Croatia, Italy, Ukraine, Montenegro, Algeria, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Japan, Kosovo and Afghanistan earned gold medals at the 24th edition of the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Talijan Memorial Tournament in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina today.
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s next international event gave the opportunity for the elite and U19 boxers to prepare well for the upcoming major championships.
The bout of the day
Montenegro’s Matija Roganovic made a fantastic result last December when he earned a gold medal at the European U17 Boxing Championships. He joined the U19 age group and their national team this January and the 17-year-old Montenegrin competed as many event as possible in the recent months. Roganovic prepared well to his final bout against Italy’s Luca Casarsa who returned to Bosnia & Herzegovina after one month. Montenegro’s pride used his great footwork to find the best angles against the experienced Italian and he won the 85kg final among the U19 boxers.
The surprise of the day
North Macedonia’s Alen Rustemovski competed in various international tournaments and championships during his career but he was not the favourite against Japan’s Asian Games silver medallist and Paris Olympian Shudai Harada today. The North Macedonian felt the tempo in their meeting and he looked also confident from the first exchanges to beat his outstanding Japanese opponent at the 60kg.
The Round-Up
Croatia’s Lorena Horvat won the opening U19 final of the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament against Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Emina Zrno. Italy’s trio as Tommaso Orlando, Daniele Fabi and Matteo De Micco earned gold medals in Sarajevo and the Ukrainians also amazed in the day of the finals once again.
Croatia’s Tokyo Olympian Nikolina Cacic was her nation’s best female boxer in the recent years and also the most successful one. After a few poor years, the currently 25-year-old Croatian returned to the international events in better condition and she accomplished her goal in the city of Sarajevo. Cacic had a promising Algerian opponent, Melissa Hamda, who also returned to her best category to the 57kg, therefore their final bout was highly anticipated. The Croatian moved forward more in comparison to her last international bouts and she earned a gold medal at the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament.
Ichrak Chaib, another excellent Algerian hopeful in the national team, moved down one category almost every year since she won a bronze at the 2022 Women’s World Boxing Championships. The 25-year-old Algerian is now a strong ace at the 60kg weight category and she proved her best performance with perfect timing in the final against Japan’s World Boxing Cup quarter-finalist Satsuki Yoshizawa.
Lithuania had great boxers in the women’s 75kg in the past and their current No.1, Iveta Lesinskyte earned a well-deserved title in the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament which could increase her confidence before the European Elite Championships. The Lithuanian, who competed already in the 2016 Women’s World Championships, enjoyed a unanimous points decision success against Croatia’s Lucija Scrbec.
Algeria’s Amine Zenaz had a surprise success in the semi-finals of the men’s 55kg weight class and he had another great performance to win the final against Japan’s U19 World Champion Fuma Kumamoto. His teammate from Algeria, Mustafa Abdou also invested plenty of efforts to take the title in Sarajevo where he succeeded over Albania’s 19-year-old Ahmed Koci at the 80kg.
The next Japanese finalist, Seiya Iwai outpointed his opponent for the title of the 65kg, Montenegro’s Danilo Markovic and he celebrated a well-deserved gold medal in Sarajevo. Kosovo’s Taulant Jakupi earned medals in European Championships during his career and the 22-year-old boxer defeated Albania’s Nika Useid at the elite 85kg final.
Afghanistan’s Silab Noori joined the national team in 2021 and he not only advanced to the finals of the men’s 90kg but he defeated Nigeria’s UK-based Kenneth Anigboro in a hectic contest. Lithuania’s Jonas Jazevicius finished his super heavyweight final quickly, he knocked out Algeria’s Abderrahim Magda in the first round.
Japan’s Fuma Kumamoto, Algeria’s Amine Zenaz, Montenegro’s Danilo Markovic and Albania’s Ahmed Koci all advanced to the elite finals at the 24th edition of the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Talijan Memorial Tournament in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina on Day2.
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s next international event gives the opportunity for the elite and U19 boxers to prepare well for the upcoming major championships.
The bout of the day
Japan’s Fuma Kumamoto had strong years in 2023 and in 2024 as an U19 boxer and he received the right for the very first time to represent his nation in an elite international event. The 20-year-old athlete had an honest fight against Algeria’s Mohamed Abbas who claimed a silver medal at the recent Golden Belt Tournament. Kumamoto shared his energies well among the three rounds and he eliminated one of the experienced Algerians in Sarajevo winning the bout by 4:1 split decision.
The surprise of the day
Kosovo’s Bashkim Bajoku earned several tournament titles and medals in various competitions and he was named as a favourite in Sarajevo once again. The Kosovan showed his power in the first round against Algeria’s Amine Zenaz but his North African opponent turned back their contest and his stamina was a decision-making difference in their 55kg semi-final.
The Round-Up
Italy’s Tommaso Orlando eliminated his main rival at the 55kg on Day1 and the European U19 silver medallist continued his winning path in Sarajevo during the semi-finals. The 18-year-old Italian overcame Albania’s Ardit Deliu in the attacks and he secured his spot in the final where his next rival will be a Kosovan talent, Riad Isufi. Italy’s next flag bearers in the U19 part of the tournament were Daniele Fabi and Matteo De Micco on Day2.
Montenegro’s Vuk Dabovic had a tight bout against Italy’s Giuseppe Cavallo at the 65kg weight class which was one of the big battles among the U19 bouts. Following his split decision success, another young talent from Montenegro, the European U17 Champion Matija Roganovic shined in the second competition day. The 17-year-old boxer had a remarkable and successful battle against Croatia’s Niko Goreta in the 85kg weight class.
North Macedonia’s Alen Rustemovski competed in all levels of boxing in the recent years including European Boxing Championships as well. The North Macedonian No.1 had a tough opponent as first in Sarajevo, Algeria’s Mouatez Bechagra who has been preparing for the upcoming Mediterranean Games. Rustemovski found the best fighting range earlier than the young Algerian and he won their semi-final meeting at the men’s 60kg weight class.
Japan’s Shudai Harada qualified for Paris Olympics with his unexpected silver medal from the 2023 Asian Games and the 25-year-old boxer returned to the national squad after a short break. Harada dictated the tempo against Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Mihajlo Djekic and he controlled all of the three rounds with his superior technical skills.
Montenegro’s Danilo Markovic has just joined to elite age group following his participation in the previous European U19 Boxing Championships. The 19-year-old Montenegrin was too strong for Afghanistan’s Sartaj Wali Ebrahimi and the referee stopped their contest in the second round. Markovic will be boxing for the gold medal of the elite men’s 65kg weight category with Algeria’s Mohamed Walid Allaoui.
Albania’s Ahmed Koci is a 19-year-old talent at the men’s 80kg weight class and he competed in the last European U19 Boxing Championships as well. The Albanian teenager eliminated Lithuania’s Arvydas Dainys in the first semi-final therefore he will now meet Algeria’s Moustafa Abdou for the gold medal. Kosovo’s Taulant Jakupi, Afghanistan’s Silab Noori and Nigeria’s Kenneth Anigboro were the next winners of the session.
The 24th edition of the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Talijan Memorial Tournament started with 18 contests in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina. Croatia’s Olympian Nikolina Cacic and Montenegro’s former European Youth Champion Mirko Sarcevic made strong returns to the international events.
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s next international event gives the opportunity for the elite and U19 boxers to prepare well for the upcoming major championships.
The bout of the day
The U19 boxers opened the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament in Sarajevo where the Ukrainians made a good start. Italy’s Tommaso Orlando and Ukraine’s Serhii Artemenko both are top U19 boxers in their national teams therefore their meeting was one of the best fights in Sarajevo on Day1. Orlando, who claimed a silver medal in the 2025 edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships, was slightly better than the experienced Ukrainian and he won their tight 55kg bout.
The surprise of the day
Satsuki Yoshizawa was a quarter-finalist at the World Boxing Cup Stage 1 and the Japanese boxer is one of the strong members of the national team. She had to replace the Olympic Champion Sena Irie in the squad but she proved better and stronger performances in the recent competitions. Yoshizawa had a tight but successful bout against Lithuania’s experienced top female boxer, the European Women’s bronze medallist Ana Starovoitova at the 60kg.
