The Georgians dominated the semi-finals at the Abashidze Memorial Tournament in Batumi today but Azerbaijan’s Bilalhabasi Nazarov and Moldova’s Alexandru Paraschiv also impressed in the fourth day of boxing.

Georgia hosted the Kakauridze U19 Tournament earlier this month but their management decided to arrange another international event in the city of Batumi, the Abashidze Memorial Tournament.

Altogether 27 female and 71 male boxers are participating for the 17 available titles in the Abashidze Memorial Tournament in Batumi.

The Abashidze Memorial Tournament is a preparation event for the European Elite Boxing Championships which will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria on September 15-26.

The bout of the day

Moldova’s European medallist Alexandru Paraschiv was near to qualify for the Paris Olympics but he has strong plans for LA 2028. The experienced Moldovan landed hard combinations to beat Georgia’s Giorgi Zhorzholiani in a superb 70kg contest, which was one of the top challenges of the fourth competition day. The 27-year-old Moldovan will face for the title with another Georgian pugilist, Nika Sukhashvili on Wednesday.

The surprise of the day

Georgia’s Davit Mushkudiani is a new face in the elite national team but he prepared well to the Abashidze Memorial Tournament. The Georgian boxer had a hard opponent, Azerbaijan’s Olympian Tayfur Aliyev, who bagged already a bronze medal at the 2015 European Games at the age of 18. Mushkudiani used his longer reach well to delivered the surprise of the day and he will be boxing for the title of the 60kg with Georgia’s Giorgi Kapanadze on Wednesday.

The Round-Up

Azerbaijan’s Bilalhabasi Nazarov has joined the elite competitions only this January and last year’s U19 star is now a finalist in the Abashidze Memorial Tournament. Nazarov eliminated Israel’s David Zakhari today and he will now meet Georgia’s Lasha Kereselidze for the title of the men’s 50kg.

Georgia’s Gor Ayvazyan earned several top results when he competed in the schoolboys, junior and youth age groups. The currently 21-year-old boxer bowed out Dima Putkaradze and he will now meet for the title of the 55kg, Israel’s Farid Hreish, who competed already in the 2018 edition of the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships.

Georgia’s European Youth bronze medallist Levan Demurovi had a dominant performance against his teammate, Nika Ositashvili in the semi-finals of the 65kg. The 20-year-old boxer won the first round 10:8 in all of the judges’ scorecards and his opponent abandoned the unequal fight in the third. Demurovi will have an important selection bout for the title with Lasha Gagnidze who walked over to the final against Azerbaijan’s Youth World runner-up Ali Abdullayev.

Georgia’s strong duo, Giorgi Natroshvili and Saba Papadze will meet in the final of the men’s 75kg weight class in Batumi following their hard roads to the title bout. Papadze eliminated Azerbaijan’s young Abbasgulu Shadlinski, which was a small surprise in the day of the semi-finals. Another two Georgians as Luka Matchutadze and Samvel Ghazaryan will be fighting for the gold medal of the men’s 80kg category to decide the spot in the national squad.

Greece’s Michail Tsamalidis claimed a gold medal at the 2022 edition of the European Youth Boxing Championships in Sofia and he moved up to the 85kg division this year. The 22-year-old Greek has already more than three years of elite routine in the national team and he had the pressure to stop Georgia’s Irakli Garibashvili in the semi-finals. The powerful Greek boxer will be fighting for the gold medal with Israel’s second finalist in Batumi, Ariel Prilutsky.

Georgia’s Nikoloz Begadze had the weight and the height disadvantage against Tariel Sharikadze but he caught his teammate with heavy shots to win their super heavyweight semi-final by RSC in the first round. The 28-year-old Georgian will now meet Azerbaijan’s Chanan Najafov for the title of the king’s weight class in Batumi.

Natnicha Chongprongklang, Artur Kuzmenko, Abdul-Rahmaan Burton and Finn Bos won the awards after the finals of the 9^th Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands.

Boxers four out of the five continents participated in the 9^th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands with several Olympic and World medallists.

The Eindhoven Box Cup was a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.

The bout of the day

England’s Isaac Okoh knocked out his semi-final opponent but Germany’s new face in the heavyweight, David Nwanya had a brave attempt to beat the top rival in the final of the 90kg. Okoh handled the tactical first round slightly better than the emerging German, and he had the better jabs in the decisive second as well. Nwanya did not match with Okoh’s routine but he had a great final round to reduce the difference between the two boxers and he made the title contest one of the tightest ones in Eindhoven. Okoh had still the advantage on the scorecards to take the gold medal in the prestigious tournament but Nwanya proved his future potential as well.

The surprise of the day

Poland’s 19-year-old Natalia Niewiadomska walked over to the title of the women’s 48kg following her experienced Ukrainian opponent, Hanna Okhota was unable to box in the day of the finals. Her teammate, Nikola Prymaczenko, reached her career highlight with her unexpected and tight success over Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol at the women’s 51kg. The Spaniard eliminated Thailand’s star Chuthamat Raksat in the semi-finals and gave in all therefore Prymaczenko looked fresh in their final meeting.

The Round-Up

Philippines’ Asian U19 Championships silver medallist Clark Vicera never boxed in Europe before the Belgrade Winner Tournament where he earned a gold medal one week ago. The Filipino teenager had some difficulties in the first round against Ukraine’s Maksym Rudyk but he switched into a higher tempo from the second. Vicera performed strongly in the second and third rounds to turn back their final at the men’s 50kg and he remained unbeaten in the European tournaments.

Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang, the Asian Elite Champion from the 2024 edition, used her nice technical skills to keep the best fighting distance against Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim in the battle of the U23 boxers. Chongprongklang was better minutes by minutes in their women’s 54kg final meeting and she earned Thailand’s first gold medal in Eindhoven.

Philippines’ second finalist, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Carlo Paalam delivered one of the best performances in the entire Eindhoven Box Cup. The 28-year-old boxer eliminated another Olympic silver medallist, Billal Bennama of France in the semi-finals and he was too smart for England’s European U23 Championships runner-up Abdul-Rahmaan Burton in the final of the 55kg.

France’s Amina Zidani claimed a gold medal at the European Games three years ago and she had high expectations in the Olympic Games in Paris but she was not able to accomplish her minimum target on home soil. She gave birth to her little boy last year, that motivated her so much in the final of the women’s 57kg against Netherlands’ Tara Vogels, therefore she bagged her second tournament title in 2026.

Ukraine’s Tetiana Dovhal and Netherlands’ Maud Van der Toorn both won big youth events in 2022 and they knew each other from several events. The Dutch boxer felt the support of the home crowd but the 22-year-old Dovhal had the right tactical responses to Van der Toorn’s actions to take the title of the women’s 60kg.

Amy Broadhurst is one of the strongest boxers in Europe and the two-time World Champion made another strong step to reach her throne in all levels of boxing with her amazing performance in Eindhoven. Following her big comeback in the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament, the 29-year-old star defeated Thailand’s Olympic silver medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng and Netherlands’ Aaliyah Hoppema to earn the gold of the women’s 65kg.

Netherlands’ Mahmoud Al Chabtoun felt after the first round that he has to show more from his powerful attacks in the second and the local boy was able to do that in a close final against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Vasko. His teammate, Luna Beeloo returned to the national squad and she had the tight success over another Ukrainian boxer, the former World bronze medallist Anastasia Chernokolenko in the final of the women’s 70kg.

Ukraine’s Artur Kuzmenko, the European U23 Champion, had a tactical success over Finland’s Ismail Umar and he was named as the Best Male Boxer of the Eindhoven Box Cup. His teammate, Nikita Zakharchenko also succeeded in the event after beating Belgium’s Idriss Khlifi at the men’s 75kg final.

Netherlands’ next ace in the men’s national team, Finn Bos had confident style of boxing in the whole Eindhoven Box Cup and he secured the title of the men’s 70kg over a promising opponent, Belgium’s Hornel Ayetivi. The last Dutch finalist, Shannon Viet is not enough experienced in the international stage yet and Ukraine’s Raisa Piskun stopped her.

Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata impressed in the recent three years, the UK-based boxer not only competed in various international events but she has now a strong pedigree. Following that she won the Golden Girl Box Cup this year, she repeated that performance and achieved another gold medal in Eindhoven. Mbata gained the control of her final against Spain’s Belgrade Winner Tournament gold medallist Alma Garcia in the first round and she kept that until the last gong to won a title for Africa.

Austria’s European U23 quarter-finalist Lucky Osaro Aimufua walked over to the title of the men’s 80kg weight class against Germany’s new sensation, Sofian Bizzit today. His teammate, the historic World bronze medallist Michael Fares Derouiche had the skills to beat Germany’s Valerij Walter in the 85kg final which made Austria’s best ever performance in the history of the Eindhoven Box Cup.

Philippines’ Carlo Paalam won the battle of the Olympic medallists during the semi-finals at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands. Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol, Germany’s David Nwanya and Finland’s Ismail Umar all eliminated top boxers on their road to the finals.

Boxers four out of the five continents are participating in the 9^th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands.

The live scoring of the Eindhoven Box Cup is available at the Boxerbase website: www.boxerbase.com while the strong international event also will use live streaming from all of the sessions on its Facebook page.

The Eindhoven Box Cup is a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.

The bout of the day

Philippines’ Carlo Paalam and France’s Billal Bennama both claimed silver medals in the Olympic Games during their career but both returned this year to accomplish their goals. The taller French boxer started the first round better with his longer reach and he had the tight advantage on the judges’ scorecards. Paalam, who claimed a silver in Tokyo, received the right instructions in the break, he turned back the battle of the 1998 born boxers, and he joined the final of the tough 55kg.

The surprises of the day

Thailand’s Olympian Chuthamat Raksat, the two-times World medallist, eliminated Poland’s Nadia Formela in the quarter-finals and she was the favourite against Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol in their women’s 51kg. The Spaniard, who achieved a gold medal in the Bocskai Memorial Tournament in Hungary two months ago, exceeded all of the expectations and she defeated her Thai opponent in another top bout of the day.

