The Akaki Kakauridze U19 Boxing Tournament will open in the city of Kutaisi in Georgia and will be the highlight of the upcoming five competition days.
The new edition of the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament will start with 2 female and 32 male contests in the opening session today.
Altogether 26 female and 150 male boxers are participating in the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Youth Tournament in Georgia which will be a record-breaking edition.
The Georgians reached excellent results in the European U19 Boxing Championships and the European U17 Boxing Championships each last year.
Their next generation of boxers are skilled, technician and had the stamina until their last drop of energies which made the Georgians one of the bests in Europe.
Such strong countries as Kyrgyzstan, Spain, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Romania, Armenia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Moldova joined the host country therefore the quality will be high in the Kakauridze Tournament.
The boxers from the 2008 and 2009 born age groups are eligible to participate in the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Youth Tournament in Georgia.
The event will be a perfect preparation event for the upcoming U19 World Boxing Championships which is scheduled to take place in Budva, Montenegro on October 13-28.
The facts of the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament
Name: Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament
Competition Period: May 5-9
Venue: Kutaisi, Georgia
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: U19
Date of Birth of the boxers: 2008-2009 born boxers
The weight categories of the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament
Women’s: 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg and +80kg
Men’s: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg, +90kg
The schedule of the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament
May 3-4 – Arrivals of the delegations
May 4 – Technical Meeting
May 4 – Official Draw
May 5 – Day1 competition
May 6 – Day2 competition
May 7 – Day3 competition
May 8 – Day4 competition
May 9 – Day5 competition with the semi-finals
May 10 – Departures of the delegations
The Heydar Aliyev Cup for the U17 female and male boxers are underway at the Baku Boxing Center in Azerbaijan. Georgia’s duo as Hasan Akpinar and Zaza Mdinaridze, additionally Aysel Farajova and Moldova’s Egor Cherticovtsev all advanced to the next round.
Boxers from the 2010 and 2011 age groups are eligible to participate in the Heydar Aliyev Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan which is another traditional event and it was named after Mr. Heydar Aliyev who served Azerbaijan as President of the State between 1993 until his death in 2003.
The Heydar Aliyev Cup is a preparation event for the European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11.
The bout of the day
Georgia’s Hasan Akpinar claimed a bronze medal at the recent European U17 Boxing Championships and the 16-year-old boxer was named among the gold medal contenders at the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup. The Georgian was not enough shape against Azerbaijan’s Mahammad Mustafayev in the first round but he received the right instructions in the break. Akpinar maintained the best fighting distance in time and he won one of the top bouts at the +80kg weight category in Baku.
The surprise of the day
Georgia’s Zaza Mdinaridze is a decorated pugilist at the boys’ 54kg weight class but he had a well-experienced opponent in the Round of 16, Shynggys Akhmetov of Kazakhstan. This weight category was named as the strongest ones in the entire Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup and the duo proved elite level of boxing during the preliminaries. The Georgian was slightly better in the exchanges in the decisive last round and he celebrated an emotional success in Baku.
The Round-Up
The women’s boxing is in strong progress in Azerbaijan and their girls claimed already titles and medals in the level of the European Boxing Championships. Their U17 boxers at the pinweight (46kg), such as Aysel Farajova and Aysan Miriyeva both won their meetings in the session against opponents from Kazakhstan and Georgia. Farajova’s success over Kazakhstan’s Diana Aitbayeva is one of her career highlights which was a close bout in the session.
Kazakhstan’s next participant at the women’s 46kg weight category in Baku, Diana Orazbekkyzy proved one of the strongest performances in the session. She controlled the first round over an individual athlete, Milana Belyankina, and she was able to keep the same rhythm until the last gong of their meeting.
Estonia’s Alissa Gerassimovits is their best female hope in this age group who walked over to the next stage of boxing against Azerbaijan’s Leyla Makhmudlu following her opponent was unable to box in the second session of the event. Tunja Murshudova, a local hope in the same 50kg weight class, eliminated Sevana Agali and she also joined to the next round, keeping her hopes alive.
Vera Didenko, an individual and independent boxer, returned to the international stage of boxing after a break and she made a remarkable performance in the session. The 63kg boxer overcame Azerbaijan’s Zokhra Imanova in the attacks and she won this bout by unanimous decision.
Georgia has a powerful U17 team and their girls are also in developing stage besides to the male boxers. Anastasia Chokoraia had strong preparation in the recent months and following their national activities, she had the enthusiasm in the competition as well. Chokoraia not only felt the distance from the first seconds against Azerbaijan’s Gulshan Rustamzadeh but she stopped her opponent still in the opening round at the 63kg.
Moldova’s European Schoolboys Champion Egor Cherticovtsev is a native talent in our sport and he joined the U17 age group this year. The super talented Moldovan had a tough opponent in the boys’ 54kg weight class, Azerbaijan’s Ali Ozjan but he managed his pathway to the quarter-finals in this busy division.
Latvia also sent a promising team to the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup and their Silvestrs Vasilevskis eliminated a local hopeful, Abbasali Mammadli at the 54kg. Another key boxers, in this weight class such as Uzbekistan’s Iskandar Kadamboyev, Kazakhstan’s Bakdaulet Kuralbay and Georgia’s sensation, the European U15 Champion Giorgi Akhlvediani all marched to the quarter-finals at the 54kg weight category.