The Round-Up
Algeria’s Fatiha Mansouri has been preparing for the upcoming Mediterranean Games with full speed and she reached her top shape in the recent weeks. She impressed in her opener against Japan’s Hinata Yoshida and she won their meeting unanimously at the women’s 51kg. Korin Kokofu won the next Japan vs. Algeria battle, she had the great finish to beat her North African opponent, Douaa Rouaz at the 54kg.
Croatia’s Nikolina Cacic started her career with a silver medal at the 2018 Youth World Boxing Championships and she qualified for the Tokyo Olympics as well. The currently 25-year-old Croatian made a strong comeback in the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament where she defeated Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Fani Filicic at the women’s 57kg weight class as her first challenge.
The next Lithuania vs. Japan contest was held between the World Championships competitor Iveta Lesinskyte and Naoko Kasahara at the women’s 75kg weight category. Japan rarely has boxers in this division but Kasahara fought out the place in the team and she has been preparing for the Asian Games. Lesinskyte had more international events and bouts during her career, which was the difference between them in their meeting.
Youcef Islem Yaiche competed in the last edition of the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool where he almost defeated the star of the event, Kazakhstan’s Torekhan Sabyrkhan. The Algerian boxer moved a lot on feet and he made strong efforts to beat Lithuania’s powerful Aleksandr Trofimcuk at the men’s 70kg weight class.
Montenegro’s Mirko Sarcevic claimed a gold medal at the 2023 edition of the European Youth Boxing Championships and after a short break, he decided to return to the national squad a few months ago. The 21-year-old boxer was dominant against Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Ivan Herceg and he made a strong debut at the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament.
Twenty-one nations and more than 130 boxers have registered to participate in the upcoming Mustafa Hajrulahovic Talijan Memorial Tournament which will be held in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina this week.
The European Boxing’s Gold competition, the 24th edition of the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Talijan Memorial Tournament will open with its first competition day tomorrow on the 29th and the finals are scheduled to be held on the last day of the month, on the 31st.
The forthcoming Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament will be a combination of a top-tier organization, excellent facilities, major media coverage and strong interest from the National Federations.
Albania, Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine are among the European nations which are planning to participate in the event.
Afghanistan, Japan and Palestine have registered to send their teams from the Asian continent to Bosnia & Herzegovina’s capital city before the Asian Games.
Algeria, Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana will arrive from the African continent to the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament but more nations are still expected to participate.
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s next international event gives the opportunity for the elite and U19 boxers to prepare well for their upcoming championships.
The elite boxers can compete in 7 women and 10 men weight categories at the Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament. The U19 boxers will have also seventeen divisions, 7 women and 10 men in the upcoming event.
The venue of the competition will be the official accommodation of the competition, the 4-stars Spa Hotel Terme, which means all of the teams can walk from their hotel rooms to the boxing hall.
The Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament has also a tradition among the European events and it is the most famous boxing competition in Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The facts of the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament
Name: Mustafa Hajrulahovic Tournament
Competition Period: July 29-31
Venue: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: Elite & U19
Date of Birth of the boxers:
U19: 2008-2009 born boxers
Elite: 1986-2007 born boxers
The schedule of the Mustafa Hajrulahovic Memorial Tournament
July 28 – Arrival of the delegations
July 28, 17:00-19:00 – Boxing Entries Check
July 28, 20:00 – Technical Meeting
July 28, 20:15 – Official Draw
July 29, 15:30 – Opening Ceremony
July 29, 16:00 – Day1 competition
July 30, 14:00 – Day2 competition
July 31, 14:00 – Day3 competition
August 1 – Departure of the delegations
Armenia, Uzbekistan, Israel and Iran shared the gold medals at the Yerevan Mayor Cup which closed with its exciting ten final bouts. Armenia’s 19-year-old Vagharshak Keyan caused the main sensation of the event while the oldest winner of the Yerevan Mayor Cup was the 37-year-old Baregham Harutyunyan.
The total number of boxers was 71 in Armenia’s capital which competition was the last selection for the Armenian boxers before the European Elite Boxing Championships and also for the U23s.
The bout of the day
Armenia’s new sensation at the 65kg, Rafayel Nersesyan competed already in two European Championships as an U17 and U19 boxer and the 20-year-old talent impressed among the elites in the Yerevan Mayor Cup. Nersesyan faced Artur Mkrtchyan in the final of the 2023 edition of the Armenian Youth National Championships, which he lost but this time he made a revenge for that fight, and he earned the well-deserved title of the international event.
The surprise of the day
Armenia’s Vagharshak Keyan eliminated the European U22 Champion Ruslan Aslikyan in the semi-finals of the men’s 55kg weight class but he was not the favourite against Uzbekistan’s Youth World Champion Shakhzod Muzafarov for the title. The 19-year-old Armenian, who earned a gold medal at the 2023 Junior World Boxing Championships, exceeded all of his previous levels and he defeated such a strong boxer as Muzafarov.
The Round-Up
Armenia’s Baregham Harutyunyan achieved a bronze medal already in the 2008 edition of the National Championships and after 18 years of experience in the elite squad, he is still chasing his dreams. He earned a silver in the last European Boxing Championships two years ago and he used up all of his routines to beat his teammate, Ruben Garboyan to take the title of the 50kg.
Armenia’s experienced Artur Bazeyan eliminated a super talented 20-year-old Uzbek, the Asian Youth Champion Samandar Olimov in the semi-finals of the 60kg which was one of the best contests on Day4. The former European U22 Champion had another hard job in the final against Israel’s Abdallah Rahal, who proved a strong progress in this event, but Bazeyan’s routine was the difference between them.
Harutyun Hakobkokhyan defeated the experienced 27-year-old Armen Mashakaryan in the next final at the men’s 70kg and he has strong chance to represent Armenia in the upcoming main championships. Artush Hovhannisyan, who made his international debut at the 2014 edition of the European Junior Boxing Championships, controlled all of the three rounds against Alik Hovhannisyan in the final of the 80kg.
Israel’s Miroslav Kapuler competed in all of the big events in the recent more than ten years including World Championships and European Championships but he could not qualify to any of the Olympics yet. He is one of the most experienced athletes in the entire competition and he could beat such strong rivals as Armenia’s European Youth silver medallist Aghvan Aleksanyan and Arshak Bablumyan to take the title of the 75kg.
Armenia’s Rafayel Hovhannisyan was a silver medallist at the 2022 European Boxing Championships and the new 85kg is perfect for his physical conditions. He controlled the first round of the final against Poland’s Mateusz Matek and he was able to continue in the same level until the very end of their contest.
Uzbekistan’s defending World Champion and Asian Champion Turabek Khabibullayev not only dominated the exchanges against Armenia’s Davit Simonyan but he stopped his opponent in the first round of the 90kg final. Iran’s Amir Reza Malek Khatabi bagged the last title of the Yerevan Mayor Cup, he was too strong for Ishkhan Hovsepyan at the super heavyweight.
The Yerevan Mayor Cup turned to its final stage in Armenia’s capital city and the line-ups for the title contests are all confirmed today.
The total number of boxers is 71 in Armenia’s capital where the most popular category is the 65kg with the participation of 12 boxers. The competition is the last selection for the Armenian boxers before the European Elite Boxing Championships and also for the U23s.
All of the boxing fans can follow the Yerevan Mayor Cup in the official YouTube channel of the Armenian Boxing Federation.
The bout of the day
Another European U22 Champion boxer from the Armenian team, Artur Bazeyan was more successful in the event than Aslikyan, and he marched to the finals of the men’s 60kg weight class in Yerevan. The experienced boxer had to meet a super talented 20-year-old Uzbek, the Asian Youth Champion Samandar Olimov, but he used his routine to win their semi-final bout on home soil. Following his tight success over the Uzbek, Bazeyan will be boxing for the gold medal with Israel’s Abdallah Rahal tomorrow.
The surprise of the day
Israel’s Miroslav Kapuler is one of the most experienced athletes in the entire competition who joined the international stage of boxing representing Ukraine more than one decade ago. Kapuler moved up to the 75kg weight class but he had still the speed and the strength to beat such strong rivals as Armenia’s European Youth silver medallist Aghvan Aleksanyan therefore Israel’s veteran will now face for the title with Arshak Bablumyan.
The Round-Up
Armenia’s Baregham Harutyunyan is a veteran boxer in the elite national team but he is still hungry for the next successes. The 50kg boxer eliminated his teammate, Hovhannes Harutyunyan in the semi-final of the Yerevan Mayor Cup and he will now meet Ruben Garboyan for the title of the event.
