial Tournament.
Ukraine’s Dmytro Rybalko was bronze medallist in the 2016 EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships and after two and half years of experiences among the elite boxers he claimed the gold medal in Odessa. The middleweight (75kg) was the busiest category with its 24 participants but Rybalko managed to win all of his challenges in Odessa including his final against Ivan Papakin.