The Heydar Aliyev Cup for the U17 boxers will start at the Baku Boxing Center with its first session on May 2 and Azerbaijan’s next international competition
Azerbaijan hosted the Great Silk Way Tournament one month ago and their National Federation is waiting for top teams to their U17 junior competition to Baku.
Boxers from the 2010 and 2011 age groups are eligible to participate in the Heydar Aliyev Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan which is another traditional event on the European Boxing Map.
This international boxing competition was named after Mr. Heydar Aliyev who served Azerbaijan as President of the State between 1993 until his death in 2003.
Uzbekistan is a powerhouse in our sport and the Central Asians will be there with a younger U17 team in Azerbaijan’s capital and all of their talents need to be watched.
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are always on the top of the podium in many events and their squads are ready to do big things in the Heydar Aliyev Cup.
Georgia will send a strong team including several European U15 Champions on their line-ups but Estonia, Latvia, Belarus and Moldova all will have outstanding pugilists in Baku.
The Heydar Aliyev Cup is a preparation event for the European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11.
The facts of the Heydar Aliyev Cup
Name: Heydar Aliyev Cup
Competition Period: May 2-7
Venue: Baku, Azerbaijan
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: U17
Date of Birth of the boxers: 2010-2011 born boxers
The weight categories of the Heydar Aliyev Cup
Women’s: 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg and 80kg
Men’s: 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and +80kg
The schedule of the Heydar Aliyev Cup
May 1 – Arrivals of the delegations
May 1 – Sport Entries Check
May 1, 18:00 – Technical Meeting
May 1, 18:30 – Official Draw
May 2, 15:00 – Day1 competition
May 3, 15:00 – Day2 competition
May 4, 15:00 – Day3 competition
May 5, 15:00 – Day4 competition
May 6, 15:00 – Day5 competition with the semi-finals
May 7, 15:00 – Day6 competition with the finals
May 8 – Departures of the delegations
The boxers who need to be watched in the Heydar Aliyev Cup
- Dana Orazbekkyzy, Kazakhstan, women’s 46kg – Bronze medallist at the Asian U15 Boxing Championships
- Alisa Gerassimovits, Estonia, women’s 50kg – Bronze medallist at the European Schoolgirls Boxing Championships
- Elene Karchava, Georgia, women’s 52kg – European U15 Champion
- Medina Abylkasym, Kazakhstan, women’s 54kg – Silver medallist at the Asian U15 Boxing Championships
- Akerke Dalabay, Kazakhstan, women’s 66kg – Asian U15 Champion
- Onur Gurbanov, Azerbaijan, men’s 46kg – Bronze medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships
- Qardas Rahimov, Azerbaijan, men’s 52kg – European U17 Champion
- Eljan Musazada, Azerbaijan, men’s 52kg – Bronze medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships
- Egor Cherticovtsev, Moldova, men’s 54kg – European Schoolboys Champion
- Zaza Mdinaridze, Georgia, men’s 54kg – Bronze medallist at the European U17 Boxing Championships
- Giorgi Akhlvediani, Georgia, men’s 54kg – European U15 Champion
- Shynggys Akhmetov, Kazakhstan, men’s 54kg – Asian U15 Champion
- Nichita Slepoi, Moldova, men’s 57kg – Bronze medallist at the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships
- Davit Alikhanishvili, Georgia, men’s 57kg – European U15 Champion
- Aleksi Gunia, Georgia, men’s 60kg – Silver medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships
- Nurbakyt Toregeldi, Kazakhstan, men’s 63kg – Asian U15 Champion
- Jakhongirjon Usmankulov, Uzbekistan, men’s 63kg – Asian U15 Champion
- Temur Pavliashvili, Georgia, men’s 66kg – Bronze medallist at the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships
- Nurlan Museyibli, Azerbaijan, men’s 70kg – Silver medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships
- Yusif Aghakishiyev, Azerbaijan, men’s 75kg – Silver medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships
- Shukar Aliyev, Azerbaijan, men’s 80kg – Silver medallist at the European U17 Boxing Championships; Bronze medallist at the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships
- Mehran Rasulov, Azerbaijan, men’s +80kg – European U15 Champion
- Elshod Oblakulov, Uzbekistan, men’s +80kg – Silver medallist at the Asian U15 Boxing Championships
- Hasan Akpinar, Georgia, men’s +80kg – Bronze medallist at the European U17 Boxing Championships
- Erdem Tekin, Azerbaijan, men’s +80kg – Bronze medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships
- Ugur Hasanov, Azerbaijan, men’s +80kg – Bronze medallist at the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships
World Boxing has confirmed the details of its new AIN procedure – ‘Athlètes Individuels Neutres’ (Individual Neutral Athletes) – which will be used to determine the basis on which athletes, coaches, support staff and officials from Russia and Belarus will be permitted to participate in international competitions organised by World Boxing, its Continental Confederation for Europe, European Boxing, or international competitions organised by World Boxing member National Federations.
It means that delegations from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate with national flags, uniforms or anthems and will have to pass a detailed vetting process to be able to take part in World Boxing events.
The AIN procedure was approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing at its most recent meeting in April 2026 and reflects the approach taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It has been developed following the decision by the Executive Board of World Boxing, at its previous meeting in March 2026, to endorse membership applications from the Belarussian Boxing Federation and the Russian Boxing Federation that will allow their boxers to compete in World Boxing events.