Uzbekistan’s Shakhzod Muzafarov had a wonderful achievement five years ago when he claimed a gold medal at the Youth World Boxing Championships in Kielce. The 24-year-old Uzbek eliminated Israel’s Farid Hreish and Armenia’s Suren Rubinyan during his way to the finals at the 55kg. Muzafarov’s opponent for the title will be the young Vagharshak Keyan who had a clear success over the European U22 Champion Ruslan Aslikyan.
Four of the strong Armenians advanced to the semi-finals at the 65kg weight class, Artur Mkrtchyan, Artur Shakhpazyan, Rafayel Nersesyan and Armen Sargsyan in the Yerevan Mayor Cup. Mkrtchyan and Nersesyan faced in the final of the 2023 edition of the Armenian Youth National Championships and their repeat match will be coming tomorrow in the elite international event.
Artush Hovhannisyan competed already in the 2014 edition of the European Junior Boxing Championships and he represented Team Armenia at the 2019 World Boxing Championships as well. The local hope decided to return to the boxing events and he won two out of the three rounds against Cambodia’s No.1, the ex-Uzbek Anvar Nasredinov in their semi-final meeting. Artush will now meet another Hovhannisyan in the final, Alik, who eliminated Israel’s newcomer, Jonatan Barashi today.
Uzbekistan’s defending World Champion Turabek Khabibullayev is one of the big stars in our present days and the 22-year-old boxer uses the Yerevan Mayor Cup as a preparation for the next big goals. The Uzbek overcame Iran’s Hadi Mohammadnezhad in the attacks and he had a massive performance in the day of the semi-finals therefore he will face with Armenia’s Davit Simonyan for the title.
After the exciting 52nd Golden Belt Tournament, the Yerevan Mayor Cup gives another opportunity for the elite male boxers in order to prepare well to the European Boxing Championships. Armenia’s main elite competition saw several close contests and among them Ruslan Aslikyan won the best bout of the day.
The total number of boxers is 71 in Armenia’s capital where the most popular category is the 65kg with the participation of 12 boxers. The competition is the last selection for the Armenian boxers before the European Elite Boxing Championships.
All of the boxing fans can follow the Yerevan Mayor Cup in the official YouTube channel of the Armenian Boxing Federation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jet_SnhDEyU
The bout of the day
Ruslan Aslikyan and Davit Yegoryan earned several top results not only in the Armenian National Championships but in the international competitions as well. Yegoryan, who trains in the historic city of Lori, began their meeting at the 55kg in style and Aslikyan had several hard moments in this quarter-final bout. Aslikyan, who earned a gold medal at the 2023 edition of the European U22 Boxing Championships, found his best distance in time to beat his National Champion opponent by 3:2 split decision.
The surprise of the day
Israel’s Adrian Warwar competed in the 2024 edition of the European Youth Championships and the Youth World Boxing Championships as well. He is one of the aces of the Israeli U23 national team and he made a strong impression against a National bronze medallist Armenian, Armen Sargsyan. Warwar was able to keep the same tempo as the local opponent but finally Sargsyan has done enough to win their meeting by 3:2 split decision.
The Round-Up
Uzbekistan’s Shakhzod Muzafarov claimed a gold medal at the 2021 edition of the Youth World Boxing Championships in Kielce and he earned also several top results in the Asian Boxing Championships. The 24-year-old Uzbek opened his campaign against Israel’s Farid Hreish in Armenia’s capital and the level of his speed was the difference between them in the opening contest of the entire event.
Armenia’s National bronze medallist Suren Rubinyan won the next contest at the 55kg after Muzafarov’s success, he outpointed Alen Virabyan in a hectic contest. Another Armenian talent in this weight category, Vagharshak Keyan had great results among the junior and youth age groups, but he is now a promising elite athlete. Keyan controlled the first round against Harutyun Minasyan and he finished the job in the second with a stoppage.
Artur Sahakyan, a former European Champion, moved up to the 65kg this year but he adopted the strength of the punches and the rhythms of the bouts quickly. The powerful puncher landed enough shots to beat his teammate, Argishti Hakobyan as he won two out of the three rounds in the judges’ scorecards.
One of the strong Central Asian boxing countries, Tajikistan sent a small delegation to the Yerevan Mayor Cup and their Asror Akparkhodzhaev opened his campaign in the 65kg weight class on Day1. The Tajik boxer started well against an Armenian favourite, Rafayel Nersesyan but his opponent switched into a higher tempo and the local boy advanced to the quarter-finals in the event.
Ares Hakobyan, the last year’s bronze medallist from the Yerevan Mayor Cup, performed well against Poland’s Piotr Milczarek and he won the last preliminary bout at the 65kg weight class. Uzbekistan’s next ace in the event, the former World silver medallist Ikboljon Kholdarov was too experienced for Armenia’s Vahag Asatryan at the 70kg.
The men’s finals delivered excellent level of boxing on the fifth and last competition day at the 52nd Golden Belt Tournament in Braila today evening.
The 52nd edition of the Golden Belt Tournament was the next elite female and male competition on the road for the preparations to the European Elite Boxing Championships, Asian Games and the Panamerican Boxing Championships.
The Golden Belt Tournament was fully transparent with live scoring at the Boxerbase website www.boxerbase.com and all of the fans could follow the event in all of the competition days.
The bout of the day
Uzbekistan’s Sanjarbek Vakhobov and Haiti’s Seide Geronimo Saint-Louis both won two bouts in the earlier stages of the Golden Belt Tournament in Braila. The young Uzbek made a strong impression in the event and he tried to rule the first exchanges of their 60kg final bout. Geronimo had one tough punch in the middle of the first round therefore Vakhobov had to increase the level of his concentration. The Uzbek dictated the tempo against such a good opponent and he played with the Haitian boxer in the third round therefore Vakhobov earned the third male title in Braila.
The surprise of the day
Ukraine’s Dnypro-based Dmytro Rudia had difficulties in the first round against Romania’s small Alex Mihai Zaharia in the semi-finals but he turned back that contest. His final opponent, Moldova’s Valeriu Razmerita gained the control in the first round and he ruled the middle of the ring against the taller opponent. The Moldovan caught the 10cm taller Ukrainian with heavy combinations but Rudia’s great finish guaranteed his gold medal at the men’s 80kg weight class.
The Round-Up
Romania’s Bence Laszlo Szőcs surprised Moldova’s Catalin Turcu in the first round of the men’s 50kg final bout and he had the advantage in all of the scorecards after three minutes. The more experienced Moldovan received the right instructions in the break and he equalized the scores in the second round. Turcu, who claimed a gold medal in the recent Moldovan National Championships, turned up the heat in the third round and he bagged the first male title of the 52ndGolden Belt Tournament.
Algeria’s Mohamed Abbas won two tough contests during his road to the final of the men’s 55kg weight category but he had such a strong opponent for the gold medal as India’s Priyanshu Dabas. The Indian was able to increase his speed in the second round and he performed better in the exchanges to build up a strong advantage before the final period. The Algerian, who has been preparing for the Mediterranean Games, worked hard in the third round but his efforts were not enough to turn back this final bout.
Following Ilia Hnatiuk’s tight success over India’s Rohit at the men’s 65kg, a top Romanian bout was held at the 70kg. Stefan Stavri eliminated his favourite teammate, Arun Nicu Tudoroiu in the semi-finals and he faced Daniel Adrian Grigorie in another key Romanian final contest. Grigorie had great defensive skills in the first round and his right-handed punches were dangerous for Stavri. Grigorie knocked down his opponent in the second round and he had the comfortable victory in a remarkable battle.
Romania’s Marian Alexandru Buleu and Moldova’s Vasile Cebotari both had great victories in the semi-finals of the men’s 75kg weight class. The Moldovan moved forward while the local favourite waited for the best counter-attacking angles and due to their great defensive skills, there were not so much clear punches in the first round. Cebotari made a great finish in the third round and he earned the next gold medal of the traditional Golden Belt Tournament.
Romania’s Jorge Mayeta is only 19-year-old but the ex-Cuban impressed already in the first round of the 85kg final against Moldova’s experienced Andrei Chireacov. The Romanian dominated the first round and he had the full control in the second to take the massive advantage on the scorecards. The Uzbek referee counted his opponent once again in the third round therefore Mayeta won the final bout by large margin of difference today.