France’s Mohamed Ounai is one of the new sensations in the elite national team who arrived to the venue of the Eindhoven Box Cup as the top gold medal contender of the men’s 65kg weight class. The French boxer had a hard tactical job against Finland’s Ismail Umar and the taller Nordic rival made a surprise with his punctual counter-attacks.

The Round-Up

Poland’s Natalia Niewiadomska has just joined the elite national team this January but the 19-year-old talent is a key boxer at the women’s 48kg. The Polish teenager had to meet in an important semi-final with her teammate, Marta Prill and she won their selection meeting in Eindhoven where her next rival will be Ukraine’s former World silver medallist Hanna Okhota for the title of the category.

Thailand’s next Asian Champion boxer, Natnicha Chongprongklang felt the distance better than Poland’s Angelika Krysztoforska and she joined the finals of the women’s 54kg weight class. The 22-year-old Thai will be boxing for the title of this category with Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim who eliminated France’s World bronze medallist Wassila Lkhadiri in a superb contest.

Netherlands’ next national team member, the 20-year-old Tara Vogels had the strong fighting spirit in her semi-final battle against Spain’s Andrea Cardenas and she is another finalist from the host nation’s squad. Vogels will have a world-class opponent for the title of the 57kg, France’s European Games winner and Olympian Amina Zidani.

Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn used her longer reach well enough against Kenya’s Rosemarion Achieng Otieno to take the lead on the judges’ scorecards. The Kenyan boxer, who switched back from Germany to her roots, was highly competitive in the third round but the 21-year-old Dutch had enough advantage to win their semi-final meeting at the 60kg.

England’s two-time World Champion Amy Broadhurst returned to the competitions only this month after she gave birth to her son. England’s pride had to face with Thailand’s Olympic silver medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng which was another highlight of the day. Broadhurst had the pressure on the powerful Thai and she eliminated another star from the competition therefore she will now face Netherlands’ Aaliyah Hoppema for the gold medal.

Netherlands’ European Games quarter-finalist Luna Beeloo returned to the squad and she made her debut at the women’s 70kg during the Eindhoven Cup. The 23-year-old had a solid performance against Poland’s Aleksandra Cyrek and her teammate, Finn Bos also joined the finals of the men’s 70kg.

Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata had a hard road to the finals of the women’s 75kg weight category but she won her next big challenge on Day3. The All Africa Games winner had a better start than Canada’s World bronze medallist Viktoria Penney and her second round was also near to the perfect. The Nigerian eliminated a big name and she will now face Spain’s new hope, Alma Garcia for the title of the Eindhoven Box Cup.

England’s Isaac Okoh had a hard contest in the second day of boxing but he had an easier job in the semi-final of the men’s 90kg. The 23-year-old English had hard punches in the first exchanges and he knocked out Ukraine’s Ashot Kocharyan still in the opening round. Okoh’s final opponent will be Germany’s David Nwanya who had a surprise success over Belgium’s Olympian, Victor Schelstraete.

Bulgaria’s Kiril Georgiev shocked Ireland’s Willie-John McCartan in the semi-final of the super heavyweight and he made quick decisions on their meeting. After the second count, the referee stopped their bout which means that the Bulgarian will now face England’s No.2 in this weight, Matt Williams.

Saudi Arabia’s Yara Alamri, France’s Billal Bennama and Germany’s Sofian Bizzit were the heroes of the second competition day at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands where the guaranteed medallists remained in actions.

Boxers four out of the five continents are participating in the 9^th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands.

The live scoring of the Eindhoven Box Cup is available at the Boxerbase website: www.boxerbase.com while the strong international event also will use live streaming from all of the sessions on its Facebook page.

The Eindhoven Box Cup is a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.

The bout of the day

Saudi Arabia began to develop women’s boxing only in 2021 but their Yara Alamri achieved a historic Asian medal three years later in Chiang Mai. Alamri is still a young prospect in the national team who has been preparing to the Asian Games and she surprised Belgium’s Narjiss Barmoussa with her nice technical skills. Alamri’s jabs were decisive today and despite of the Belgian’s great march in the third round, she secured a success for Saudi Arabia.

The surprise of the day

Thailand’s Weerapon Jongjoho claimed a bronze medal at the 2021 World Boxing Championships and the Paris Olympian was named as the main gold medal contender at the men’s 80kg. Everything looked fine for the Thai after two rounds, he had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards against Germany’s Sofian Bizzit. Jongjoho was exhausted in the third round and the 20-year-old German made stormy attacks which caused an unexpected 3:2 victory for Bizzit.

The Round-Up

Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat, the two-times World medallist, is one of the stars in the women’s part of the Eindhoven Box Cup. The 33-year-old Thai joined the elite squad still back in 2013 but his speed and footwork both are still extraordinary in the competitions. Raksat dominated all of the three rounds against Poland’s Nadia Formela and she had a warm-up before the medal phase of the women’s 51kg.

Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol competed at the 48kg weight class in all of her recent international tournaments but she tries to test herself at the 51kg in Eindhoven. Following her first success on Day1, the 26-year-old Spaniard eliminated Canada’s Olympic Qualifiers competitor McKenzie Wright with remarkable technical skills.

Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim and the 19-year-old Assia El Fachtali of Germany both are attacking boxers with amazing physical conditions. The duo had a superb battle at the women’s 54kg which was won by the local girl unanimously before another Dutch, the teenager Aaliyah Hoppema eliminated Switzerland’s Anna Jenni in a hectic 65kg quarter-final bout.

Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng was a surprise in the last Olympic cycle and after her medals in the World Championships, she achieved a silver in Paris. The Thai had some rest after the Olympics and she returned with perfect performance in Eindhoven where she was too strong for Ireland’s Kaci Rock at the 65kg.

France’s Mohamed Ounai opened the year in the Boxam Tournament with a silver medal and he is his nation’s new sensation in the elite national team. The French boxer was a hard target for Belgium’s Bruxelles Tournament winner Rasul Tisayev and his counter-attacks reached the target area several times to win their 65kg quarter-final.

Finland’s best male boxer, Ismail Umar has just recently competed in the first stage of the World Boxing Cup in Brazil and he continued his preparation in Eindhoven. Finland’s pride used his longer reach well to beat Germany’s young Simon Rieth but he needed to invest also a lot of efforts to make that happen in the last round.

Team Scotland has been preparing for their Commonwealth Games with full speed this year and their top boxers are ready to earn top results on home soil end of July. Sonny Kerr is only 21 but he had the routine and the technical knowledge to beat Saudi Arabia’s promising Naif Almoullad in the quarter-finals of the 70kg.

Netherlands’ Finn Bos joined the elite national team in this Olympic cycle but he won already dozens of the international bouts. The Dutch pugilist gained the control in the first round against Ukraine’s Yevhenii Ivaniuk and he was able to keep that until the last gong therefore Bos is a guaranteed medallist at the men’s 70kg. His strong teammates as Luna Beeloo and Mahmoud Al Chabtoun also won their contests in the second day of boxing.

Austria has four excellent options in the elite national team to reach top international results this year and their head coach is proud of Arsen Chabyan’s development. The young Austrian decided to compete in the 70kg this year and he showed his strength against Switzerland’s Timm Kellenberger, winning his second-in-a-row fight in Eindhoven.

England’s Matt Williams bagged a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament in Spain earlier this year and he enjoys his continuous challenges as a member of Team GB. Williams is a smaller super heavyweight boxer but he used his aggressive style of boxing once again to beat Germany’s Dennis Ohio today.

France’s Olympics silver medallist Billal Bennama has returned to the national team only a few weeks ago and he showed his extraordinary technical skills in the second competition day. The 28-year-old French controlled all of the three rounds against Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Alatbi and he is now also a guaranteed medallist.

Austria’s Lucky Osaro Aimufua is a member of the national team since 2023 and he reaches better and better international results. The Austrian was strict in the first exchanges and one of his punches became a lethal weapon against Saudi Arabia’s Abdelrahman Sadek which was a classis KO in their 80kg meeting. His teammate, Michael Fares Derouiche, the historic World bronze medallist from Liverpool, also succeeded against Suriname’s Shevano Balvers.

The big guns at the men’s 90kg such as England’s Isaac Okoh and Belgium’s World bronze medallist veteran Victor Schelstraete both triumphed over their tough rivals on Day2 and marched into the semi-finals. Okoh was too tall for Belgium’s Idris Leganase while Schelstraete had a tactical victory over Nigeria’s Kenneth Anigboro.

The President of European Boxing, Mr. Lars Brovil, the Chairman of the European’s Boxing’s Sports and Competition Committee, Mr. Martin Volke and the President of the Serbian Boxing Federation, Mr. Nenad Borovcanin signed the official agreement and contract of the upcoming European U19 Boxing Championships in Belgrade.

The bidding procedure for the event was finished earlier this month and the Serbian Boxing Federation won that process to host the annual European U19 Boxing Championships after the decision of the European Boxing.

The European U19 Boxing Championships for the female and male boxers will take place in the city of Loznica between August 11 and 22. Altogether 10 women and 10 men boxers will earn the titles of the European U19 Boxing Championships in Loznica.

The management of the European Boxing will organize five continental events between August 11 and November 26 this year and the Loznica event will be the first on this busy competition order.

The city of Loznica is located near to the Bosnian & Herzegovian border in the Western part of Serbia and its picturesque landscape will guarantee the fantastic atmosphere during the European U19 Boxing Championships this August.

Serbia hosted the 2024 edition of the European Elite Boxing Championships in Belgrade and their National Federation has the experience to organize top competitions in our continent.

Their Belgrade Winner Tournament has just finished for the the elite boxers, the Nations U17 Junior Cup and the Golden Gloves of Vojvodina U19 Tournament are their next international competitions before the European U19 Boxing Championships.

The calendar of events is very busy for the U19 boxers this year with the World Boxing Future Cup, the World Boxing U19 Championships, and the Youth Olympic Games, but the new edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships would support the continent’s boxers to develop.

Boxers from the 2008 and 2009 age groups are important for all of the National Federations worldwide as these young talents could be already there also in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as elites.

The team delegations’ handbook with all of the information including the entry forms will be available for all of the National Federations next week.