Key details of the AIN procedure are:
Flags:
- There will be no use of the country or National Federation flag during the competition
- If a boxer from an AIN country wins a gold medal, the national anthem will not be played
- If a boxer from an AIN country wins a medal, the AIN logo will be used on a flag in the medal ceremony
- The boxers will be represented on television graphics and all competition information as AIN
- This will be applied at all age category events directly organised by World Boxing or European Boxing
Uniforms:
- Boxers will appear with AIN on their vests and not RUS or BLR
- The logo of the National Federation or the country will not be permitted to appear anywhere on a boxer’s uniform
- Coaches, support staff and Team Officials will have to wear neutral uniforms which will have to be submitted to World Boxing prior to the competition for validation
- From arrival until departure, not a single member of the AIN delegation will be permitted to wear any item that features their country or National Federation’s flag or logo in any competition setting, including the entry check, draw, weigh-in or technical meeting
- This will be applied at all age category events organised by World Boxing, European Boxing or International Events organised by national federations where national teams participate.
Eligibility and Vetting:
- Athlete entries by Russia and Belarus must be made directly to the World Boxing Sport Department and not directly through the online entry system for the event, however the deadlines in the invitation package will still apply and will not be modified
- World Boxing will work with an expert, independent third party to conduct a series of checks on all athletes from Russia and Belarus that are entered into its competitions to ensure they do not have a history of supporting the war in Ukraine, are not paid by the military or security forces, are not members of clubs linked to the army or police force and have not participated in any events organised by The International Military Sports Council (CISM) since the start of the war in Ukraine
- The cost of the vetting process for each athlete will be covered by the National Federation for Russia or Belarus and must be paid in advance of their participation in the competition
- The vetting process will apply to all male and female athletes at Elite World Boxing competition, but will not apply to U19 or younger athletes
- The vetting process will also apply to coaches and support staff that will be assisting male and female boxers at Elite and U19 competitions and the costs of this will also be paid by the National Federations
- Technical Officials (TO) from the two countries will be treated as any other TO and vetted in line with World Boxing’s existing processes; additional checks may be conducted on TOs, but this will not be at the cost of the National Federation as the TO is not representing their country. Currently there are no Technical Officials accredited from the two countries.
- If the vetting process for any individual produces a result that is not clear or raises further questions, a commission appointed by World Boxing’s Executive Board will review the case
- The decision of the commission will be final and not open to appeal unless new information is provided
The AIN procedure has been introduced with immediate effect following the decision of World Boxing’s Executive Board and the Secretary General has written to the Belarussian Boxing Federation and the Russian Boxing Federation to provide them with details of the procedure and how it will be implemented.
The Vllaznia Memorial Tournament was held in the city of Shkoder in Albania which is the country’s main international competition. Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic, Albania’s Kristian Koco and Kosovo’s Bashkim Bajoku were all among the winners of the traditional Vllaznia Memorial Tournament.
Albania bagged some historic medals in this century since 2003 and the country’s boxing life is in developing stage. The Vllaznia Memorial Tournament supported the preparation of the participating boxers for the upcoming European Elite Boxing Championships.
The bout of the finals
Kristian Koco, the next Albanian, Emanuel’s brother was more successful in the finals of the Vllaznia Memorial Tournament. The national team member of the host nation had a hard job against Kosovo’s Lumturim Xhoxhaj and he had to increase his rhythm from the second round. Xhoxhaj, who came from also a real boxing family, was a competitive opponent for Kristian Koco, but the Albanian won this 60kg final by split decision.
The surprise of the finals
Montenegro’s Radisav Loncar competed at the 2025 edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships in Ostrava and despite his age of 19, the young boxer was the favourite against Albania’s Devi Doni at the 85kg final. The boxer from Montenegro used his strength to catch the local boxer but Doni was slightly better in this tight contest.
The Round-Up
Kosovo sent a few excellent boxers in the recent main international events and the Olympic Qualifiers in 2024 and one of them was Bashkim Bajoku, who moved down to the 55kg this year. This weight class is better for the experienced Kosovan who defeated Albania’s Emanuel Koco by split decision with solid performance.
Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic competed at the 2024 edition of the Youth World Boxing Championships and the European U23 Boxing Championships last November. Montenegro’s young sensation maintained the best fighting distance in the final of the 70kg well enough and the 20-year-old talent defeated Kristian Bejko of Albania unanimously.
Albania’s multiple Champion Arjon Kajoshi is a veteran boxer in the national team who tried to qualify already for the Rio Olympic Games ten years ago. The experienced boxer returned to the squad and he underlined in the final of the 75kg that he is still the better athlete than Kosovo’s Planet Berisha.
Kosovo’s Taulant Jakupi, the former European Youth bronze medallist, was too strong for Albania’s Muasom Toska and the 22-year-old boxer claimed the title of the 90kg weight category in Shkoder. Albania’s Emanuel Kalaj won the super heavyweight bout against his teammate, Ergis Aliaj in the title contest among the big boys.
The veteran boxers shined in the women’s finals at the 44th Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki where Laura Myllymaeki, Wassila Lkhadiri, Zhaina Shekerbekova and Rosie Eccles all claimed gold medals.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales were the participating countries in Helsinki. Among them, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Scotland, Sweden, United States of America and Wales earned at least one title in the Gee Bee.
The bout of the day
Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn was near to qualify for the Paris Olympics but Los Angeles 2028 is in her full focus. The Dutch boxer had a very hard battle against her neighbour, Belgium’s Sarah Renders who exceeded all of the previous expectations. Van der Toorn used her jabs slightly better in the last decisive round and she won their 60kg semi-final by 3:2 split decision.