Romania’s veteran Paul Andrei Aradoaie eliminated Uzbekistan’s Shakhzod Polvonov in the semi-finals of the 90kg weight class and he faced India’s Bobin Chauhan for the gold medal. The Romanian claimed a European U22 title still back in 2017 but he is in top shape once again in this Golden Belt Tournament. The 30-year-old Romanian was too experienced for the Indian and his smarter boxing style delivered for him a gold medal in Braila.
Uzbekistan’s Khalimjon Mamasoliyev earned a gold medal at the 2024 edition of the Youth World Boxing Championships and the 20-year-old boxer was dominant against Romania’s Florin Ionita in the first round. Mamasoliyev moved up to the super heavyweight this year but he had the tough performance to control all of the three rounds against the European Youth medallist. Ionita received a warning in the second round and he was not able to follow the rhythm of the last bout of the Golden Belt Tournament.
India and Algeria dominated the women’s finals in the fourth competition day at the 52nd Golden Belt Tournament in Braila where Romania’s Stefan Stavri delivered the main surprise of the event.
The 52nd edition of the Golden Belt Tournament is the next elite female and male competition on the road for the preparations to the European Elite Boxing Championships, Asian Games and the Panamerican Boxing Championships.
The Golden Belt Tournament will be fully transparent with live scoring at the Boxerbase website at www.boxerbase.comand all of the fans can follow the event in all of the competition days.
The bout of the day
India’s Nitu Ghanghas claimed the gold medal at the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and she became World Champion at the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships as well. The 26-year-old eliminated Romania’s Mihaela Badescu in the semi-finals but she did not find the best fighting distance against Algeria’s Fatiha Mansouri in the first round. The Algerian boxed over her previous level of boxing in this final bout and she was hungry to take this big scalp but Nitu returned to the business in the second. The Indian performed also well in the third round and she won the battle of the southpaw boxers at the women’s 51kg final bout.
The surprise of the day
Romania’s Arun Nicu Tudoroiu and his teammate Stefan Stavri made a great show in the semi-finals of the men’s 70kg weight category after the women’s medal ceremonies. The 20-year-old Tudoroiu had a hard tactical job against the taller Stavri and both invested a lot of efforts to win this important bout today. Stavri had a fantastic finish and he caused the surprise of the day with his 3:2 split decision success and he will face for the gold medal with Daniel Adrian Grigorie who had also a strong performance.
The Round-Up
Romania’s Nicoleta Elena Radu walked over to the first female title at the Golden Belt Tournament following her teammate, Amalia Mihalcea was not able to compete against her in the final of the women’s 48kg weight class.
India’s Aarti Dhariyal produced an impressive performance against Romania’s Laura Olaru in the semi-finals of the women’s 54kg two days ago and she started the final against Romania’s Carla Laura Broncea also strongly. The Indian had strict jabs in the second round and the referee counted the 19-year-old Romanian after one of her actions. Dhariyal turned up the heat in that period which was uncomfortable for the Romanian teenager and the bout finished by RSC in the favour for Dhariyal.
Ichrak Chaib was a bronze medallist at the 2022 Women’s World Boxing Championships and she moved down to the 60kg this year. Chaib kept the full focus against her teammate Melissa Hamda in the final of the weight class and she underlined in the first round that she is the better boxer. The 25-year-old Chaib overcame her rival in the attacks well enough in the second round and she had the massive advantage on the scorecards. Hamda had great footwork in the contest and she proved progress in this Golden Belt Tournament but Chaib was still too experienced for her.
Algeria’s Djouher Benane eliminated Romania’s Maria Cimpoeru in the semi-final of the women’s 65kg weight class and she had another local opponent in Braila, Crinuta Andra Nicoleta Sebe who had a triumph over India’s Ankushita Boro in the last four. The Algerian landed multiple shots in the first and second rounds to take the lead on the judges’ scorecards. Sebe produced her best round in the third but Benane was successful also in the exchanges to take the gold medal of the weight class.
Amalia Nita competes at the 75kg weight class in this Golden Belt Tournament but she is planning to participate one category lower in the European Elite Boxing Championships in Sofia. She had a tight advantage against India’s Imroz Khan after three minutes and she tried to use her best fighting distance and footwork today. The 20-year-old Nita was seriously successful among the junior and youth boxers and she claimed her first main elite title in the city of Braila.
Ukraine’s Dmytro Rudia had difficulties in the first round against Romania’s small Alex Mihai Zaharia and the local boxer had a tight advantage on the scorecards. Rudia used his 15cm height advantage better in the second round, he got the right instruction from the corner and he followed the new tactics much better. Zaharia looked tired in the third round, he was not able to catch the tall Ukrainian therefore Rudia managed his path to the final of the 80kg. Moldova’s Valeriu Razmerita controlled the second semi-final over Romania’s Rares Bogdan Stoiculescu and he will now meet Rudia for the title tomorrow.
Uzbekistan’s Shakhzod Polvonov was medallist in the Asian Junior and Youth Boxing Championships during his career and the 20-year-old pugilist received the right to compete among the elites in Braila. The Uzbek faced with one of the local veterans, Romania’s former European U22 Champion Paul Andrei Aradoaie but he was not able to repeat his previous performances. Aradoaie was better in speed, number of attacks, punctuality and physical condition as well therefore the Romanian advanced to the final of the 90kg.
Hungary’s Patricia Petriman made a revenge for a previous loss to Germany’s Josefin Rovira Rifaterra and she earned the title at the 31st edition of the Brandenburg U19 Cup in Frankfurt an der Oder.
Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Seychelles, Sweden and Ukraine sent their teams to the Brandenburg U19 Cup.
Boxers from the 2008 and the 2009 age groups were eligible to participate in the Brandenburg U19 Cup in Germany.
The bout of the day
Hungary’s Patricia Petriman eliminated two tough opponents such as Azerbaijan’s Gular Huseynova and Ukraine’s Diana Dudyn during her road to the finals of the women’s 51kg weight category. Her opponent was Germany’s Josefin Rovira Rifaterra which was a repeat match between the two 18-year-old prodigies. Rovira won their first meeting in the 2025 edition of the Brandenburg U19 Cup but Petriman made a revenge and she controlled the women’s 51kg final bout today.
The surprise of the day
Georgia’s Akaki Basaria was the main favourite for the gold medal at the men’s 70kg and he advanced to the finals of the competition relatively easily. The Georgian lost his confidence in the final against Germany’s Yanis Heger and despite of his previous chances for the title, he bagged only a silver medal this time.
The team of the day
The Italians arrived to the Brandenburg U19 Cup with a strong female team and their Martina De Felice reached the top of the podium in Frankfurt an der Oder. She faced Germany’s Isabell Dezel for the title of the women’s 57kg weight category and the Italian gained the immediate control of this final contest. De Felice still turned up the heat in the third round and the referee stopped their title bout in Frankfurt an der Oder.
Italy’s next finalist, Amelia Zamana competed in the World Boxing U19 Future Cup in Thailand and the Olympic Hopes Tournament in Bosnia & Herzegovina successfully and she used also the Brandenburg Cup as a preparation. The 17-year-old bagged Italy’s second gold medal in the event after beating Croatia’s Agata Stajcer at the women’s 65kg final.
Ukraine’s Iryna Onopriyenko and Estonia’s Melana Nelk knew also each other from previous international competitions therefore they had to do something unexpected during their 75kg final contest. The Estonian had a brave attempt to surprise the Ukrainian but Onopriyenko adopted the speed of the contest and she was better on that game play.
The Georgians have one of the strongest U19 teams in Europe and their Emil Ismailovi became the first gold medallist at the Brandenburg U19 Cup. The 17-year-old Georgian stopped Poland’s Adrian Drewnowski in the semi-finals and he was smarter than Azerbaijan’s Nihat Gasimov in the exchanges at the 55kg. Zurab Oboladze, the next Georgina succeeded against France’s southpaw Lenny Legagneur in the final of the 85kg winning the bout by 4:1 split decision.
Ukraine’s Nazar Kliuchko was unstoppable for all of the opponents in the Brandenburg Cup and he underlined that he is one of the gold medal contenders also in the upcoming European U19 Boxing Championships. Kliuchko controlled his 65kg final bout against Georgia’s Luka Chkhikhvadze and he celebrated the second gold medal for Ukraine.