The city of Ostrava hosted the last edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships on October 2025 which was a historic milestone for European Boxing. England won the medal standings in Ostrava ahead of Georgia, Turkey, France, Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Azerbaijan, Greece and Czechia.

Overlapping the Eindhoven Box Cup, the new Abashidze Memorial Tournament is another strong elite competition for the female and male boxers in Georgia these days.

Georgia hosted the Kakauridze U19 Tournament earlier this month but their management decided to arrange another international event in the city of Batumi, the Abashidze Memorial Tournament.

Batumi is one of the most developed cities in the region which is located off the coast of the Black Sea and Georgia’s new diamond in terms of tourism, investment and sport.

Georgia has strong elite national team with several European Elite and European U23 Championships’ medallists on the board and the event is also a selection between them for the top competitions of the year.

Armenia, Greece, Moldova, Poland and Turkey sent also a powerful squad to the Abashidze Memorial Tournament this year. Israel returned to the international boxing business and their best elite boxers are taking part in the city of Batumi.

Altogether 27 female and 71 male boxers are participating for the 17 available titles in the Abashidze Memorial Tournament in Batumi. Twelve contests are scheduled in the first competition day including three female bouts and some of them at the men’s 60kg are expected to be world-class.

The Abashidze Memorial Tournament is a preparation event for the European Elite Boxing Championships which will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria on September 15-26.

The facts of the Abashidze Memorial Tournament

Name: Abashidze Memorial Tournament

Competition Period: May 23-26

Venue: Batumi, Georgia

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: Elite

Date of Birth of the boxers: 1986-2007 born boxers

The weight categories of the Abashidze Memorial Tournament

Women’s: 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 60kg, 70kg, 75kg, and 80kg

Men’s: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg, and +90kg

The schedule of the Abashidze Memorial Tournament

May 22 – Arrival of the delegations

May 22 – Technical Meeting

May 22 – Official Draw

May 23, 14:00 – Day1 competition

May 24, 14:00 – Day2 competition

May 25, 14:00 – Day3 competition

May 26, 14:00 – Day4 competition

May 27, 13:00 – Day5 competition with the finals

May 28 – Departure of the delegations

Nigeria’s UK-based boxers impressed in the first busy competition day at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands, which is the next big milestone in Europe’s boxing map.

Boxers four out of the five continents are participating in the 9^th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands.

The live scoring of the Eindhoven Box Cup is available at the Boxerbase website: www.boxerbase.com while the strong international event also will use live streaming from all of the sessions on its Facebook page.

The Eindhoven Box Cup is a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.

The bout of the day

Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata, the All Africa Games winner, has just won their Commonwealth Games Trials and she decided to continue her preparation in Eindhoven. She was slightly better in the exchanges than her English opponent, Mary-Kate Smith in the first and second rounds and she had the advantages on the judges’ scorecards after six minutes. Smith had an exceptional last round but due to the first part of the bout Mbata’s won their 75kg meeting by 3:2 split decision in the opening session.

The surprises of the day

England’s Leo Wood was not the favourite against Thailand’s Asian Junior Champion Thanaphansakon Kalaseeram but surprisingly he has done enough to win their preliminary bout at the men’s 60kg.

Saudi Arabia’s Ziyad Majrashi competed in the Gulf Countries Championships last week but he is not enough experienced in the international stage yet. The Saudi Arabian boxer proved his stamina and progress against Germany’s Issayas Nebaye and he joined the last eight in the 60kg weight category.

The Round-Up

Canada’s Maxim Lessard competed in the level of the Panamerican Championships already but she had to keep the full focus to beat Slovakia’s Nicole Durikova in the opening bout of the entire Eindhoven Box Cup. The Slovakian was better in the second round and she had a great finish, but Lessard was able to won their meeting by 3:2 split decision.

The next Canadian female boxer, McKenzie Wright, the Olympic Qualification events competitor, also impressed in the first session in Eindhoven. The Canadian is a veteran pugilist but she has a big goal this summer, the Commonwealth Games where she plans to earn a medal. Wright controlled most of the exchanges against England’s Kelsey Oakley and she joined the quarter-finals at the women’s 51kg. The third Canadian female boxer, the World bronze medallist Viktoria Penney also started with a triumph against Germany’s Lerika Simon at the 75kg.

Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol had to miss the recent Belgrade Winner Tournament but she arrived to Eindhoven in top shape. The Spaniard, who won the annual Bocskai Memorial Tournament, moved up to the women’s 51kg but her performance in the first and second rounds was enough to eliminate Ukraine’s Alona Unkovska.

Netherlands’ Youth World bronze medallist Gabriella Weerheim moved back to the 54kg which is a better option for her physical conditions. The 21-year-old Dutch opened the season with a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament and she had was able to make a U-turn after the first round to beat Ukraine’s Viktoria Shkeul.

Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang was a gold medallist at the 2024 Asian Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai and she had a tough but successful start against England’s Ivy-Jane Smith in Eindhoven. Poland’s Angelika Krysztoforska and France’s World bronze medallist Wassila Lkhadiri also secured their places in the quarter-finals of the 54kg.

France’s Olympic Games silver medallist Billal Bennama returned to the national team in the recent weeks and he opened his campaign with a success against Thailand’s Kangpi Bokhunthod at the men’s 55kg. His teammate, another French Olympian, Davina Michel is also back on track and she eliminated Ukraine’s Olha Pylypchuk at the women’s 75kg.

Scotland’s Sonny Kerr has been preparing to the Commonwealth Games with full speed and he is near to his top form two months before the start of the event. The Scotsman dominated the first round against Seychelles’ Jovanie Darius Bouzin and he increased his rhythm in the second when the referee counted his African opponent. Kerr showed his excellent style of boxing in the third round as well and he won their 70kg preliminary bout by large margin of difference.

Another national team member from Seychelles, Jade Ethan Micock started relatively slow against Germany’s Kaidy Kadu and the first round was close between them. The boxer from the picturesque islands of Seychelles received the right instruction in the break and from the second round, he dominated their 80kg meeting.

Belgium’s Youth World bronze medallist Noa Hadjit had to meet with his teammate, Oussama El Moussaoui already in the first preliminary round, which was a selection bout between them in Eindhoven. The 22-year-old Hadjit gained the control in the first round and despite his warning in the third, he defeated his opponent in the 80kg.

Philippines’ Paul Julyfer Bascon was energetic in the recent Belgrade Winner Tournament last week and he had the great finish to beat Haiti’s Geronimo Saint-Louis Seide in the busy men’s 60kg weight category. Netherlands’ favourite in this division, Mahmoud Al Chabtoun, additionally Ukraine’s Oleksandr Vasko both impressed in the evening session.

Nigeria’s Kenneth Anigboro is a UK-based heavyweight boxer who claimed the gold medal at the National Trials and as Mbata, he is a high hope for the African country in the upcoming Commonwealth Games. He had to change his tactics after the first round against Germany’s Berat Korkmaz but his efforts were enough to turn back this 90kg preliminary bout.

Invitation Program CBF Ringside Doctor Course Zagreb 2026 V1

European Boxing is pleased to announce the organization of the 2nd European Boxing Ringside Doctor Course, which will take place in Zagreb, Croatia, on 12–13 September 2026.

The course is organized by European Boxing in cooperation with the Hrvatski Boksački Savez – Croatian Boxing Federation and will be hosted at Hotel Diplomat in Zagreb. Arrival date for participants is scheduled for 11 September 2026. 

Following the successful first edition, this educational initiative continues European Boxing’s commitment to the development of medical standards, athlete safety, and professional education within Olympic-style boxing across Europe.

The course is specifically designed for medical doctors, both experienced practitioners and newcomers, who wish to expand their knowledge and understanding of the role of the Ringside Doctor in boxing competitions. Participation is open exclusively to National Federations affiliated with European Boxing. 

The educational program will be led by Dr. David McDonagh, Chair of the European Boxing Medical Commission and Chair of the Norwegian Boxing Federation Medical Commission, together with Dr. Maksym Maslyanyy, Member of the European Boxing Medical Commission and Chair of the Ukraine Boxing Federation Medical Commission. The course will be coordinated by Prof. Therese Bjørnaas of the Norwegian Boxing Federation. 

The two-day program combines theoretical and practical sessions covering key medical aspects related to boxing competitions, including:

* Anti-doping procedures
* Management of cuts and facial injuries
* Concussion recognition and SCAT6 practical applications
* Down boxer practical management
* Fractures and soft tissue injuries
* Injury prevention and nutrition
* Emergency medical situations
* Return-to-boxing protocols and competition regulations

The course will conclude with both written and practical examinations, followed by the awarding of certificates to participants. 

Due to the practical nature of the course, participation is limited to 20 attendees. National Federations are kindly reminded that 31 July 2026 is the final registration deadline, and no registrations will be accepted after this date. 

European Boxing looks forward to welcoming medical professionals from across Europe to Zagreb for another important educational event focused on athlete health, safety, and medical excellence in boxing.

Following the 63^rd Belgrade Winner Tournament and the Algirdas Socikas Tournament, the next elite competition in Europe will be the famous Eindhoven Box Cup.

The Technical Meeting and the Official Draw will be held this Thursday while the competition starts with its first sessions on Friday, 22^nd of May.

Boxers four out of the five continents are planning to participate in the upcoming 9^th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands. Altogether more than 200 female and male elite boxers have registered to participate in the next Eindhoven Box Cup.

The engine of the Eindhoven Box Cup is Mr. Jeremie Besson who increased the level of the competition into one of the bests in Europe.

The live scoring of the Eindhoven Box Cup will be available at the Boxerbase website: www.boxerbase.com while the strong international event also will use live streaming from all of the sessions.

The Eindhoven Box Cup will be a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.

The strongest ever Eindhoven Box Cup was held in the Netherlands one year ago when such big stars as the Olympic Champion Abdumalik Khalokov, Finn Bos and the World Champion Turabek Khabibullaev won the male awards.