The surprise of the day
Scotland’s European Junior Champion Niamh Mitchell robbed into the level of the elite boxers only this year when she claimed the gold medal at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament. She eliminated a European Youth Champion, Italy’s Ginevra Muzzi in the semi-finals and she looked also unstoppable in the final of the 60kg against Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn. The Dutch boxer is more experienced in the elite competitions but Mitchell found the best weapon against her in the first minute to earn the title in Helsinki.
The Round-Up
Finland’s Laura Myllymaeki eliminated Norway’s Francine Lukungu Ahadi on their re-match in the semi-finals of the women’s 48kg weight category. The 34-year-old Finnish boxer was not enough shape in the first round against Italy’s new surprise at the Gee Bee, Chiara Mosetti but she turned up the heat in the second. Myllymaeki was more effective after the first break and she bagged the gold medal of the first final in Helsinki.
France’s World Championships bronze medallist and the Paris Olympian Wassila Lkhadiri is another experienced female boxer at the Gee Bee Tournament who eliminated Scotland’s young Neely Brooke in confidence and she used the same tactics in the final of the 51kg. The French boxer delivered a top performance with perfect timing in the final women’s against Kazakhstan’s Anita Adisheva and she won their meeting unanimously.
Kazakhstan’s World silver medallist Zhaina Shekerbekova had hard job in the preliminary and the quarter-final stages at the Gee Bee Tournament but she was better and stronger rounds by rounds. The 37-year-old veteran had a hard tactical job in the final of the 54kg against United States’ development team member, Jayshannet Ramos Zapata and she earned the third title in Helsinki.
United States’ Deborah Grant stopped several of her opponents in the recent national competitions but the Gee Bee is her first ever competition in Europe. The six-times US National Champion not only controlled the first round of the final of the 57kg against Denmark’s Alice Bennedbaek but she counted her opponent twice. After the third count, the referee confirmed Grant’s RSC triumph and she will celebrate her 25th birthday with a gold medal in Helsinki.
The Dutch boxers are amazing in this Gee Bee Tournament and their Mahmoud Al Chabtoun was still fresh enough to use his attacking style of boxing against Scotland’s returning Nicholas Devlin in the final of the men’s 60kg. Al Chabtoun’s strong pressure paid off in the first and second rounds which guaranteed his gold medal in Helsinki which is his top achievement this year.
Netherlands’ next finalist, the U19 World Champion Aaliyah Hoppema was born in 2007 therefore this is her first elite year. She is relatively small at the women’s 65kg weight class but she has the fighting spirit and the powerful rhythm to beat Norway’s Madeleine Angelsen today. Hoppema bagged a bronze medal at the Bocskai Memorial last month which she switched into a valuable gold in Finland. Netherlands’ third gold medal was achieved by Finn Bos at the men’s 70kg weight class following his tactical success over Germany’s Randy Botikali.
France’s Mohamed Ounai achieved a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament earlier this year which he upgraded into a gold at the Gee Bee after beating Denmark’s Qalid Osman in the final of the men’s 65kg. The next French boxer, the European Youth Champion Maelys Richol enjoyed her return to the events but Wales’ Commonwealth Games winner veteran Rosie Eccles was slightly better at the women’s 70kg final today.
Nicolo Vettore was too smart for Switzerland’s Gabriel Huber in the men’s 75kg final bout which controlled by the Italian from the first seconds. The next Italian finalist, a next generation member, Christian Sarsilli achieved a silver medal at the 80kg following his loss to Germany’s Ramil Schafer.
France’s European U23 Champion Junior Tadah counted his Italian opponent, Marvin Ghilarducci in the first round of the 85kg final and the ringside doctor stopped their contest in the second. Sweden’s European U23 bronze medallist Elwin Belezika captured his nation’s lone gold medal in the Gee Bee where he landed the stronger punches than Scotland’s Robert McNulty at the 90kg.
United States’ Nnajai Wright is only 19-year-old but he is one of the most talented boxers at the super heavyweight and he opened the year with a gold medal at the Gee Bee Tournament. The US talent eliminated Denmark’s David Farah Bakhsh in the semi-finals and he outpointed Germany’s new National Champion Dilvan Yazgan in the last bout of the entire tournament.
Netherlands’ Maud Van der Toorn, Italy’s Chiara Mosetti and Germany’s Randy Botikali were the heroes of the semi-finals at the 44th Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki. The Dutch and the German boxers proved perfect performance in the third competition day.
The Gee Bee Tournament is a great international competition with excellent possibilities to prepare for the big championships this year, including the European Elite Boxing Championships.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are the participating countries in the upcoming edition in Helsinki.
The bout of the day
Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn was near to qualify for the Paris Olympics but Los Angeles 2028 is in her full focus. The Dutch boxer had a very hard battle against her neighbour, Belgium’s Sarah Renders who exceeded all of the previous expectations. Van der Toorn used her jabs slightly better in the last decisive round and she won their 60kg semi-final by 3:2 split decision.
The surprise of the day
Italy’s Rome-based Chiara Mosetti won the last edition of their National Championships a few months ago and the Gee Bee Tournament is her debut in the international stage. Despite her lack of experience, the Italian surprised France’s Gloria D’Almeida in the first round and she had the great finish to beat her opponent in the semi-finals of the women’s 48kg.