Germany’s Justin Kiz not only eliminated Georgia’s Goga Bregvadze in the semi-final of the 75kg but he defeated also Ukraine’s 18-year-old Konstantin Khalitskyi to take the gold medal of the Brandenburg Cup. Germany’s next gold medal was achieved by Ahmed Abdulgamidov who had an important success over Oluwayomi Maxwell Remmele in the final of the super heavyweight.
Lithuania’s Jelizaveta Jakimova proved her best ever performance in the Brandenburg U19 Cup and she made a big march into the gold of the women’s 54kg weight class. The former European Junior medallist is a big puncher and she needed to do her aggressive style of boxing with stamina to beat Poland’s Zuzanna Golebiewska in the final. The 18-year-old Lithuanian felt the distance in the decisive last round and she won their meeting by 3:2 split decision.
Georgia’s Shalva Beridze is only 17-year-old but he has already more than 140 bouts during his career which supported him to get through the most difficult moments in the busy Brandenburg U19 Cup. Beridze had several heroic moments in the exchanges especially in the end of the rounds to beat Azerbaijan’s Ali Aliyev in the final of the men’s 50kg.
The Algerian girls made a perfect session in the third competition day at the 52nd Golden Belt Tournament in Braila where all of their three athletes advanced to the finals.
The 52nd edition of the Golden Belt Tournament is the next elite female and male competition on the road for the preparations to the European Elite Boxing Championships, Asian Games and the Panamerican Boxing Championships.
The Golden Belt Tournament will be fully transparent with live scoring at the Boxerbase website at www.boxerbase.comand all of the fans can follow the event in all of the competition days.
The bout of the day
India’s Ankushita Boro competed already in the 2017 edition of the Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships where she claimed a gold medal. The 26-year-old Indian strengthened herself in several elite championships and tournaments therefore she was the favourite against Romania’s young Crinuta Andra Nicoleta Sebe. The first round was close between them, the Indian led 3-2 on the scorecards and Boro increased that advantage in the next tight period. Sebe was more punctual in the third round and she was able to turn back their meeting which became the closest of all contests today.
The surprise of the day
Moldova’s Iulia Coroli decided to continue her boxing career after a short break and she is focusing to the next edition of the European Women’s Boxing Championships which will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria. The Moldovan moved up to the 54kg and she used her excellent footwork to keep the best distance against Romania’s Carla Laura Broncea. The 19-year-old Romanian is not enough experienced yet but she had some nice actions in the decisive final round to deliver a surprise success in Braila.
The Round-Up
India’s Nitu Ghanghas claimed the gold medal at the 2022 edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and she made strong efforts in the recent one year to regain her place in the top national squad. The 26-year-old former Youth World Champion controlled the first round against Romania’s Mihaela Badescu and she had the dominance also in the second. Nitu was a hard target for the younger Romanian and the Indian used her tricky style of boxing to win the opening bout of the day.
India’s next ace in action was Aarti Dhariyal won her opener yesterday and she had energetic combinations in the first round against Romania’s Laura Olaru in the semi-finals of the women’s 54kg. The Indian still increased her speed in the second round and she landed multiple shots in that period several times. Olaru was able to continue the contest after the tough Indian attacks and she could fight until the last gong but Dhariyal enjoyed the comfortable points decision triumph.
Algeria’s Melissa Hamda was too experienced for Romania’s Costina Gioaba in the semi-final of the women’s 60kg and she accomplished her minimum target in the Golden Belt Tournament. The Algerian, who lives and trains in the city of Algiers, landed her powerful combinations to stop the Romanian pugilist today and the referee confirmed her RSC victory after two standing counts.
Algeria’s next top female boxer, Ichrak Chaib claimed a bronze medal at the 2022 edition of the Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul and she moved down one category almost every year. The 25-year-old Algerian faced India’s Disha Vijay Patil in the second semi-final of the women’s 60kg weight class and she used her longer hands well enough in their meeting. Chaib was patient and she landed her great counter-attacks with perfect timing to beat the Indian opponent by unanimous decision.
Algeria’s Djouher Benane was taller than Romania’s Maria Cimpoeru in the semi-final of the women’s 65kg weight class and she used that advantage well enough in Braila. The Algerian, who competed in several preparation competitions including the Strandja Trophy Tournament, was too smart in the exchanges in the first and second rounds as well. Benane received a big punch from the Romanian boxer in the third round but the Algerian handled all of the tactical issues in their contest.
Romania’s Florin Ionita moved up to the super heavyweight in the recent months and he looked stronger in the exchanges in the first round against India’s Chetan Choudhary. The 21-year-old Romanian caught the Indian with a heavy punch and the referee counted Choudhary in the second minute of the fight. Ionita had better performance than yesterday and his efforts guaranteed for him a clear success in the front of the home crowd.
Germany’s trio as Isabell Dezel, Josefin Rovira Rifaterra and Dietrich Hermann were all strong in the third day of boxing at the 31st edition of the Brandenburg U19 Cup in Frankfurt an der Oder where Azerbaijan, Georgia, France, Italy, Croatia, Ukraine, Hungary, Poland and others also have finalists.
Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Seychelles, Sweden and Ukraine sent their teams to the Brandenburg U19 Cup.
Boxers from the 2008 and the 2009 age groups are eligible to participate in the Brandenburg U19 Cup in Germany.
The bout of the day
Germany’s Dietrich Hermann was a quarter-finalist at the last European U19 Boxing Championships in Ostrava and he dominated the Danas Pozniakas Tournament this March. The 18-year-old local No.1 had the height advantage against France’s Warren Tchoffo but his opponent boxed also over his level in their meeting. Hermann had to use all of his previous experience, routine and skills to win the key semi-final of the men’s 80kg.
The surprise of the day
Isabell Dezel is not the most experienced German female boxer in the U19 national team but she had the strong game plan against Ukraine’s Uliana Ovsepian. The German did not afraid of her well-experienced Ukrainian opponent and she made impressive efforts to surprise Ovsepian in their 57kg semi-final. Dezel finally won two rounds on the scorecards which guaranteed a place in the title contest for her in Frankfurt an der Oder where she will now meet Martina De Felice of Italy.
The team of the day
Hungary’s Patricia Petriman and her Ukrainian opponent, Diana Dudyn both were medallist in the previous editions of the European Boxing Championships during their early stages of career. The Ukrainian was a hard opponent and Dudyn landed several strong punches from closer distance but Petriman had the control technically and tactically well enough to join the finals of the women’s 51kg. Her opponent for the title will be a well-known athlete, Josefin Rovira Rifaterra which could be an anticipated re-match between them.
Georgia’s Emil Ismailovi is a tall and technician boxer with more than 100 contests during his career but he proved his development in terms of strength and condition in this Brandenburg U19 Cup. The 17-year-old Georgian had an advantage against Poland’s Adrian Drewnowski on the judges’ scorecards after two rounds and he finished the job in the third with heavy combinations. Ismailovi’s final opponent will be a regional challenge for him, Azerbaijan’s Nihat Gasimov who eliminated Oleksii Kolbaia of Ukraine.
Georgia’s next flag bearer in the national team, Luka Chkhikhvadze expected a hard battle against Azerbaijan’s Shahin Aslanov therefore his coaching staff prepared to this 65kg semi-final as best as they can. The boxer from the blue corner met with strong resistance from Aslanov’s side and he needed new instructions from his coaches. The Georgian gave it everything in the last period and he has done enough to meet Ukraine’s Nazar Kliuchko in the final of the division.
Germany’s Justin Kiz has a name already in the international competitions therefore Georgia’s Goga Bregvadze did not underestimate him in the semi-final of the 75kg. Kiz felt the support of the local boxing fans, he had the stamina and good tactics to beat the Georgian athlete today. Germany’s hope at the middleweight will be boxing for the gold medal with Ukraine’s 18-year-old Konstantin Khalitskyi who achieved a silver medal in their recent U19 Nationals.
France’s southpaw Lenny Legagneur competed mostly in national events in the recent two years but he received the right to represent his country in the Brandenburg U19 Cup. The French talent used this opportunity to put himself into the spotlight in this event and he had a clear dominance over Germany’s Ahmed Nada today. Legagneur will not be able to match with Georgia’s Zurab Oboladze in terms of number of bouts in the final of the 85kg but his strength could be decisive between them.
