Dubois, Richardson, Cobzaru and Dyatlova amazed in the quarter-finals of the EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships

The fourth competition day saw the 40 women quarter-final contests and the last actions of the male preliminaries in the EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships. England’s stars as Youth Olympic Games winner Caroline Dubois and Gemma Richardson both impressed the crowd in the Sofia Sports Hall today. Romania’s Bianca Cobzaru and Bulgaria’s Anna-Maria Dyatlova eliminated more experienced rivals today.

The following 37 nations and 339 boxers are taking part in the EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales.

Bout of the day

England’s star Caroline Dubois never lost any contests during her career and won the title at the Youth Olympic Games, AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships and EUBC European Women’s Youth Boxing Championships. The 18-year-old English lightweight (60kg) pride had a technician opponent in the quarter-finals, Germany’s EUBC European Junior Champion Ilona Sarembo. Dubois was waiting for the best attacking angles during their tactical bout but she found the holes on the German defence to win the contest. Dubois advanced to the last four and will be facing with Ukraine’s Amina Abramova who eliminated France’s Lorye Ruyer in a tight bout.

Surprises of the day

England’s EUBC European Junior Boxing Championships silver medallist Courtney Scott had an easy triumph in the preliminaries of the women’s bantamweight (54kg) but she had a stronger opponent in the quarter-finals, Romania’s Bianca Cobzaru who eliminated a Russian boxer in Sofia. The smaller English girl moved more on feet in the first round to catch her tall Romanian opponent. Scott was more relaxed in the second but she received punches from Cobzaru’s counter-attacks. The Romanian boxer is not an experienced yet as Scott but her long distance tactic paid off and became the first guaranteed medallist in the EUBC European Youth Boxing Championships.

Bulgaria’s Anna-Maria Dyatlova was involved to the national team in 2017 but she was not the favourite against Ireland’s EUBC European Junior Champion Lauren Dempsey in the quarter-finals of the featherweight (57kg). The Bulgarian was patient in the first round and tried to follow the strategy which was built up their woman coach, former AIBA medallist boxer Svetlana Kamenova. Their contest was a chess game, a tactical one which was closely won by the Bulgarian who reached her career highlight with this success.

The Round-Up

Croatia’s AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist Nikolina Cacic had a tough job on Day3 against Hungary’s Hanna Lakotar but she was able to manage that task. The Croatian was more relaxed and focused in the quarter-finals of the bantamweight (54kg) against Serbia’s Dajana Grmusa and controlled the opening round with tough jabs. Cacic had massive height advantage in the bout but she moved forward more than her Serbian opponent and secured her place in the last four as the favourite for the title.

The boxers at the male welterweight (69kg) are still in the last preliminary stage, the winners of today’s contests are advanced to the Top8. Wales performed successfully in the youth preparation tournaments this year achieving high number of gold medals. Some of them have been produced by Garan Croft who looked confident against Georgia’s Iveri Grigolashvili and controlled all of the rounds. After the Welshman won that contest in the category, Russia’s Dmitriy Zakharov eliminated Ireland’s strong William Hayden in a remarkable battle.

Croatia’s EUBC European Junior Boxing Championships silver medallist Gabrijel Veocic and Armenia’s AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Rafayel Hovhannisyan have done a manly battle at the male’s middleweight (75kg) where the remaining 16 boxers met each other on Day4. The Croatian boxer started their bout better and tried to move more on feet to avoid the Armenian attacks in the first round. Veocic arrived to Sofia with perfect physical conditions and he was able to keep the rhythm until the very end of the bout in spite of Hovhannisyan’s strong efforts in the last round.

Georgia’s Georgi Gutsaev was silver medallist in the 2018 EUBC European Junior Boxing Championships last October and joined to the youth age group this January. The powerful Georgian remained at the middleweight (75kg) and proved his very best against such strong rival as Ireland’s Jake James Tucker. The 17-year-old Georgian knocked down his experienced Irish opponent in the third which decided their superb contest in Sofia. Gutsaev will be meeting in the last eight with Russia’s AIBA Youth World Champion and EUBC European Youth Champion Dzhambulat Bizhamov.

Netherlands’ Husniye Calisir walked over to the semi-final of the women’s lightweight (60kg) following her Latvian opponent Jekaterina Marcenko was overweight in the daily weigh-in. After that guaranteed Dutch medal, their best male youth boxer Gradus Kraus proved his second top performance in Sofia and controlled all of the three rounds against Denmark’s tall Jacob Bank in the last bout of the afternoon session. Kraus won the bout unanimously and will be facing in the quarter-final with Bulgaria’s Nikolay Zafirov who stopped Greece’s Dimitrios Vordonarakis today after 120 seconds of fight.

Italy’s Erika Prisciandaro replaced Giorgia Rossi in the team but the 17-year-old light flyweight (48kg) talent impressed on her second bout and eliminated England’s Holly Heffron in a key quarter-final bout. Prisciandaro will be boxing for the final with Ireland’s defending champion Daina Moorehouse who eliminated France’s Rim Bennama. Her teammate Youth Olympic Games winner and reigning champion Martina La Piana worked through hard all of the three rounds against France’s Jeyssa Marcel and her benefit was a place in the semi-final at the flyweight (51kg).

England’s AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Gemma Richardson is the titleholder from Roseto degli Abruzzi and she dominated all aspects of her quarter-finals against Russia’s Viktoria Bireva in their light welterweight (64kg) meeting. England’s super talented teenager will be boxing for the title with Finland’s Eveliina Taimi who had a sensational win over Latvia’s Beatrise Rozentale. Another favourite of this category Germany’s Stefanie Von Berge shined in the quarter-final and eliminated Turkey’s Gizem Ozer.