The Round-Up
Finland’s Laura Myllymaeki started the year with a fantastic gold medal at the Golden Girl in Sweden and she was also on the top of the Nordic Boxing Championships. The 34-year-old Finnish boxer defeated Norway’s Francine Lukungu Ahadi twice this year and she repeated at the same performance at the Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki on their re-match.
Kazakhstan’s Asian Champion and former Olympian Zhaina Shekerbekova has a strict personal schedule at the Gee Bee Tournament where she has to box in all of the competition days. After two tough and tight successes in Helsinki, the 37-year-old veteran met Finland’s European bronze medallist Emma Jokiaho as next. Following the first tactical round, Shekerbekova had the speed and the effective attacks to beat the local opponent in the semi-finals of the women’s 54kg.
Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell claimed a European junior title, while her semi-final opponent, Ginevra Muzzi was a European Youth Champion. Both boxers are members of the next generation and will have strong impacts on the world of boxing in the upcoming years. Mitchell proved that her presence is also strong and she controlled most of the exchanges to win this 60kg semi-final.
France’s Mohamed Ounai is not the most experienced in their national team yet but his silver medal at the Boxam Tournament showed his great potential. The French had the world-class footwork in the first and second rounds to beat a US development team opponent, Dustin Jimenez today. Ounai’s final opponent at the men’s 65kg weight class will be Denmark’s new sensation, Qalid Osman on Sunday.
The dream final of the women’s 70kg weight category has accomplished at the Gee Bee Tournament, after the two favourites both marched to the title contest. Firstly, the European Youth Champion Maelys Richol of France defeated Finland’s Zabrina Holmstrom, secondly the Commonwealth Games winner Rosie Eccles of Wales triumphed over Kazakhstan’s Zhasmin Kizatova.
United States’ Richmond-based Nnajai Wright turned to 19 only last month but the super heavyweight boxer is one of the big names at the Gee Bee Tournament. The Brandenburg U19 Cup winner athlete controlled all of the three rounds against Denmark’s David Farah Bakhsh and he will now meet Germany’s new National Champion Dilvan Yazgan for the title of the super heavyweight.
France’s Wassila Lkhadiri claimed her first medal in the international stage of boxing in 2014 and after twelve years of routine, she had the skills to handle the first round against Scotland’s young Neely Brooke. The Olympian French boxer had an impressive third round as well which means that she will be boxing for the title of the women’s 51kg with Kazakhstan’s Anita Adisheva.
Denmark’s Alice Bennedbaek robbed into the world of European Boxing only last year and she claimed a gold medal at the Golden Girl in Sweden two months ago. She used her aggressive style of boxing to beat Scotland’s Lara Brown today and she can test her current skills against United States’ Deborah Grant in the final of the women’s 57kg.
Netherlands’ Mahmoud Al Chabtoun met against some amazing rivals during his career but he had to do his very best against United States’ Yahir Diaz Martinez today. The Dutch boxer landed the stronger punches and his start resulted an advantage for him on the judges’ scorecards. The US boy gave in everything in the third but Al Chabtoun managed this 60kg semi-final effectively to meet Scotland’s Nicholas Devlin for the gold medal.
Norway’s Madeleine Angelsen had a difficult start this year despite she invested a lot of work to increase her skills. The former Golden Girl made a strong comeback after the first round and she was able to outbox her US opponent, Alexis Proctor, in one of the top contests of the semi-finals. The experienced Norwegian will now meet Netherlands’ U19 World silver medallist Aaliyah Hoppema for the title of the 65kg.
Wales’ experienced Orlando Holley-Sotomi competed in several previous editions at the Gee Bee Tournament and he uses the event as preparation for the Commonwealth Games. The Welsh boy, who moved down to the 70kg, opened the first round strongly against Randy Botikali but his German opponent found the fighting range in time to turn back their semi-final. Botikali, who has a busy schedule this year, will be boxing for the gold medal of the weight class with Netherlands’ Finn Bos.
Finland’s European bronze medallist Emma Jokiaho delighted the local fans with her great finish during the quarter-finals of the 44th Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki today.
The Gee Bee Tournament is a great international competition with excellent possibilities to prepare for the big championships this year, including the European Elite Boxing Championships.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are the participating countries in the upcoming edition in Helsinki.
The bout of the day
Finland’s best female boxer, Pihla Kaivo-Oja is focusing to the major championships therefore Emma Jokiaho, their European bronze medallist is the flag bearer of the local team. The experienced boxer was not able to maintain the best fighting range in the first round therefore Jokiaho needed strong advices in the break. Finland’s pride worked better in the second and she made turned back their quarter-final bout with an exceptional third round.
The surprise of the day
Scotland developed women’s boxing in the recent years and their girls had a few strong international results in the 2020s. Their female boxers are keeping their eyes on the next Commonwealth Games which will be held in Glasgow, Scotland this July. Their Lara Brown does not have enough international experience yet but she had the stamina and the strong will to beat Kazakhstan’s Aidana Zabynbekova today.
The Round-Up
Kazakhstan’s 37-year-old Zhaina Shekerbekova had a tight success over Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim which was one of the best contests of the first day of boxing. The Kazakh veteran expected another hard battle in the opening bout of the second day against Italy’s Sirine Charaabi which was an exciting battle between the two Olympians. Charaabi bagged a bronze medal at the recent World Championships but she was competitive only in the second round this time therefore the Asian Champion Shekerbekova advanced to the semi-finals at the 54kg.