The facts of the Eindhoven Box Cup

Name: Eindhoven Box Cup

Competition Period: May 22-25

Venue: Eindhoven, Netherlands

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: Elite

Date of Birth of the boxers: 1986-2007 born boxers

The weight categories of the Eindhoven Box Cup

Women’s: 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and +80kg

Men’s: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg, +90kg

The schedule of the Eindhoven Box Cup

May 21 – Arrival of the delegations

May 21, 15:00-19:00 – Boxing Entries Check

May 21, 21:00 – Technical Meeting

May 21, 21:30 – Official Draw

May 22, 08:00-09:00 – Daily medical examination and weigh-in

May 22, 14:00 & 19:00 – Day1 competition

May 23, 14:00 & 19:00 – Day2 competition

May 24, 14:00 & 19:00 – Day3 competition

May 25, 14:00 – Day4 competition with the finals

May 26 – Departure of the delegations

Boxers who need to be watched in the Eindhoven Box Cup

- Hanna Okhota, Ukraine, women’s 48kg – Silver medallist at the 2018 Women’s World Boxing Championships

- Marta Lopez del Arbol, Spain, women’s 48kg – Bocskai Memorial Tournament winner

- Chuthamat Raksat, Thailand, women’s 51kg – Two-time bronze medallist at the Women’s World Boxing Championships; Asian Games silver medallist; Asian Champion

- Wassila Lkhadiri, France, women’s 54kg – Bronze medallist at the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships; Paris Olympian

- Gabriella Weerheim, Netherlands, women’s 54kg – Bronze medallist at the Youth World Boxing Championships

- Emma Jokiaho, Finland, women’s 54kg – Bronze medallist at the European Elite Championships

- Natnicha Chongprongklang, Thailand, women’s 54kg – Asian Champion

- Sthelyne Grosy, France, women’s 57kg – Silver medallist at the Youth World Boxing Championships

- Riza Pasuit, Philippines, women’s 57kg – Thailand Open Tournament winner; Belgrade Tournament winner

- Amina Zidani, France, women’s 57kg – European Games winner; Paris Olympian

- Maud Van der Toorn, Netherlands, women’s 60kg – Youth World Champion

- Tetiana Dovhal, Ukraine, women’s 60kg – Silver medallist at the Youth World Boxing Championships

- Thananya Somnuek, Thailand, women’ 60kg – Silver medallist at the 2025 Women’s World Boxing Championships; Asian Games bronze medallist

- Amy Broadhurst, England, women’s 65kg – World Champion

- Janjaem Suwannapheng, Thailand, women’s 65kg – Bronze medallist at the 2024 Paris Olympics; Silver medallist at the Women’s World Boxing Championships

- Aaliyah Hoppema, Netherlands, women’s 65kg – Silver medallist at the 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships

- Oshin Derieuw, Belgium, women’s 65kg – Silver medallist at the European Games; Paris Olympian

- Anastasia Chernokolenko, Ukraine, women’s 70kg – Bronze medallist at the 2014 Women’s World Boxing Championships

- Maelys Richol, France, women’s 70kg – European Youth Champion

- Viktoria Penney, Canada, women’s 75kg – Bronze medallist at the 2025 World Boxing Championships

- Davina Michel, France, women’s 75kg – Bronze medallist at the 2022 Women’s World Boxing Championships; Paris Olympian; Silver medallist at the 2023 European Games

- Patricia Mbata, Nigeria, women’s 75kg – All Africa Games winner

- Clark Vicera, Philippines, men’s 50kg – Silver medallist at the Asian U19 Championships; Belgrade Winner Tournament gold medallist

- Abdul-Rahman Burton, England, men’s 55kg – Silver medallist at the 2025 European U23 Boxing Championships

- Billal Bennama, France, men’s 55kg – Silver medallist at the 2024 Paris Olympics; European Champion; Bronze medallist at the World Boxing Championships

- Carlo Paalam, Philippines, men’s 55kg – Silver medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics; Asian Champion

- Louis Rooney, Ireland, men’s 55kg – European U23 Champion

- Yasen Radev, Bulgaria, men’s 60kg – European Youth Champion

- Thanaphansakon Kalaseeram, Thailand, men’s 60kg – Asian Junior Champion

- Aphichit Chaemdi, Thailand, men’s 60kg – Silver medallist at the U19 World Boxing Championships

- Mohamed Ounai, France, men’s 65kg – Silver medallist at the 2025 European U23 Boxing Championships

- Bobby Wallace, England, men’s 80kg – European U23 Champion

- William Cholov, Bulgaria, men’s 80kg – European Youth Champion

- Weerapon Jongjoho, Thailand, men’s 80kg – Bronze medallist at the 2021 World Boxing Championships; Paris Olympian

- Noa Hadjit, Belgium, men’s 80kg – Bronze medallist at the Youth World Boxing Championships        

- Junior Tadah, France, men’s 85kg – European U23 Champion

- Michael Fares Derouiche, Austria, men’s 85kg – Bronze medallist at the 2025 World Boxing Championships

- Isaac Okoh, England, men’s 90kg – World Boxing Cup Finals winner; Silver medallist at the 2024 European U23 Boxing Championships

- Victor Schelstraete, Belgium, men’s 90kg – Bronze medallist at the 2021 World Boxing Championships; Paris Olympian

- Ahmed Hagag, Austria, men’s +90kg – Bronze medallist at the 2022 European Boxing Championships

- Djamili Dini Aboudou Moindze, France, men’s +90kg – Paris Olympics bronze medallist; Bronze medallist at the 2017 European Boxing Championships

European Boxing – 2nd Ordinary Congress

The Executive Board of European Boxing has officially called for the Ordinary Congress 2026, which will take place on 7 November 2026 in Budapest.

The Congress will be hosted in close cooperation with the Hungarian Boxing Association and will bring together the National Federations of European Boxing for the organisation’s annual statutory meeting.

Further details regarding the Congress, including official documentation, agenda, timelines, and logistical information, will be distributed in due course in accordance with the European Boxing Statutes.

European Boxing looks forward to welcoming the boxing family to Budapest for this important occasion.

Bulgaria’s Ivaylo Kolev won his final bout by KO, while Croatia’s Niko Goreta defeated a European U17 Champion, Montenegro’s Matija Roganovic in the Lah Nimani U19 Tournament in Kosovo’s capital city, Prishtina.

Boxers who were born in 2008 and in 2009 were eligible to participate in the Lah Nimani U19 Tournament this year. Kosovo Boxing Federation’s international event was a good test before the start of the European U19 Boxing Championships.

Mr. Lah Nimani was a legendary boxing coach in Kosovo, one of the most successful sports figures of the country during the Yugoslavian era. Mr. Fazli Hajrizi, the Professor from Mitrovica, introduced his book this year which was dedicated to Mr. Lah Nimani, the “Emblem of Eternity”.

The bout of the day

Montenegro’s European U17 Champion Matija Roganovic is a fantastic talent in our sport who has just joined the U19 age group. Montenegro’s pride won his semi-final contest in the Lah Nimani Tournament on Day1 but he had a cut during the bout which made his final more difficult. His opponent in the final was from Croatia, Niko Goreta, a one-year older boxer, with plenty of European experience therefore their title contest was the most anticipated one in Prishtina. Matija’s elder brother, Milos claimed the gold medal at the Belgrade Winner Tournament on Sunday but he had to travel back to Montenegro with only a silver this time.

The surprise of the day

Bulgaria’s Oktay Nazifov competed in the 2025 edition of the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament and he is the silver medallist from their U19 Nationals. The Bulgarian faced in the final of the 50kg an Albanian boy, Mystehak Rama, and surprisingly he was not able to keep the rhythm of this bout. The Albanian was not only competitive for Nazifov but he had the stamina in the last round to beat the Bulgarian athlete in Prishtina.

The Round-up

The Kosovan organizers and the Technical Delegate of the Tournament divided the participants into two groups in several of the crowded weight categories as the 60kg, 65kg, 70kg and 80kg. Croatia’s Petar Krpan will be turning 17 only later this year but he had the skills to beat Bulgaria’s Antonio Damyanov in the Group A at the 60kg. The Croatian represented his nation at the European U17 Boxing Championships in Germany last December and he has the strong plan to compete in the European U19s in Loznica.

Kosovo’s Erjon Gashi was too smart for his teammate, Flodian Sumaj in the first round and his strength decided the final in Prishtina. Ensar Badallaj, another great Kosovan U19 pugilist, competed already in one of the European Championships during his career which was a decision making routine against Slovakia’s Kristian Bukovsky. Badallaj had the strong will to take the title on home soil and he gave in everything until his last drop of energy to make than happen.

Bulgaria’s Ivan Hristov won the Group A at the 65kg weight category after controlling his final bout over a local boy, Lindon Shala. The next top Bulgarian U19 boxer, Maksim Kirillov was the favourite of his group at the 70kg, but he had to do his very best and keep the focus until the last seconds against Riduan Gashi of Albania.

Bulgaria’s Ivaylo Kolev just missed the medal in the recent European U17 Boxing Championships where he lost his tight quarter-final bout. The Bulgarian ace joined the U19 age group this January and he increased his international routine at the Lah Nimani Tournament. Kolev landed a lethal punch in his final against Slovakia’s Samuel Greguska and he delivered a classic KO victory in the first round.

Croatia’s Juraj Turundic had a solid performance against Bulgaria’s Konstantin Damyanov and he achieved the gold medal at the busy 80kg. Croatia’s next flag bearer in the U19 team, Tomislav Japirko continued the nation’s strong commitment and tradition at the super heavyweight in Prishtina where he had a close success over Kosovo’s Luan Rrahmani.

Natalia Shadrina, Riza Pasuit, Im Ae Ji, Jovan Nikolic and Oleksandr Khyzhniak were the stars of the finals at the 63^rdBelgrade Winner Tournament in Obrenovac today.

The Belgrade Winner Tournament is one of the oldest international competitions in the entire world, next to the Strandja Memorial, the Bocskai Memorial, the Golden Gloves and the Bornemissza Tournament.

The President of World Boxing, the legendary Mr. Gennadiy Golovkin visited the finals of the Belgrade Winner Tournament together with Mr. Alimzhan Akayev and Mr. Tom Dielen.

The Belgrade Winner Tournament served the preparation for the upcoming major championships and more than 20 nations increased the level of the competition.