Cinnia Hoffman of Germany delivered a sensational result in the quarter-finals when she eliminated Azerbaijan’s European U19 silver medallist Banuchichak Nasirli but she had still the gunpowder to beat another top opponent today, Poland’s Katarzyna Gornisiewicz. The final verdict was 3:2 split decision in the favour of the German and she will now meet Italy’s Michela Guglielmon for the title of the women’s 48kg.
Lithuania’s European Junior medallist Jelizaveta Jakimova is in fantastic shape this year and she had a strong game strategy against Italy’s Mary Favi Korynne who defeated one of the gold medal contenders in the quarter-finals. The Lithuanian had the fantastic rhythm and the pressure to beat the Italian today and she will have another top rival as next, Poland’s Zuzanna Golebiewska at the 54kg final.
Azerbaijan’s Subhan Babayev returned to the Brandenburg U19 Cup after one year and he had the big target to reach the top of the podium this time. Babayev faced his teammate, Toghrut Guliyev in an important selection contest before the European U19 Boxing Championships. Babayev kept the focus until the last bell and he defeated his compatriot which means that he needs only one further step against Artur Pichka of Ukraine to succeed.
India’s Aarti Dhariyal, Algeria’s Mohamed Abbas, Moldova’s Vasile Cebotari and Romania’s Marian Alexandru Buleu all shined in the second competition day at the 52nd Golden Belt Tournament in Braila today.
The 52nd edition of the Golden Belt Tournament is the next elite female and male competition on the road for the preparations to the European Elite Boxing Championships, Asian Games and the Panamerican Boxing Championships.
The Golden Belt Tournament will be fully transparent with live scoring at the Boxerbase website at www.boxerbase.comand all of the fans can follow the event in all of the competition days.
The bout of the day
India’s Uttarakhand-based Aarti Dhariyal and Algeria’s Doua Rouaz opened the second competition day in Braila and the two boxers invested all of their efforts already to the first round. The Algerian competed at the Strandja Trophy Tournament and she proved her progress but Dhariyal had the advantage after the first round. The Algerian worked better in the second round, she reduced the fighting distance effectively but the referee counted her in the decisive third period. The Indian, who began boxing in 2018, made a superb performance in the third round and she advanced to the next round at the women’s 54kg.
The surprise of the day
Uzbekistan’s Safarmurod Allaberganov had an easy success in the first competition day and he met Romania’s Marian Alexandru Buleu as second in Braila. The local boxer was a more difficult rival for him and he tried to land his strict jabs but Buleu adopted the level of this busy 75kg contest. Allaberganov received a warning from the referee and Buleu had good counter-attacks as well to win this semi-final bout today.
The Round-Up
Algeria’s Mohamed Abbas opened his campaign successfully in the first day of boxing at the Golden Belt Tournament in Braila. The Algerian had a height disadvantage against Moldova’s Vladimir Hlebanovschii in his second bout in the event but he worked superbly in the first round. Abbas, who lives in Algiers, moved forward without any stoppage and his pressure paid off in most of the exchanges to win their meeting at the 55kg.
India’s Priyanshu Dabas and Algeria’s Amine Zazaz met in the next bout at the 55kg weight class which looked seriously close in the first round. The Indian increased his speed in the second round effectively and his uppercuts worked well enough to take the lead on the scorecards. Dabas was technically better in their meeting and his energetic last round guaranteed the final success for the Indian athlete.
Uzbekistan’s Sanjarbek Vakhobov opened his campaign successfully in the first day and he looked well-prepared to his second rival, Algeria’s tall Mouatez Bechegra. The young Uzbek used his tricky style of boxing in the first and second rounds as well while the North African was unable to keep him on long today. The Uzbek lightweight boxer dominated all of the three rounds with his unpredictable movements and he deserved to win his second contest in Braila.
Haiti’s Geronimo Seide Saint-Louis impressed in the first session yesterday and the US-based athlete had a strong start also against Moldova’s Nichita Simanschii today. Seide keeps his focus on the upcoming Central American and Caribbean Games and excluding one moment, he controlled all of the exchanges in the first round. Simanschii tried to increase his rhythm in the beginning of the second round but the Haitian had also the tactical change in time to win his next fight in Braila.
Moldova’s Vladislav Vaskovskyi and Ukraine’s Vynnytsa-based Ilia Hnatiuk faced in the next contest of the second competition day at the 65kg weight category. Their physical skills, height, condition and technical skills were very similar therefore it was hard for the judges to score the equal first round. Hnatiuk, who started boxing eight years ago, found the best fighting range earlier than his Moldovan opponent and he deserved to win this tight contest.
India’s Rohit had a massive height disadvantage against Ukraine’s David Zhyhzhzhavyn but when he landed a hook, it was a tough experience for his opponent. The Indian was stronger in the exchanges and the referee had to count the Ukrainian in the second round therefore Rohit enjoyed a comfortable advantage on the scorecards after six minutes. Rohit performed well again and after Romania’s Robert Csiki, he defeated the experienced Ukrainian as well.
Moldova’s Vasile Cebotari earned already medals in the European Championships and he is one of the most experienced in their national squad. The 24-year-old Moldovan controlled the first exchanges against Romania’s Andrei Maftei in the battle of the southpaw boxers. Cebotari knocked down his local opponent still in the first round and the Romanian ringside abandoned their unequal 75kg contest.
Romania’s next ace in action was Florin Ionita who moved up to the super heavyweight only in the recent period but he had the strong physical skills to dictate the tempo against Eduard Husiev of Ukraine. The former European Youth silver medallist Ionita used his longer reach and height advantage effectively to win this tight quarter-final bout.
The Georgians made a superb competition day at the 31st edition of the Brandenburg U19 Cup in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany and several of their rising stars joined the semi-finals.
Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Seychelles, Sweden and Ukraine sent their teams to the Brandenburg U19 Cup.
Boxers from the 2008 and the 2009 age groups are eligible to participate in the Brandenburg U19 Cup in Germany.
The bout of the day
France’s Warren Tchoffo competed in Thailand, in Spain, in Hungary in the recent one year and he returned to Germany after eight months of break where he competed at the European U17 Boxing Championships. The 17-year-old French had a hard work to do in the second day of boxing when he faced Poland’s Borys Plachta at the men’s 80kg weight class. Tchoffo won two out of the three rounds in this key bout and he managed his pathway through the strong Polish opponent.
The surprise of the day
Ukraine’s Kira Makohonenko is a fantastic talent in our sport and she had several medals and titles in the recent years. The Ukrainian competes as the 54kg weight class in the Brandenburg U19 Cup but she had an unexpected loss to Italy’s Mary Favi Korynne in the first session of the day.
The team of the day
Georgia sent a great squad to the Brandenburg U19 Tournament and their Luka Chkhikhvadze celebrated another victory for the Caucasian country after beating Poland’s Borys Sztylc-Kaczmarek at the men’s 65kg weight class. His teammate, the 17-year-old Emil Ismailovi kept Poland’s Filip Bochenek on long and he finished the bout with a referee stoppage in their 55kg meeting. Further Georgians, as Shalva Beridze (50kg), Akaki Basaria (70kg) and Sandro Kapanadze (60kg) were also unstoppable for their opponents today.
The Round-Up
Germany’s Josefin Rovira Rifaterra is one of the aces of their U19 women’s national team and she had the strong performance against Czechia’s Zaneta Najmanova at the women’s 51kg weight class today. The 18-year-old German was a finalist in the last year’s edition and she has the great physical condition to repeat at least that in the new edition.
Hungary’s Patricia Petriman is a key boxer in their U19 national squad and she earned several medals in the international stage during the recent four years. The 18-year-old Hungarian had an opponent from Azerbaijan, Gular Huseynova and she dictated the tempo from the first seconds. Petriman, whose brother is also a national boxer in Hungary, was better in all aspects of boxing than her Azeri rival, and she joined the last four in Germany.
Three of the Swedish girls stepped into the ring in the second day of boxing and among them Siri Magnusson performed well to beat Belgium’s Yara Vrins at the 51kg weight class. Her teammate, Julia Karlsson-Viden lost to Germany’s Katalina Hazim Yaso at the women’s 54kg, while Paradisia Smesem was defeated by Ukraine’s Miroslava Kyryliuk in a one-sided bout at the 70kg.