Wales has a small female team but the quality of their boxers are world-class which their Helen Jones proved once again in an international event. The Welsh girl controlled the first round with punctual punches against Germany’s Tatiana Obermeier who switched back to boxing from another martial art. Jones ruled the exchanges from her safest distance and she defeated the German national team member in the quarter-final at the 54kg.
Netherlands’ Tara Vogels is a big puncher and she received the right to compete at the women’s 57kg weight class in Helsinki following her teammate, Gabriella Weerheim moved down to the 54kg. The Dutch talent worked well in the first round against Finland’s Anna Tyni but her opponent, as Jokiaho in the 54kg, turned back their hectic quarter-final bout.
Ana Khunjua represented Georgia in the 2010s and she decided to switch to Belgium and she earned already tournament titles for her new nation. Khunjua had a powerful opponent from the US Development team, Deborah Grant who had impressive attacks especially in the second and third rounds to win this 57kg bout.
Denmark’s Alice Bennedbaek claimed the title at the annual Golden Girl in Sweden and despite her low number of bouts, she became a medallist also at the Gee Bee Tournament. The Danish boxer was never stopped attacking against Italy’s Madalina Grabucea and her great finish guaranteed a spot for Bennedbaek in the last four at the 57kg.
Scotland’s Nicholas Devlin returned to the national team due to the Commonwealth Games and he was a member of their delegation at the recent World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. The Scottish had the confidence against Italy’s Tiziano Alciati and he had the strong control in all of the three rounds today. Another excellent 60kg boxer in the Gee Bee, the US Yahir Diaz-Martinez eliminated Belgium’s Nadir Boulaiz unanimously.
Netherlands’ Mahmoud Al Chabtoun, one of the King of the Rings, is one of their most experienced male boxers in the squad and he had a strong start against Finland’s Konsta Junttila at the men’s 60kg. He saved some fuels in the third round for the upcoming bouts but he won their quarter-final bout with solid performance.
His teammate, the World Championships competitor Finn Bos used his strength to beat Scotland’s Taylor MacMahon in the quarter-finals of the 70kg. Germany’s Randy Botikali has a very busy schedule with events this year and he had the energetic attacks and the tempo to beat Italy’s Fabio Smedile.
The women’s 70kg is another strong category at the Gee Bee Tournament in Finland where Kazakhstan’s Asian U22 Champion Zhasmin Kizatova controlled her quarter-final against Sweden’s Alexandra Zhurzhenko. France’s returning European U23 Champion Maelys Richol eliminated Finland’s Vilma Kuusikko using her longer reach effectively in the next bout of this weight class.
Wales’ Rosie Eccles was very disappointed with her results in the Paris Olympics and she needed one and half year to recover and return to the sport. She had a strong debut at the Boxam Tournament earlier this year and she demonstrated her progress against Denmark’s veteran Ditte Frostholm in the quarter-finals of the 70kg.
The European Boxing’s first international educational program for the coaches will be held in Pajulahti, Finland in order to develop the knowledge of the trainers based on the modern standards.
The Finnish Boxing Federation will arrange all of the preparations for the course and the country has selected as the host due to their world-class training facilities.
The Finnish Boxing Federation hosts the Nordic Boxing Championships in the city of Vantaa, which will follow the education program for the coaches.
The historic course will take place in the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Pajulahti during the preparation camp for the upcoming Gee Bee Tournament.
The Gee Bee Tournament will feature in Helsinki on April 9-12 and the four-days long competition is one of the top international events next month.
Such strong nations as Belgium, Denmark, host Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are all planning to participate in the upcoming Gee Bee Tournament.
One of the most experienced European coaches, the Italian Mr. Raffaele Bergamasco will lead the education program for the continental-level trainers. Mr. Bergamasco worked as head coach in the Italian national team, in the Indian women’s squad and the Belgian national team in the recent one decade.
“Traditionally, continental federations have not organised their own coaches’ education programmes. However, discussions have highlighted the importance of bringing education closer to coaches, both logistically and economically. Europe is now taking the lead in this development,” said Finland’s head coach of the national team, Mr. Ervin Kade.
Alongside the new educational program, the European Boxing is introducing a clearer certification pathway for international coaching activities. The coaches will be required to complete a continental-level education programme in order to work in the corner at international competitions in the future.
The exciting 44th Gee Bee Tournament opened with its first competition day in Helsinki, Finland where 19 bouts were on the schedule of the session. Kazakhstan’s 37-year-old veteran Zhaina Shekerbekova won the bout of the day against the young Dutch talent, Gabriella Weerheim.
The Gee Bee Tournament is a great international competition with excellent possibilities to prepare for the big championships this year, including the European Elite Boxing Championships.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are the participating countries in the upcoming edition in Helsinki.
The bout of the day
Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim achieved a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament in Spain where she began the busy year. The young Dutch moved down to the 54kg weight class and she had an opponent from Kazakhstan, the Olympian Zhaina Shekerbekova with the similar physical skills. Both boxers landed punches from closer range and the final verdict was depended only on their performance in the last round. The Asian Champion Kazakh is 16-years-older than Weerheim and only her routine was the difference between them today.
The surprise of the day
France’s Djamel Djemmal bagged a bronze medal at the 2024 Youth World Boxing Championships and he was named as one of the favourites in the men’s 70kg weight class. The 20-year-old French did not find the best fighting distance in the first round against Scotland’s Taylor McMahon and his opponent took the lead after three busy minutes. The Scottish boxer was in shape and his stylish boxing delivered a surprise success over one of the favourites.