The bout of the day

The European Champion Jovan Nikolic and Almir Memic are Serbia’s two top boxers at the men’s 75kg who had another meeting after the National Championships. Nikolic caught his teammate near to the canvas in the first round and he had a very similar action in the second when he landed multiple shots. Nikolic invested all of his power to this final bout and he was able to keep the same rhythm until the last gong to made a revenge today.

The surprise of the day

Bulgaria’s Viktorio Iliev developed rapidly in the recent one and half year and the European U23 silver medallist started well against Armenia’s Andranik Martirosyan. The Armenian worked hard in the second part of their meeting and surprisingly he was able to turn back their men’s 65kg final.

The Round-Up

Turkey’s Nurselen Yalgettekin and Hungary’s Lilla Szeleczki met in the final of the European U23 Boxing Championships in Budapest six months ago. The Turkish boxer won that contest and she repeated that also in the first final of the 63^rdBelgrade Winner Tournament. Yalgettekin was stronger in the exchanges today and she won the first and third rounds to take the gold medal in Serbia.

Bulgaria’s best female boxer, Zlatislava Chukanova and Serbia’s veteran Nina Radovanovic advanced to the final of the women’s 51kg weight class. Chukanova moved forward from the first seconds and she tried to keep the control of this final against the returning opponent, who competed mostly in the professional world. The Bulgarian had excellent footwork in the last round and she earned the title of the Belgrade Winner Tournament with confidence.

South Korea’s Paris Olympics bronze medallist Im Ae Ji and Turkey’s Nilay Yaren Cam joined the finals of the women’s 54kg weight category. The Korean southpaw landed excellent hooks from her safest distance and stopped most of the Turkish attacks and her nine years of international routine paid off today.

Philippines’ Riza Pasuit, the Thailand Open Tournament winner veteran, moved down to the 57kg weight category and she was confident in the previous stages of the Belgrade Winner Tournament. The Filipino overcame Turkey’s young Ece Asude Ediz in the attacks and she delivered her best performance with perfect timing in the final of the event.

Italy’s three-time Olympian Irma Testa and Serbia’s European Games silver medallist Natalia Shadrina both are among Europe’s stars in women’s boxing. Testa used the Belgrade Winner Tournament as a return to the international stage and she tried to keep Shadrina on long in the first and second rounds. The local athlete jumped into the best fighting range in the beginning of the third round and she won their excellent meeting at the women’s 60kg. The Italian will move back to the 57kg after the Belgrade Winner and she will compete in that usual category in the upcoming European Elite Boxing Championships.

Turkey’s Berfin Kabak won the recent Great Silk Way Tournament in Azerbaijan last month and she had an impressive performance also in the earlier stages of the Belgrade Winner. The powerful Turkish girl met Serbia’s Anastasija Lukajic in the final of the women’s 65kg which showed tiny differences between them. The younger Turkish boxer used her amazing strength to decide their tight final bout and she bagged the second gold medal for her homeland in Obrenovac.

Two of the top Serbians as Nikolina Gajic and Milena Matovic advanced to the finals of the women’s 70kg after their semi-final triumphs. Matovic joined the international boxing business in 2011 and she is in top shape once again therefore her efforts were enough to beat Gajic today. Spain’s newcomer in the national team, Alma Garcia dominated the 75kg final over Ukraine’s Yevheniia Bondarenko and she made a strong international debut.

South Korea’s experienced Seong Su Yeon achieved the second gold medal for the Asian country after beating Turkey’s Mihriban Guneri at the 80kg. Turkey’s next finalist, the Youth World Champion and the European U19 Champion Havvanur Kethuda dominated her women’s +80kg final against Serbia’s Sara Miljkovic.

Philippines’ Clark Vicera is only 19-year-old but the Asian U19 silver medallist proved the best performance on the road to the men’s 50kg final. He used his counter-attacking style of boxing against Turkey’s Salih Samet Oruc in all of the three rounds and he deserved to win the title of the smallest male weight category.

Serbia’s Artur Nagapetian is a small boxer at the men’s 55kg weight category but he had an aggressive style of boxing in the final against Ukraine’s European Youth Champion Maksym Zymenko. Nagapetian landed several tough punches from closer distance and his right-handed hooks were uncomfortable for the Ukrainian in the first and second rounds. The Serbian boxer did not make any huge risks in the third round and he celebrated his success in the front of the home crowd.

Kazakhstan’s Nurassyl Tulebek claimed a gold medal at the 2023 Junior World Boxing Championships and the 19-year-old boxer made a strong debut among the elite boxers at the Belgrade Winner. The Kazakh teenager felt the tempo well enough from the first round and Tulebek defeated Cuba’s World Championships competitor Luis Enrique Vinent unanimously at the 60kg final.

Kazakhstan’s Youth World silver medallist Nurbek Mursal and another U23 boxer, Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic made a fantastic show in the final of the men’s 70kg, especially in the second and third rounds. Montenegro’s best weapon in the men’s national team has done enough in the final seconds to take his next title after the Vllaznia Memorial Tournament.

Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak won the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the European Games and the European Championships during his career but he is still hungry for the next big title. The 31-year-old Ukrainian attacked more than 100-times in a round which was uncomfortable for his Turkish opponent, Mert Aybuga. Khyzhniak made a great comeback to the international stage and he won the men’s 80kg weight class easily.

Romania’s ex-Cuban Jorge Luis Mayeta exceeded the expectations in the final of the 85kg and he defeated Ukraine’s 10-years-older Danylo Zhasan. Cuba’s World Championships quarter-finalist Nelson Williams had a hard but successful battle against Kazakhstan’s Ibragim Betayev in the next 90kg final. Turkey’s Berat Acar won the heaviest weight class against Ukraine’s Vasyl Tkachuk in the event, which was the last bout of the entire Belgrade Winner Tournament.

Lithuania’s best male boxer, Aleksandr Trofimciuk defended his throne at the 30^th edition of the Algirdas Socikas Tournament in Kaunas but Armenia’s duo as Ruslan Aslikyan and Davit Simonyan both were brilliant in the day of the finals.

The six-time Soviet National Champion Mr. Algirdas Socikas was one of the heroes of Lithuania's boxing life in the past, who won the European Boxing Championships two-times in 1953 in Warsaw and he repeated it in 1955 in West Berlin. Lithuania’s most important elite international boxing tournament was named after their national boxing icon who earned gold medals in several other events too.

Armenia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Poland, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and Tajikistan were the 13 participating nations in the Algirdas Socikas Tournament.

The bout of the day

Armenia’s Davit Simonyan had strong U19 results in the recent years and he had a relatively easy road to the finals of the men’s 90kg. He faced Scotland’s Robert McNulty for the title of the category and their meeting was named as the best fight of the final session. The young Armenian made a great finish which was still important for him to decide the bout and he defeated a fantastic Scot in Kaunas.

The surprise of the day

Another young Lithuanian talent, Vladimir Abramov, proved his impressive progress in all aspects of boxing in this Algirdas Socikas Tournament. He shined in the final of the 75kg when he landed multiple combinations and defeated Poland’s more experienced Lukasz Zygula in Kaunas.  

The Round-Up

Lithuania’s European Championships bronze medallist Ana Starovoitova delivered a small surprise in the day of the semi-finals when she eliminated Scotland’s Bocskai Memorial Tournament Niamh Mitchell who is in top shape this year. The best Lithuanian female boxer had an easier tactical job in the final of the women’s 60kg against Poland’s Wiktoria Hass and she earned the first gold medal in Kaunas.

Lithuania’s Iveta Lesinskyte competed in several international events during her career and she regained her place in the top national squad. She opened her final at the women’s 75kg weight category better than Morocco’s Salma El-Hajjami and she had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards. Lesinskyte, who has been preparing also for the European Elite Championships as Starovoitova, claimed her first tournament title in 2026.

Scotland’s Aaron Cullen, the European U23 Boxing Championships silver medallist, had two victories on the road to the finals at the men’s 55kg weight category, but he met Armenia’s Ruslan Aslikyan for the title. The Armenian is a stronger puncher and he landed his shots from all of the angles and his pressure resulted a clear success for Aslikyan over a GB Team member talent.

Lithuania’s Edgaras Skurdelis decided to continue his boxing career last year and he competed in the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool as well. The 33-year-old boxer is aiming for the Los Angeles Olympics and on that road, he earned a title at the Algirdas Socikas Tournament after beating Raimondas Trapulionis at the 60kg.

The local Lithuanian organizers had to divide the boxers at the 65kg weight class into two groups due to the high number of participants. Armenia’s Artur Mkrtchyan controlled the first final against Switzerland’s Abu Abdo Magdy while the second gold medal of this weight was achieved by Scotland’s Leo Church. The Scotsman opened the final against Lithuania’s Nedas Gudomskas with heavy shots and his opponent’s ringside abandoned the fight in the first round.

Lithuania’s best male boxer, Aleksandr Trofimciuk, not only advanced to the final of the 70kg in Group A, but he managed his next success at the Algirdas Socikas Tournament. The 24-year-old Lithuanian was stronger in the exchanges than his teammate, Donatas Rokis, and he defended his throne in this international tournament.

Lithuania’s Edgaras Trotenskis had a great finish against Finland’s Jimi Noioso and he bagged the title of Group B at the 70kg. Lithuania’s super heavyweight ace, Jonas Jazevicius stopped Sweden’s Anton Borzsei in a one-sided and quick final bout.

Switzerland’s Diego Mazzarelli had great victories in Kaunas in the previous competition days and he had great efforts also in the final of the 80kg but Lithuania’s Arvydas Dainis was still too experienced for him. Moldova’s Ilia Valigurschii claimed the next title at the Algirdas Socikas Tournament, he controlled his 85kg final against Lithuania’s Lukas Steponaitis.

Serbia’s Nikolina Gajic, Bulgaria’s Viktorio Iliev, Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic and Romania’s Jorge Luis Mayeta won the hardest semi-final battles at the 63^rd Belgrade Winner Tournament in Obrenovac on Day3.

The Belgrade Winner Tournament is one of the oldest international competitions in the entire world, next to the Strandja Memorial, the Bocskai Memorial, the Golden Gloves and the Bornemissza Tournament.