Lithuania’s Jelizaveta Jakimova, the European Junior medallist, had a great success over a top rival on Day1, and she continued the winning path in the second competition day. The Lithuanian faced Germany’s Lorin Sayim, a super talented 17-year-old, who joined the U19 age group only this January. The Lithuanian proved her excellent fighting skills in all of the three rounds to win their meeting at the women’s 54kg category.
Italy’s Rachele Perna had a great opener in the first day of boxing in Frankfurt an der Oder and she impressed once again in the second session. The Italian outpointed Ukraine’s Polina Kovera in the next contest at the women’s 60kg therefore Perna has the chance to be a champion in Germany. The next Italian athlete in this weight class, Estella Filardi was not enough shape today and she suffered a loss to Ukraine’s Anna Koloturska.
Estonia has a small female team but their Milana Nelk, a European U17 medallist, is a promising talent from the Baltic country. She joined the U19 category only this year but she had the next remarkable performance, this time in Germany. The referee counted her Polish rival, Zuzanna Skalimowska in the first round and Nelk felt that she can finish their 75kg bout in the second.
Germany’s Oliver Herz had great pedigree from the U17 competitions but he needed to do his very best to beat France’s Hamza Sittou at the men’s 65kg weight class. The final verdict was 3:2 split decision to Herz who survived several dangerous moments and defeated another favourite today. Ukraine’s Nazar Kliuchko had the next strong performance in that weight class and he was too smart for Sweden’s Wilmer Ekblom-Olsson.
Romania’s Arun Nicu Tudoroiu delivered the biggest sensation in the opening day of the 52nd Golden Belt Tournament in Braila where he surprised Uzbekistan’s Youth World Champion Abdulaziz Jurakulov in a high-rhythm bout but Haiti’s Geronimo Seide Saint-Louis also impressed in his opener.
The 52nd edition of the Golden Belt Tournament is the next elite female and male competition on the road for the preparations to the European Elite Boxing Championships, Asian Games and the Panamerican Boxing Championships.
The Golden Belt Tournament will be fully transparent with live scoring at the Boxerbase website at www.boxerbase.comand all of the fans can follow the event in all of the competition days.
The bout of the day
Uzbekistan’s first boxer in action was Sanjarbek Vakhobov and he faced Romania’s Andrei Gavae who won the Golden Belt Tournament for the first time in 2022. The Uzbek talent won the first round 4-1 on the judges’ scorecards and he increased his tempo in the beginning of the second round which was too much for Gavae. Vakhobov was dominant and he landed effective punches in the corner therefore the Uzbek advanced to the next round in the men’s 60kg weight category.
The surprise of the day
Romania’s Arun Nicu Tudoroiu is a big puncher but he had to meet in the quarter-finals of the men’s 70kg, Uzbekistan’s Youth World Champion Abdulaziz Jurakulov. The 19-year-old Uzbek southpaw had longer reach but Tudoroiu’s footwork was also good enough to take the lead on the judges’ scorecards after three minutes. The Romanian youngster reached the level of the Uzbek boxer and he made a surprise in the competition day eliminating one of the favourites of the weight category.
The Round-Up
Algeria’s Mohamed Abbas, the southpaw at the men’s 55kg weight class, ruled the middle of the ring against Romania’s Ionut Vulpe and he was successful in the exchanges when he moved forward. The Algerian opened the second round with a strict jab and he stopped his Romanian opponent’s attacks therefore he had the massive advantage on the judges’ scorecards after six minutes of fight. Abbas was too experienced for the Romanian youngster and he had the unanimous success in the opening bout of the entire contest.
Romania’s Vasile Scalco and Moldova’s Nichita Simanschii met in the second contest of the Golden Belt Tournament which was the first contest at the men’s 60kg. Four out of the five judges favoured the Romanian boxer after the opening round but Scalco got also a warning from the Uzbek referee and the winner of the contest depended on the performance in the last three minutes. Simanschii found the best distance in the second round and he had the better performance also in the third to take the victory.
India’s Raman started the first seconds with heavy hooks but Algeria’s Mouatez Bechegra approved the fighting style of the South Asian athlete. The Algerian is a new boxer in the international stage but he used his longer reach better after the first exchanges and his jab was dangerous for Raman. Bechegra, as the entire Algerian team, have been preparing for the Mediterranean Games, dominated this contest with his technical skills and he joined the next stage of boxing at the 60kg.
Haiti is a small country in the Caribbean region but their Geronimo Seide Saint-Louis decided to compete at the Golden Belt Tournament. Seide has been preparing for the Central American & Caribbean Games and the US-based boxer landed better shots than Ukraine’s Andrii Lavreniuk in the first round. The Haitian athlete, who had 53 bouts during his career, saved fuels for the later actions in the third round and he had the clear success which was his nation’s first ever victory in the history of the Golden Belt Tournament.
Robert Csiki is a 22-year-old talent and the Hungarian-descent athlete decided to box for Romania in the recent months which strengthen the host country’s squad. He had a hard job against India’s Rohit in the first round but he tried switch his rhythm into the next level in the second period. Rohit used all of the angles to land his shots and the Indian won a close contest in the quarter-finals of the men’s 65kg.
After Alex Vasile Herteg’s success over Ukraine’s Danylo Balaban at the 70kg, the next Uzbek, Safarmurod Allaberganov was in action in the ring. The young Uzbek had an opponent from Ukraine, Danylo Balaban, who competed in various tournaments in the recent years. Allaberganov was a hard target for the Ukrainian athlete and he had the nice left-handed punches from safest and longer distance to earn the victory today.
Romania’s Rares Bogdan Stoiculescu was smaller than Algeria’s Mustapha Abdou but he had the fighting spirit to win this tight surprise contest at the 80kg. Moldova’s Valeriu Razmerita earned medals in European events already and he had the success over Romania’s David Anton in the next bout of this weight category.
Romania’s ex-Cuban Jorge Luis Mayeta impressed in the Belgrade Winner Tournament in Serbia two months ago and he had more than 15cm of height advantage against Alexandru Ciciureanu in their 85kg bout. The 19-year-old Mayeta looked one size bigger than his compatriot and he used his longer reach well enough to win this contest after three minutes when his opponent’s ringside abandoned the contest.
Germany’s Cinnia Hoffman and Estonia’s Artjom Kotlarski surprised their more experienced opponents at the 31st edition of the Brandenburg U19 Cup in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany on Day1.
Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Seychelles, Sweden and Ukraine sent their teams to the Brandenburg U19 Cup.
Boxers from the 2008 and the 2009 age groups are eligible to participate in the Brandenburg U19 Cup in Germany.
The bout of the day
Azerbaijan’s Ali Baghishov was very active this year, he travelled from competitions to competitions with the U19 national team and he won most of his contests on these occasions. Azerbaijan’s pride at the men’s 60kg weight class proved his great technical skills today but Estonia’s new sensation, Artjom Kotlarski surprised him in the exchanges. The Estonian felt that he can catch a big scalp in this preliminary bout and he had the stamina in the third round to make that happen.
The surprise of the day
Germany’s Cinnia Hoffman competed in the last edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships in Ostrava last year but her experience level is not matched to Azerbaijan’s Banuchuchak Nasirli. The Azeri boxer claimed a silver medal in Ostrava last year and she amazed also in the preparation events in 2026. Hoffman exceeded all of her previous level of boxing, she felt the distance well enough and she eliminated one of the stars of the women’s 48kg weight class.
The Round-Up
Italy’s Rachele Perna joined the U19 national team this January but she had a busy program in the recent six months and she competed many international competitions to be in top shape for the major championships of the year. The Italian boxer controlled the opening bout of the entire Brandenburg U19 Cup against Germany’s Xenia Scharapinski at the women’s 60kg weight class.
Lithuania’s European Junior medallist Jelizaveta Jakimova and Sweden’s Medina Zaman both had impressive international results in the past but they had to meet each other in the first round of the event. The Lithuanian knew the strengths of the Swedish boxer and she tried to dictate the tempo in all of the three rounds to beat her rival today.
Germany’s Charlotte Kienel and Hungary’s European U17 silver medallist Zsofia Kiss knew each other very well from previous competitions and training camps. The German found the best distance earlier than her Hungarian opponent and she was able to eliminate for Youth Olympian rival unanimously at the 57kg.