The Round-Up
Italy’s Paris Olympian Sirine Charaabi bagged a bronze medal at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool and she used the recent months to develop herself in terms of speed and accuracy. The Italian dominated the first round against Sweden’s Lia Tissell and she was still able to increase her intense of footwork in the second. Charaabi used this contest as a warm-up in Helsinki and she won this 54kg female bout by large margin of difference on the scorecards.
United States’ Jayshannet Ramos Zapata opened the first round better than Scotland’s Stephanie Kernachan and she had the better punches after the tactical start. Ramos controlled also the second round with her punctual combinations but the Scottish girl was a type of never give up. Kernachan, who has been preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Games with full speed, made brilliant efforts in the last three minutes but Ramos had still the advantage to win their 54kg meeting.
Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell, the former European Junior Champion, earned a gold medal at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament in Hungary last month and she arrived to Helsinki with high hopes. The Scottish is not an experienced elite yet but she used her long reach with confidence in the first and third rounds to beat Kazakhstan’s Anar Tursynbek at the 60kg.
Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn was born in 2005 while her first opponent in Helsinki, Sweden’ Lili Arman is member of the 2007 age group and she is a new elite in the team. Despite Arman’s lack of experience in the elite events, she was highly competitive for the 60kg Dutch girl therefore Van der Toorn needed to keep the focus until the last seconds today.
Belgium’s new female national team member, Sarah Renders made strong first and third rounds against Switzerland’s Noemi Iuva to win their 60kg meeting in Helsinki. The next Dutch boxer in action after Maud Van der Toorn, the U19 World silver medallist Aaliyah Hoppema controlled all of the three rounds against Denmark’s Golden Girl winner Caroline Lauenborg at the 65kg.
Denmark’s Qalid Osman is a new elite team member but he proved his strong progress in the first day of boxing when he eliminated Scotland’s Leo Church. United States’ Dustin Jimenez and France’s Boxam silver medallist Mohamed Ounai both were unstoppable in this 65kg today.
Wales’ U19 World Champion Dan Pitt eliminated Germany’s Jason Zeller in the opening bout of the tough men’s 80kg weight class. Sweden’s Divine Ejesum was too strong for Switzerland’s Diego Mazzarelli while Italy’s Christian Sarsilli had a tight success over Scotland’s Alan Perrie in this division.
Finland’s capital, Helsinki will be the host of the 44th edition of the Gee Bee Tournament as the next highlight among the European competitions.
The Gee Bee Tournament is a great international competition with excellent possibilities to prepare for the big championships this year, including the European Elite Boxing Championships.
Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are the participating countries in the upcoming edition in Helsinki.
The competition venue will be the Helsinki Sport Hall where altogether 17 winners to be crowned in the new edition. The accommodation and the meals will be at the Hotel Scandic Kallio as in the previous years.
The women boxers can participate in seven different weight categories in Helsinki at the 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 65kg, and 70kg divisions. The 10 men’s elite weight categories are in the event as follows: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg and +90kg.
The first edition of the Gee Bee Tournament was held in 1982 and the competition has the tradition with high quality of standard. The competition was named after Gunnar Baerlund, Finland’s heavyweight European Champion from 1934.
Sweden’s best male boxer, Kevin Scott, Netherlands’ Kian Terwint and Finland’s Ismail Umar won the awards at the 43rdedition of the Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki one year ago.
Altogether 84 bouts were held in the last edition of the Gee Bee Tournament and representatives from Australia, Belgium, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Wales participated in 2025.
The facts of the Gee Bee Tournament
Name: Gee Bee Tournament
Competition Period: April 9-12
Venue: Helsinki, Finland
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: Elite
Date of Birth of the boxers: 1986-2007 born boxers
The schedule of the Gee Bee Tournament
April 8 – Arrivals of the delegations
April 8 – Sport Entries Check
April 8, 20:00 – Technical Meeting
April 8, 21:00 – Official Draw
April 9, 18:00 – Day1 competition
April 10, 12:00 & 18:00 – Day2 competition
April 11, 12:00 & 18:00 – Day3 competition
April 12, 13:00 – Day4 competition with the finals
April 13 – Departures of the delegations
The boxers who need to be watched in the Gee Bee Tournament
- Wassila Lkhadiri, France, women’s 51kg – Olympian; World Championships bronze medallist
- Jennifer Lozano, United States of America, women’s 51kg – Olympian; Panamerican Champion
- Zhaina Shekerbekova, Kazakhstan, women’s 54kg – Olympian; World Championships silver medallist; Asian Champion
- Sirine Charaabi, Italy, women’s 54kg – Olympian; World Championships bronze medallist
- Emma Jokiaho, Finland, women’s 54kg – European Championships bronze medallist
- Maud Van der Toorn, Netherlands, women’s 60kg – Youth World Champion
- Ginevra Muzzi, Italy, women’s 60kg – European Youth Champion
- Niamh Mitchell, Scotland, women’s 60kg – European Junior Champion; Bocskai Memorial Tournament winner
- Aaliyah Hoppema, Netherlands, women’s 65kg – Silver medallist at the U19 World Boxing Championships
- Zhasmin Kizatova, Kazakhstan, women’s 65kg – Asian U22 Champion
- Maelys Richol, France, women’s 70kg – European Youth Champion
- Rosie Eccles, Wales, women’s 70kg – Olympian; Commonwealth Games winner
- Mohamed Ounai, France, men’s 65kg – Boxam Tournament silver medallist
- Djamel Djemmal, France, men’s 70kg – Youth World Championships bronze medallist
- Christian Sarsilli, Italy, men’s 80kg – European Youth Champion
- Junior Tadah, France, men’s 85kg – European U23 Champion
- Victor Schelstraete, Belgium, men’s 90kg – Olympian; World Championships bronze medallist
- Elwin Belezika, Sweden, men’s 90kg – European U23 Championships bronze medallist
Subhan Mamedov won the most anticipated final of the Great Silk Way Tournament in Baku, where he defeated a European Youth Champion, Bilalkhabashi Nazarov.