The bout of the day

Bulgaria’s European U23 silver medallist Viktorio Iliev found the tiny holes between the gloves of his opponent, Serbia’s Dmitriy Gorbenko in the first round of their 65kg semi-final. The Bulgarian controlled the opening minutes but Gorbenko also increased his tempo after the break and their bout became one of the top ones on Day3. Iliev is a member from the 2006 born age group, a youngster among the elites but he had the world-class footwork in the third round to win this contest. Iliev’s final opponent will be Armenia’s Andranik Martirosyan who had a close success over Hungary’s Milan Petriman.

The surprise of the day

Armenia’s Rafayel Hovhannisyan, the European medallist, dictated the tempo against Romania’s ex-Cuban Jorge Luis Mayeta and his continuous pressure made the bout to a real fight. The Romanian boxer found his best tempo in the second round and with a great finish, he could win their semi-final bout at the 85kg. Mayeta’s final opponent will be Ukraine’s Danylo Zhasan who won a manly battle against Kazakhstan’s Ayan Kalmaganbetov.

The Round-Up

Hungary’s Lilla Szeleczki used her own strategy to take the control against Greece’s Athina Avramidou and she had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards after three minutes. The Hungarian knocked down her Greek opponent in the second round and she finished the bout with a stoppage in the third. Szeleczki will now meet for the title of the women’s 48kg Turkey’s Nurselen Yalgettekin which will be the repeat final of the last edition of the European U23 Boxing Championships.

Bulgaria’s Zlatislava Chukanova is their best female boxer in the national team who progressed a lot in the previous two years. She has the full focus on the Los Angeles Olympics on long term and she competes in several events to increase her international experience. The Bulgarian overcame Canada’s Amber Wall in the attacks and she was able to use her best rhythm to eliminate the North American opponent. Chukanova’s final opponent at the 51kg will be Serbia’s Tokyo Olympian Nina Radovanovic who had a tight success over Hungary’s Laura Horvath.  

Turkey’s Nilay Yaren Cam looked fresh and energetic in the first round against Spain’s Claudia Alcaniz who started the semi-final of the 54kg nervously. The 19-year-old Spaniard did not find the distance and the referee counted her two-times in the opening round. The Spanish coaches decided abandon the semi-final which means that Cam will be able to meet for the title South Korea’s Paris Olympics bronze medallist Im Ae Ji.

Philippines’ veteran Riza Pasuit moved down to the 57kg and the Thailand Open Boxing Tournament winner won her next contest in the Belgrade Winner. The 33-year-old boxer had a strong performance against Greece’s Areti Stergiou in the semi-final and she can prepare the final against Turkey’s Ece Asude Ediz who eliminated Greece’s young Panagiota Kouzilou with confidence.

Serbia’s European Games silver medallist Natalia Shadrina is another veteran in our sport who is still hungry for the successes in this new Olympic cycle. The ex-Russian boxer was patient in the exchanges and she overcame Turkey’s Evin Erginoguz with strict left-handed hooks. Shadrina followed the instructions of her coaches well enough to join the final of the women’s 60kg where she will now Italy’s Irma Testa which is one of the most anticipated title contests in Belgrade.

Turkey’s Berfin Kabak had a fantastic performance at the Great Silk Way Tournament in Azerbaijan five weeks ago where she stopped most of her opponents and she claimed the title. The Turkish had a tactical first round against Serbia’s Anastasija Boskovic but she stepped into the gas in the second when she caught the local opponent. Kabak performed well in the third round and after her success, she will now meet Serbia’s Anastasija Lukajic for the gold medal of the 65kg.

South Korea’s Asian medallist Seon Su Jin and Serbia’s World bronze finisher Nikolina Gajic met in an exciting semi-final at the women’s 70kg. The South Korean moved forward and she tried to reduce the fighting distance against the taller opponent. Seon’s pressure was not enough to beat Gajic today therefore her opponent will now face with another Serbian boxer, Milena Matovic for the title.

Turkey’s Youth World Champion Havvanur Kethuda shocked Serbia’s Natalija Simic with her heavy attacks and she decided this +80kg semi-final bout within less than one minute. The 19-year-old Turkish boxer will now meet another Serbian for the title, Sara Miljkovic, who eliminated Hungary’s European U23 Champion Zsofia Szira in a tight bout.

Cuba’s Deibys Abreu was one size bigger than Serbia’s Artur Nagapetian and he tried to keep his opponent on long in the first round. Nagapetian and Abreu both invested all of their energies to The Cuban made strong efforts in the first and second rounds but he received a warning from the referee and Nagapetian’s finish was strong enough to win this crucial semi-final at the 55kg.

Kazakhstan’s Nurassyl Tulebek was Junior World Champion in 2023 and the 19-year-old boxer spends his first year among the elites. The Kazakh teenager put on several kilograms of muscles to his body in the recent one year and he dictated the strict tempo against Armenia’s Erik Arstamyan. Tulebek was more punctual in the decisive third round and he became the first finalist from Kazakhstan at the Belgrade Winner.

Montenegro’s Vllaznia Memorial Tournament winner Milos Roganovic and Serbia’s Filip Dzida both are U23 boxers and they had strong development since the last season. The 20-year-old Roganovic landed the stronger punches while the Serbian had the virtuoso style of boxing in this next spectacular bout. Their semi-final was a good promotion of boxing and the Niksic-based Roganovic became the winner and he can expect another hard battle against Kazakhstan’s Nurbek Mursal.

Serbia’s defending European Champion Jovan Nikolic had a strong semi-final opponent at the men’s 75kg, Armenia’s Marat Mikaelyan and he tried to be smarter than the Caucasian in the first round. Nikolic attacked more in the second round and his body shots were uncomfortable for the Armenian and he managed to win that semi-final.

Ukraine’s Olympic Games winner and World Champion Oleksandr Khyzhniak caught Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Shilderbay with heavy punches but his opponent also adopted the high rhythm of this semi-final. The 31-year-old Ukrainian star increased the tempo in the second round and after the standing counts, Khyzhniak’s RSC success was confirmed by the Serbian referee. 

The Technical Meeting and the Official Draw were held in the Lah Nimani U19 Tournament which is holding in Kosovo’s capital city, in Prishtina.

The Lah Nimani U19 Tournament will open with nine contests on Saturday and altogether 35 male boxers will participate in 10 weight categories in Prishtina. Montenegro’s European U17 Champion Matija Roganovic could be one of the stars of the event and he will open his campaign against Albania’s Stigi Rahmani at the 85kg on Saturday.

The Technical Delegate of the Lah Nimani U19 Tournament, Mr. Svetoslav Sapundjiev of Bulgaria, led the meeting and introduced the competition rules for the participating teams.

Mr. Latif Demolli, Kosovo’s Referee & Judge and their Secretary General, is the key engine of the Lah Nimani Memorial Tournament and all of the events in Kosovo.

Boxers who were born in 2008 and in 2009 are eligible to participate in the Lah Nimani U19 Tournament this year.

Kosovo Boxing Federation’s international event is a good opportunity for the U19 boxers to meet the region’s best talents and check their current skills before the main competitions such as the European U19 Boxing Championships.

Mr. Lah Nimani was a legendary boxing coach in Kosovo, one of the most successful sports figures of the country during the Yugoslavian era. Mr. Fazli Hajrizi, the Professor from Mitrovica, introduced his book this year which was dedicated to Mr. Lah Nimani, the “Emblem of Eternity”.

Kosovo joined the boxing world in 2012 and their boxers claimed some top results in the level of the Olympic Games, Women’s World Boxing Championships and European Youth Boxing Championships.

Bulgaria’s Yanko Iliev became the Best Boxer of the last edition of the Lah Nimani Youth Tournament following his success at the 55kg weight class over Albania’s Stiven Xhixhi one year ago.

Albania’s Ahmet Koci received the Best Technical Boxer Award after beating Bulgaria’s powerful Sami Khalil in the final of the 75kg weight class which was one of the strongest divisions in the entire competition in 2025.

The heroes of the Olympic Games and the recent European Games as Italy’s Irma Testa and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak both returned with victories at the 63^rd Belgrade Winner Tournament in Obrenovac on Day2.

The Belgrade Winner Tournament is one of the oldest international competitions in the entire world, next to the Strandja Memorial, the Bocskai Memorial, the Golden Gloves and the Bornemissza Tournament.

The bout of the day

Serbia’s European Games silver medallist Natalia Shadrina and South Korea’s Asian Games winner Oh Yeon Ji met in a hectic quarter-final contest at the women’s 60kg. Both boxers were born in 1990, they have hundreds of bouts in all levels of boxing and their rhythm was also similar today. The ex-Russian Shadrina moved more ahead and she found the best attacking angles to win their top level of the quarter-final in Belgrade.

The surprise of the day

Turkey’s Ece Asude Ediz competed in the European U23 Boxing Championships, the Islamic Solidarity Games and also at the Strandja Memorial Tournament but she was not the favourite against Serbia’s Jelena Zekic. The Turkish girl exceeded the expectations with her stamina and due to her impressive finish, she was able to win their 57kg quarter-final.

The Round-Up

Spain’s Boxam Tournament winner Mariana Soto was not only taller than Greece’s Ioanna Martini, but she had the advantage in speed and strength as well. The referee counted the Greek girl in the first round and the Spaniard had the massive advantage on the judges’ scorecards. Martini moved forward a lot but Soto’s footwork was world-class today and she eliminated her Greek rival by large margin of difference at the women’s 65kg.

Serbia’s Anastasija Boskovic is a young talent in the national team who has been focusing to the upcoming major championships. The Serbian used her height advantage against Greece’s Despoina Makri in the first round of their 65kg fight and she tried to keep her opponent on long. Boskovic felt the distance in all of the three rounds and she advanced to the semi-finals of the Belgrade Winner Tournament.

Philippines’ Paul Julyfer Bascon eliminated a Hungarian opponent on Day1 while his quarter-final challenge, Spain’s Carlos Bernad had a RSC success yesterday. The Filipino increased his tempo in comparison to the first bout and he found the best distance in the first round to beat his Spanish opponent at the men’s 60kg.