Hong Kong has never competed any of the previous editions of the Brandenburg U19 Cup but the East Asian country sent their team to Frankfurt an der Oder. Their men’s 55kg boxer, Tang Kit Fu had a brave attempt to beat Azerbaijan’s Nihat Gasimov but his opponent was too experienced for him in today. Tang lost his opener in the event but Hong Kong’s participation in Germany is one of the unique results of the LOC of the Brandenburg Cup.
Sweden’s Ali Zaheer Changazi made rapid development in the recent half year and he defeated several stronger and more experienced athletes. The Swedish talent found the rhythm against Germany’s Ahmet Sarmout in the first round of their men’s 55kg meeting and he kept the full control of the fight until the last seconds.
Bulgaria’s Nikolay Ivanov had a crucial battle against Lithuania’s Edvin Drutel in the first phase of the men’s 85kg but he could reveal after the confirmation of the winner as he won their meeting by 3:2 split decision. Poland’s Kajetan Bajzert also had critical moments against Hungary’s Gyula Bozai in the same weight category but he also survived that challenge and he joined the next stage of boxing.
Georgia’s Emil Ismailovi is a tall boxer at the men’s 55kg weight class and he competed in various countries during his career. The 17-year-old talent was too experienced for Germany’s Michael Deisling and he looked also smarter in the exchanges. Ismailovi followed the well-built strategy in all of the three rounds and he bowed out of his way the German talent today.
The Technical Meeting and the Official Draw of the Golden Belt Tournament took place in Braila, Romania today evening.
The new edition of the traditional Golden Belt Tournament will feature in the Sala Sporturilor in Braila, Romania until the 17th.
The 52nd edition of the Golden Belt Tournament is the next elite female and male competition on the road for the preparations to the European Elite Boxing Championships, Asian Games and the Panamerican Boxing Championships.
Mr. Josip Grbavac of Croatia is the Technical Delegate of the Golden Belt Tournament in Romania and he underlined the technical rules, the eligibility, the daily weigh-in, the key competition rules, the disciplinary code and the competition schedule of the event.
Mr. Mikael Broman represented the Boxerbase company in the Technical Meeting and the Official Draw which is an innovative boxing system.
The Golden Belt Tournament will be fully transparent with live scoring at the Boxerbase website at www.boxerbase.comand all of the fans can follow the event in all competition days.
The President of the Romanian Boxing Federation, Mr. Vasile Citea welcomed all of the participants and delegations in the meeting and he mentioned also the long history of the Golden Belt Tournament.
The Golden Belt Tournament began still back in 1972 and several of the Olympic Champions including Cuba’s legend, Teofilo Stevenson won the competition in the past.
Algeria, Haiti, India, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Romania, Ukraine and Uzbekistan are the representing nations in the Golden Belt Tournament.
The Romanian Boxing Federation has celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this year and their Golden Belt Tournament will be a highlight this summer. Their management is planning to arrange also the Moldavian Belt Tournament in Iasi later this year.
The women and the men finals have been divided into two parts and these will take place in the event on July 16 and 17. The exact time of the women’s and the men’s final to be confirmed during the event as both competition days will be covered by the Romanian national TV.
The schedule of the Golden Belt Tournament
July 12, 17:00 – Day1 competition
July 13, 17:00 – Day2 competition
July 14, 17:00 – Day3 competition
July 15 – Rest Day
July 16, TBA – Day4 competition with the women’s finals & men’s semi-finals
July 17, TBA – Day5 competition with the men’s finals
July 18 – Departure of the delegations
The Golden Belt Tournament is the next elite female and male competition on the road for the preparations to the European Elite Boxing Championships.
The next edition of the traditional Golden Belt Tournament will feature in the Polivalenta Hall in Braila, Romania on July 10-18 this year and big boxing stars will join the competition.
Braila is located in the northwest of the historical region of Wallachia and it is an important port on the Danube River with a population of more than 150,000.
Such world-class nations as the No.1 Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Cuba, India and Ukraine have already entered to the Golden Belt Tournament and their athletes will guarantee the top quality of boxing in Braila.
Haiti is a small country but one of their talents decided also to join the upcoming Golden Belt Tournament in Braila in order to prepare to the main goals of the year.
The Golden Belt Tournament will be fully transparent with live scoring at the Boxerbase website at www.boxerbase.comand all of the fans can follow the event.
The Romanian Boxing Federation has celebrated its 100th anniversary earlier this year and their Golden Belt Tournament will be a highlight this summer. Big names and Olympic Champions earned their gold medals in the history of the Golden Belt Tournament in Romania.
Braila is a boxing city which hosted several international competitions as the European U22 Boxing Championships. Braila arranged also the 2025 edition of the Dracula Open Tournament and several national events.
Romania started the year to host the Dracula Open Tournament and the Golden Belt is their main elite competition in 2026.
The event will take place in all of the 10 women and 10 men weight categories in Romania where the first competition day is July 11. The women and the men finals have been divided into two parts and these will take place in the event on July 16 and 17.
The competition is a perfect opportunity to prepare for the upcoming European Elite Boxing Championships which will be held in Sofia on September 15-26.
The facts of the Golden Belt Tournament
Name: Golden Belt Tournament
Competition Period: July 11-17
Venue: Braila, Romania
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: Elite
Date of Birth of the boxers: 1986-2007 born boxers
The weight categories of the Golden Belt 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, and +90kg
The schedule of the Golden Belt Tournament
July 10 – Arrival of the delegations
July 10, 16:00-20:00 – Sport Entries Check
July 10, 20:00 – Technical Meeting
July 10, 20:30 – Official Draw
July 11, 15:00 & 19:00 – Day1 competition
July 12, 15:00 & 19:00 – Day2 competition
July 13, 15:00 & 19:00 – Day3 competition
July 14, 15:00 & 19:00 – Day4 competition
July 15, 15:00 & 19:00 – Day5 competition
July 16, 16:00 – Day6 competition with the women’s finals
July 17, 16:00 – Day7 competition with the men’s finals
July 18 – Departure of the delegations
The current year for the U19 boxers is extremely busy and their next preparation event before the main goals, the 31stedition of the Brandenburg U19 Cup will be held for the female and male boxers in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany on July 10-15.
Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Seychelles, Sweden and Ukraine are planning to send their teams to the Brandenburg U19 Cup.
The Sport Center Frankfurt will be the venue of the traditional U19 competition in Frankfurt an der Oder as in the previous years.
Boxers from the 2008 and the 2009 age groups are eligible to participate in the Brandenburg U19 Cup in Germany from next week.
Germany’s next international event is available for all of the National Federations and the competition will support to increase the number of bouts for these young talents.
The promising US star, Lorenzo Patricio, England’s Mohammed Safari, Georgia’s Akaki Basaria, Australia’s Diyanshu Redhu and Joseph Awinongya won the best male finals in the last edition of the Brandenburg U19 Youth Cup in Germany in August 2025.
The number of the female U19 boxers was 50 while 121 male talents were also there in the Brandenburg Cup to win the 18 available titles in the last edition.
Among the top boxing nations, United States of America, England, Italy, Canada, Germany, Australia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Poland, New Zealand, Hungary, Romania, and Lithuania were all there in Frankfurt an der Oder one year ago.
The Brandenburg U19 Cup will be a preparation event for the upcoming European U19 Boxing Championships which will take place in Loznica, Serbia on August 11-22. The U19 World Boxing Championships is scheduled to be hosted by Montenegro’s boxing city, Budva on October 13-28.
The facts of the Brandenburg U19 Cup
Name: Brandenburg U19 Cup
Competition Period: July 11-14
Venue: Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: U19
Date of Birth of the boxers: 2008-2009 born boxers
The weight categories of the Brandenburg U19 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, and +90kg
The schedule of the Brandenburg U19 Cup
July 10 – Arrival of the delegations
July 10, 14:00-18:00 – Boxing Entries Check
July 10, 19:30 – Technical Meeting
July 10, 20:00 – Official Draw
July 11, 11:00 & 15:00 & 19:00 – Day1 competition
July 12, 11:00 & 15:00 & 19:00 – Day2 competition
July 13, 11:00 & 15:00 & 19:00 – Day3 competition
July 14, 11:00 & 16:00 – Day4 competition with the finals
July 15 – Departure of the delegations