Eight countries won the titles in the EUBC European Union Women’s Boxing Championships
14 August 2017The EUBC European Union Women’s Boxing Championships delivered finals in Cascia, Italy where the bouts were the best promotion of the female part of the sport. Out of the four Turkish finalists three won their contests and the country topped the team rankings in the EUBC European Union Women’s Boxing Championships.
Finally eight countries, including Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, and Turkey won the gold medals in the EUBC European Union Women’s Boxing Championships in Cascia. Altogether 15 nations secured at least one medal in the competition and several teams proved excellent development in comparison to their last year’s performances.
Bulgaria’s Sevda Asenova eliminated Poland’s Adriana Marczewska in the semi-final of the light flyweight (48kg) and following that success she was able to continue her winning path in the final as well. Asenova, who has been boxing in the international level since 2006, found the best fighting distance against Italy’s 20-year-old Roberta Bonatti and won the first title of the EUBC European Union Women’s Boxing Championships.
Turkey’s Busenaz Cakiroglu is a young talent but she controlled her final against Sweden’s EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships silver medallist 32-year-old Lise Sandebjer at the Olympic flyweight (51kg). The final verdict was unanimous decision to Cakiroglu who reached her career highlight with this gold medal.
Her teammates such as AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Elif Guneri and Sennur Demir increased the number of the Turkish titles up to three in Cascia. Guneri stopped Greece’s Eleni Michelekaki at the light heavyweight (81kg) while Sennur Demir did revenge against Poland’s Sylwia Kusiak in the final of the heavyweight (+81kg).
Ireland’s Michaela Walsh was silver medallist in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and after a short hiatus she returned to the national team. The 24-year-old bantamweight (54kg) boxer had hard road to the final but she defeated all of her four rivals in Cascia including Germany’s experienced Azize Nimani in the final.
Italy’s defending AIBA Women’s World Champion Alessia Mesiano eliminated Bulgaria’s 2014 AIBA Women’s World Champion Stanimira Petrova in the quarter-final of the featherweight (57kg) which was her key contest at the EUBC European Union Women’s Boxing Championships. Mesiano was enough fresh and energetic in the final of the category to beat Germany’s technician Ornella Wahner which was a sensational bout in the event.
Finland’s veteran Mira Potkonen joined to the national team in 2010 at the age of 30 and after her hard work in the sport she claimed bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Finnish lightweight (60kg) No.1 launched enough powerful punches to beat Ireland’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Kellie Harrington in the final while Italy’s super talented Rio 2016 Olympian Irma Testa achieved only bronze in Cascia.
Another Northern European veteran boxer Denmark’s Yvonne Baek Rasmussen, who achieved silver already at the 2007 EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships, delivered a superb performance in the ring in Cascia in the day of the finals. The Danish light welterweight (64kg) boxer was too strong for Italy’s Carmela Donniacuo and won the title in Cascia.
Germany’s Nadine Apetz took bronze medal in the Astana 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships which was a big motivation for her to the future. The German welterweight (69kg) boxer was powerful in the final against Poland’s Hanna Solecka and controlled all of the rounds against her younger rival in the event.
Netherlands’ Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver medallist and Baku 2015 European Games winner Nouchka Fontijn eliminated her main rival England’s EUBC European Champion Natasha Gale already in the semi-final of the middleweight (75kg). The Dutch star proved better performance against Turkey’s super talented AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion 19-year-old Busenaz Surmeneli in the final and kept her throne in the European Union.