Serbia’s Tokyo Olympics quarter-finalist Nina Radovanovic is one of the best 51kg boxers in Europe with plenty of experiences from the major championships. She was a hard target for the Turkish boxer in all of the three rounds and Kilicci was counted in the closing period therefore Radovanovic managed her pathway to the semi-finals on home soil.

Serbia’s Dmitry Gorbenko is one of the aces in the men’s national team and he used his excellent hooks to stop Saudi Arabia’s Mousa Alhawsaw. The Serbian boxer liked the fighting style in their quarter-final bout which was approved by the Saudi but Gorbenko was better in that games. Alhawsaw proved his strong development, he was competitive today but Gorbenko had the routine to handle the Saudi pugilist.

Bulgaria’s European U23 Championships silver medallist Viktorio Iliev is better and better from competition to competitions. The young talent was confident against Turkey’s Yigit Us and he controlled most of the exchanges in their quarter-final. Iliev is now a guaranteed medallist in Belgrade but he arrived to the event to take the gold medal of the men’s 65kg.

Philippines’ Riza Pasuit moved down to the 57kg weight class in the recent months and the Thailand Open Tournament winner was too experienced for Canada’s Development Team member, Victoria Vergos. The Filipino has been preparing for the Asian Games and she proved her medal potential on that event with her today’s performance.

Serbia’s Filip Dzida proved his impressive progress in the 2024 edition of the European U23 Championships and since then he also increased his level of boxing. Dzida had great technical skills, nice knowledge about the defence of the sport and he looked confident against Romania’s Daniel Grigorie. The Serbian gained the control in the first round and he kept that with full concentration until the last gong.

Italy’s No.1, the Olympic medallist and European Games winner Irma Testa is back on track, he returned after more than one and half year of break to the competitions. The Italian had some difficulties in the first round against Turkey’s Esmanur Lok but she found the distance in time to turn back their quarter-final at the women’s 60kg. Testa enjoyed her official comeback to the international events and she is looking forward her semi-final in Belgrade.

Montenegro’s Paris Olympian and multiple European Champion Bojana Gojkovic usually competes at the 57kg but she decided to participate at the 60kg in Belgrade this time. The Montenegrin had an impressive first round against Ukraine’s Anhelina Nekrasova and she was better in all aspects of boxing today.

Serbia’s Nikolina Gajic, the World bronze medallist, had a hard job against Greece’s Elisavet Konstantinidou but she had the right tactical responses in time to beat her rival at the women’s 70kg. South Korea’s Seon Su Jin, Ukraine’s Anastasia Taran and Serbia’s experienced Milena Matovic all won their quarter-final bouts by RSCs in his weight category.

Serbia’s Jovan Nikolic, the defending European Champion, opened his campaign at the men’s 75kg weight class in the second day of boxing and he had a well-talented 19-year-old Hungarian opponent, Sandor Varadi. The Hungarian teenager has just moved down to this weight category and he was competitive but Nikolic had the routine and the strength to win this quarter-final bout.

Ukraine’s Olympic Champion Oleksandr Khyzhniak had a rest after Paris and he decided to return in the Belgrade Winner Tournament. The 31-year-old Ukrainian used the same style of boxing as in the last decade and his pressure was too much for Turkey’s Emre Parlak in their quarter-final at the 80kg. He caught his Turkish opponent with heavy punches and he finished the job in the third round when the referee stopped the bout.

Kazakhstan’s Nurzat Ongarov has just won the Temirov U23 Tournament in his homeland but the Taraz-based boxer was ready to his next challenge in Belgrade immediately. The 20-year-old boxer proved his strong potential against Italy’s Alessio Camiolo, dominating all of the three rounds at the men’s 50kg.

Serbia’s Ljubisa Staletovic moved back to the 50kg and he had the enthusiastic performance to beat Ukraine’s Ruslan Bednychenko in the quarter-final. His teammate, the more experienced Artur Nagapetian was unstoppable for another Ukrainian, Oleksandr Zvieriev at the men’s 55kg today.  

The 30^th edition of the Algirdas Socikas Tournament saw several great moments in Lithuania’s second biggest city in Kaunas on Day1. The Scottish team made a clean sweep in the day while Switzerland’s Diego Mazzarelli and Lithuania’s veteran Edgaras Skurdelis had the strong successes in their debuts.

The six-time Soviet National Champion Mr. Algirdas Socikas was one of the heroes of Lithuania's boxing life in the past, who won the European Boxing Championships two-times in 1953 in Warsaw and he repeated it in 1955 in West Berlin. Lithuania’s most important elite international boxing tournament was named after their national boxing icon who earned gold medals in several other events too.

Armenia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Poland, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and Tajikistan are the 13 participating nations in the Algirdas Socikas Tournament.

The bout of the day

Scotland has excellent options in the men’s 70kg weight class, their Sonny Kerr is member of the GB while Taylor McMahon is also in promising stage. The second competes at the Algirdas Socikas Tournament and he prepared well against Armenia’s big puncher, Yura Bablumyan with great strategy. McMahon followed that tactical pathway and he eliminated a top opponent winning the bout by 4:1 split decision.

The surprise of the day

Switzerland sent a huge delegation to the Algirdas Socikas Tournament and two of their boxers exceeded the expectations in Kaunas on Day1. Alpha Kaser eliminated Germany’s Sebastien Culcay at the men’s 75kg weight class but Diego Mazzarelli delivered their best performance in the opener. Mazzarelli surprised a more experienced athlete in the first round of the 80kg, Moldova’s Valeriu Razmerita and he earned a well-deserved success.

The Round-Up

Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell, their former European Junior Champion, impressed in the Bocskai Memorial Tournament and the Gee Bee this year and she continued her active preparation at the Algirdas Socikas. The Scottish girl used her nice technical skills and patient style of boxing to beat Lithuania’s Ugne Vasiliauskaite in the women’s 60kg weight category with confidence.

Scotland’s Aaron Cullen, the European U23 Boxing Championships silver medallist, is member of Team GB but he focuses to the Commonwealth Games this year. The Scotsman controlled the first round against Switzerland’s Ajesch Ganesamoorthy and he had the advantages in routine and speed to win their 55kg contest with significant difference.

Lithuania’s Edgaras Skurdelis is one of the most experienced boxers in whole Europe, he started his international boxing career still back in 2008. The 33-year-old athlete competed in all levels of boxing excluding the Olympic Games and Los Angeles 2028 is on his focus. Skurdelis is able to keep his weight at 60kg and he had the better punches and the strength to beat Moldova’s Vladimir Melenciuc.

Moldova’s Anton Lehcun is not enough experienced in the international stage yet but he had the outstanding performance to beat Poland’s Tymur Tseben at the men’s 70kg weight class. Lukasz Zygula won the next Poland vs. Moldova battle in Kaunas, he controlled all of the three rounds in their meeting at the 75kg.

Finland’s Aapo Lehtonen had a close success against Lithuania’s Pijus Valiokas at the 80kg weight class which was a strong start for the youngster. Armenia’s Davit Simonyan had strong U19 results in the recent years and he demonstrated his strength against Switzerland’s Jordan Guzzo which delivered a quick stoppage at the 90kg.

Scotland’s next ace, Robert McNulty controlled all of the three rounds against Estonia’s Leon Karmas in the next 90kg bout of the day and he finished the session with perfect results for his nation. Lithuania’s Jonas Jazevicius, the multiple National Champion and international tournament winner, was too strong for Germany’s Ivan Bybliuk at the +90kg.

Next to the 63^rd Belgrade Winner Tournament, the Algirdas Socikas Tournament is also an international elite event this week. The prestigious 30^th Algirdas Socikas Tournament will be held in Lithuania’s second biggest city in Kaunas on May 14-16.

The six-time Soviet National Champion Mr. Algirdas Socikas was one of the heroes of Lithuania's boxing life in the past, who won the European Boxing Championships two-times in 1953 in Warsaw and he repeated it in 1955 in West Berlin. Lithuania’s most important elite international boxing tournament was named after their national boxing icon who earned gold medals in several other events too.

Armenia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Poland, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland and Tajikistan are the 13 participating nations in the Algirdas Socikas Tournament.

The Opening Ceremony of the competition will start at 4pm on May 14 which will follows the first session in Kaunas. The finals are scheduled to take place in the evening of May 16.

Altogether 84 boxers participated in the 29^th edition of the Algirdas Socikas Tournament in one female and ten male weight categories in Kaunas one year ago.

Lithuania’s former European Junior silver medallist Aleksandr Trofimciuk was too smart for Turkey’s Faruk Gurkan Dalgic at the 70kg final bout making the local fans proud and he delivered the best performance in the 2025 edition. He will return to Kaunas to defend his throne while his veteran teammate, Edgaras Skurdelis is also member of the host nation’s team.

The facts of the Algirdas Socikas Tournament

Name: Algirdas Socikas Tournament

Competition Period: May 14-16

Venue: Kaunas, Lithuania

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: Elite

Date of Birth of the boxers: 1986-2007 born boxers

The weight categories of the Algirdas Socikas Tournament

Women’s: 60kg and 75kg

Men’s: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg, +90kg

The schedule of the Algirdas Socikas Tournament

May 13 – Arrival of the delegations

May 13, 20:00 – Technical Meeting

May 14, 07:00-09:00 – Medical examination and weigh-in

May 14, 10:00 – Official Draw

May 14, 16:00 – Opening Ceremony

May 14, 16:30 – Day1 competition

May 15, 16:00 – Day2 competition

May 16, 18:00 – Day3 competition

May 17 – Departure of the delegations

Boxers who need to be watched in the Algirdas Socikas Tournament

- Ana Starovoitova, Lithuania, women’s 60kg – European Championships bronze medallist

- Aaron Cullen, Scotland, men’s 55kg – European U23 Championships silver medallist

- Ruslan Aslikyan, Armenia, men’s 55kg – European U23 Championships silver medallist

- Edgaras Skurdelis, Lithuania, men’s 60kg – World Championships quarter-finalist

- Nikolajs Zamjatins, Latvia, men’s 65kg – U19 World Championships quarter-finalist

- Aleksandr Trofimciuk, Lithuania, men’s 70kg – European Junior Championships silver medallist

- Alan Perrie, Scotland, men’s 80kg – European U23 Championships bronze medallist

- Davit Simonyan, Armenia, men’s 90kg – European Youth Championships silver medallist

- Jonas Jazevicius, Lithuania, men’s +90kg – multiple National Champion

Philippines’ Clark Vicera, Turkey’s Refik Kartal, Armenia’s Vagharshak Keyan and Canada’s Amber Wall won the best contests in the opening day of the 63^rd Belgrade Winner Tournament in Serbia on Day1.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba, Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Philippines, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales are the 25 participating nations in the Belgrade Winner Tournament this year.

The Belgrade Winner Tournament is a perfect preparation option for the main goals of the year such as the European Elite Boxing Championships which will take place in Sofia this September, the Commonwealth Games, the Panamerican Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.

The bout of the day

Philippines has a huge tradition in the smallest male weight category and they have three strong options at the men’s 50kg. The 19-year-old Clark Vicera received the right to compete at the Belgrade Winner Tournament and she was a hard target for Kazakhstan’s Youth World bronze medallist Dias Berikbay today. The Kazakh forward from the first seconds, while Vicera worked from longer distance in their meeting and his effective combinations guaranteed a success for the Filipino teenager.

The surprise of the day

South Korea’s Bak Cho Rong is member of the national team since 2014 and she claimed medals already in top events as the Asian Boxing Championships as well. The veteran Korean has been preparing to the Asian Games and the Belgrade Winner Tournament is a perfect stoppage for her on that road. Bak was patient against Canada’s Amber Wall but she did not land enough shots in the contest and the North American newcomer had the advantage on the scorecards after two rounds. Wall has only 48 bouts during her career and the Belgrade Winner is just an international debut but she eliminated a well-experienced rival.

The Round-Up

Turkey’s Salih Samet Oruc had a strong start in the Belgrade Winner Tournament’s opening bout and his aggressive style of boxing delivered for him a success against Bulgaria’s European medallist Ergyunal Sebahtin Sabri at the men’s 50kg. Bulgaria’s next boxer in action, Zlatislava Chukanova, was more successful in her opener, she eliminated Ukraine’s taller Taisiia Pokusai at the women’s 51kg.

Hungary’s twin sisters, Laura and Karmen Horvath switched their weight categories in the recent weeks and both opened their campaigns in Belgrade on Day1. Laura eliminated Wales’ tall Niamh Brookes at the 51kg, while Karmen started the first round with impressive hooks against Spain’s 19-year-old Claudia Alcaniz. The Spaniard was nervous in the first round but after that she calmed down, and Alcaniz turned back their contest at the women’s 54kg weight class.

South Korea’s Olympics bronze medallist Im Ae Ji has nine years of international experience and she demonstrated that advantage against Ukraine’s Maria Mandziuk. Im had the speed advantage on their women’s 54kg meeting and she felt the best fighting range from the first seconds. The 27-year-old South Korean controlled all of the three rounds today and she managed her pathway to the semi-finals in Belgrade.

Turkey’s Nilay Yaren Cam eliminated her Greek opponent, Maria Virgetaki with excellent performance in the women’s 54kg weight class, continuing her great season in Belgrade. The next Turkish boxer, who succeeded, Ece Asude Ediz was stronger in the exchanges than Spain’s Andrea Cardenas at the women’s 57kg.

Canada’s Victoria Vergos is a member of their Development Team and she enjoys her participation the Belgrade Winner Tournament. The Canadian has 55 bouts, mostly in the national level, but he opened the first round against Spain’s Andrea Cardenas with confidence. The Canadian, who is No.2 in her homeland, controlled the bout in all of the three rounds and she earned a well-deserved success at the 57kg.

Italy’s Karol Cristian Harpula had great U17 and U19 international results in the recent years and he is now member of their elite squad as well. The young Italian waited for the best attacking angles against Ukraine’s Danylo Kryzhanskyi and he had some unexpected punches from various ranges. The Italian celebrated the success after the confirmation of the bout and he marched to the quarter-finals at the busy men’s 70kg.

Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic, the winner of the recent Vllaznia Memorial Tournament in Albania, had a technician performance against Turkey’s Cem Kaya and he advanced to the quarter-finals at the men’s 70kg. Romania’s Daniel Grigorie was confident against Saudi Arabia’s Nayif Almowalad and he also joined the quarter-finals.

Turkey’s Refik Kartal shocked Cuba’s National Champion Jorge Cuellar in the first round with a heavy punch and the referee counted the Caribbean boxer. The Turkish athlete worked from longer distance in the second round, he tried to be smarter than the attacking Cuellar in their 70kg bout. The Cuban made more risks in the third round but the Turkish worked well with full focus to eliminate Cuellar in a superb preliminary bout.

Kazakhstan’s Beksultan Boranbek, the Youth World Champion, had some difficult moments in the first round due Armenia’s Vagharshak Keyan was never stopped attacking. The 19-year-old Kazakh was quicker and technically better than the Armenian but Keyan had the strength to eliminate those differences. Keyan finished the bout with heavier punches and he defeated one of the favourites at the men’s 55kg weight class.

Ukraine’s European Youth Champion Maksym Zymenko had a great start in the Belgrade Winner Tournament against a local boxer at the 55kg. The Ukrainian southpaw used his longer hands well against Serbia’s experienced Omer Ametovic and he won their meeting by unanimous decision. Hungary’s experienced Istvan Szaka also joined the quarter-finals after beating Canada’s Karan Sembhi today.

Philippines’ Paul Julyfer Bascon had a difficult first round against Hungary’s former European Junior Champion Levente Olah but he switched his tempo after the break. The Filipino found also his best rhythm in time to win their 60kg bout and his exceptional last round guaranteed a success for him. Cuba’s southpaw, Luis Enrique Vinent was also outstanding in this weight class, he triumphed over Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Mihajlo Djekic.

More than 200 boxers from 25 nations have registered to the upcoming 63^rd Belgrade Winner Tournament which will be Serbia’s biggest boxing show on May 14-17.

The Serbian Boxing Federation is planning a strong comeback to the international map with their upcoming 63^rdBelgrade Winner Tournament where top nations will take part for the medals and prizes.

Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canada, Cuba, Czech Republic, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Philippines, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine and Wales are the 25 participating nations in the Belgrade Winner Tournament this year.

The Belgrade Winner Tournament is one of the oldest international competitions in the entire world, next to the Strandja Memorial, the Bocskai Memorial, the Golden Gloves and the Bornemissza Tournament.

The women boxers will be able to compete in 10 categories in Belgrade: 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and +80kg.

The men athletes also will have 10 different weight classes at the Belgrade Winner Tournament: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg and +90kg.

The Belgrade Winner Tournament is a perfect preparation option for the main goals of the year such as the European Elite Boxing Championships which will take place in Sofia this September, the Commonwealth Games, the Panamerican Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.

Several of the Olympic Champions, World Champions and European gold medallists competed in the previous decades at the Belgrade Winner Tournament which has a bright history from the past.

The facts of the Belgrade Winner Tournament

Name: Belgrade Winner Tournament

Competition Period: May 14-17

Venue: Belgrade, Serbia

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: Elite

Date of Birth of the boxers: 1986-2007 born boxers

The weight categories of the Belgrade Winner Tournament

Women’s: 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and +80kg

Men’s: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg, +90kg

The schedule of the Belgrade Winner Tournament

May 12-13 – Arrival of the delegations

May 13 – Technical Meeting & Official Draw

May 14 – Day1 competition

May 15 – Day2 competition

May 16 – Day3 competition

May 17 – Day4 competition

May 18 – Departure of the delegations

Boxers who need to be watched in the Belgrade Winner Tournament

- Nurselen Yalgettekin, Turkey, women’s 48kg – European U23 Champion

- Aira Villegas, Philippines, women’s 51kg – Paris Olympics bronze medallist

- Laura Fuertes, Spain, women’s 51kg – Bronze medallist at the Women’s World Championships

- Im Ae Ji, South Korea, women’s 54kg – Paris Olympics bronze medallist

- Bojana Gojkovic, Montenegro, women’s 57kg – Multiple European Champion

- Irma Testa, Italy, women’s 60kg – Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist; European Games winner; World Champion

- Oh Yeon Ji, South Korea, women’s 60kg – Asian Games winner; multiple Asian Champion

- Natalia Shadrina, Serbia, women’s 60kg – European Games silver medallist

- Anastasija Lukajic, Serbia, women’s 65kg – Women’s World Championships bronze medallist

- Rosie Eccles, Wales, women’s 70kg – Commonwealth Games winner

- Nikolina Gajic, Serbia, women’s 70kg – Women’s World Championships bronze medallist

- Anastasia Taran, Ukraine, women’s 70kg – European Youth Champion

- Havvanur Kethuda, Turkey, women’s +80kg – Youth World Champion

- Zsofia Szira, Hungary, women’s +80kg – European U23 Champion

- Martin Molina, Spain, men’s 50kg – European Champion

- Ergyunal Sebahtin Sabri, Bulgaria, men’s 50kg – European Championships silver medallist

- Carlo Paalam, Philippines, men’s 55kg – Tokyo Olympics silver medallist

- Beksultan Boranbek, Kazakhstan, men’s 55kg – Youth World Champion

- Viktorio Iliev, Bulgaria, men’s 65kg – European U23 Championships silver medallist

- Nurbek Mursal, Kazakhstan, men’s 70kg – Youth World Championships silver medallist

- Jovan Nikolic, Serbia, men’s 75kg – European Champion

- Sanzhar-Ali Begaliyev, Kazakhstan, men’s 75kg – Youth World Champion

- Daniel Pitt, Wales, men’s 80kg – U19 World Champion

- Rastko Simic, Serbia, men’s 80kg – European Championships silver medallist

- Rafayel Hovhannisyan, Armenia, men’s 85kg – European Championships silver medallist

- Temirlan Mukatayev, Kazakhstan, men’s 85kg – Asian U22 Champion

- Fernando Arzola, Cuba, men’s +90kg – World Championships silver medallist