Altogether 29 female and 97 male boxers competed in the annual Great Silk Way Tournament in the heart of Azerbaijan.
The bout of the day
The first male final bout was the most anticipated contest of the Great Silk Way Tournament and it has served as a selection between two Azeri stars. The European U23 Champion Subhan Mamedov eliminated Georgia’s Goga Topuria in the semi-finals of the men’s 50kg and he faced the 18-year-old super talented teammate, Bilalkhabashi Nazarov for the gold. The European Youth Champion Nazarov also has excellent technical skills and he showed not only strong resistance in the final but hard moments for the older Mamedov who had to do his very best to win this tough contest.
The surprise of the day
Turkey’s Refik Kartal caused a surprise in the semi-finals of the men’s 70kg when he eliminated Azerbaijan’s World Championships bronze medallist Sarkhan Aliyev. The Turkish boxer continued the winning path against Darkhan Duisebay of Kazakhstan which was another surprise victory for Kartal. The former Asian Youth Champion Kazakh was not enough punctual today therefore Kartal won their final by 3:2 split decision.
The Round-Up
After the top final at the 50kg, another two Azeri boxers competed for the title of the men’s 55kg which delivered another sensational battle. Amin Mammadzadeh is very busy this year, he claimed a silver medal at the recent Bocskai Memorial Tournament and he eliminated the favourite Zidan Hunbatov in the semi-finals. Mammadzadeh felt the distance once again and he had the best strategy to beat his teammate, Zalimkhan Suleymanov for the gold medal.
Georgia’s Georgi Natroshvili had a serious disadvantage after two rounds in the semi-finals of the 75kg when he faced the top favourite, the World bronze medallist Saidjamshid Jafarov of Azerbaijan but he had strong punches in the third to stop the No.1 of this weight class. Natroshvili focused more in the opening round of his final bout and he had the performance to beat Uzbekistan’s Sherbek Shokirov to take the title in Baku.
Kazakhstan’s Bakbergen Aliaskarov, the Asian U22 Champion, marched into the finals of the 80kg weight class using his powerful jabs. The Kazakh boxer had a local opponent in the final, Seyid Seyidov, and he controlled two out of the three rounds to win the final of this weight category at the Great Silk Way.
Turkey’s Bedirhan Kalkan achieved a bronze medal at the 2025 European U23 Boxing Championships in Budapest last November and he received the right to continue his international pathway at the Great Silk Way Tournament. The Turkish boxer felt the distance well against Kazakhstan’s Beknur Batyrbek and he earned the title of the 85kg.
Azerbaijan’s Surat Garayev had a tight success over Australia’s Joshua Heske in the final of the men’s 90kg which was another hectic bout in the sixth competition day. The Olympian and European Games silver medallist Mahammad Abdullayev had also an opponent for Australia, the National Selection winner Alexander Shaw. The Aussie boxer was highly competitive in the final against such strong opponent as Abdullayev but the local athlete celebrated the title after the last gong.
Two of the experienced Azeri boxers as the Olympian Tayfur Aliyev and Malik Hasanov both walked over to their titles at the 60kg and the 65kg.
Kazakhstan, Algeria and Turkey won the female finals at the Great Silk Way Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan where Berfin Kabak had a dominant title contest.
Altogether 29 female and 97 male boxers are participating in the annual Great Silk Way Tournament in the heart of Azerbaijan.
Baku hosted several big events in the recent 20 years, including the Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships in 2011, the Youth World Boxing Championships and the Cadet World Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
Kazakhstan’s Anel Kudaybergen has big plans for this year after a few poor seasons and she accomplished her goal in the Great Silk Way Tournament. The 25-year-old boxer had a hard battle in the final of the women’s 48kg against her teammate, the Asian U22 Championships silver medallist Akbota Bolat, but her hand was raised after the last bell, winning the hectic contest by 3:2 split decision.
The surprise of the day
Azerbaijan’s Zidan Hunbatov earned plenty of medals and titles during his junior and youth career and he is one of the aces for the future elite events. The 18-year-old boxer was the favourite against the tall Amin Mammadzadeh who moved down to the 55kg after his silver medal at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament. Mammadzadeh had the better strategy in their semi-final and he will now meet for the title, Zalimkhan Suleymanov.
The Round-Up
Algeria’s Fatiha Mansouri eliminated several top opponents during her road to the final of the women’s 51kg weight category but she was still highly motivated to take the title of the Great Silk Way Tournament. The Algerian boxer and her opponent from Kazakhstan, Zhansaya Rakhymberdi, both were exhausted in the last round but Mansouri’s stamina caused a tight difference between them.
Kazakhstan’s Anel Sakysh moved up to the 54kg weight class in this Olympic cycle to get a chance in major competitions as well. The 24-year-old boxer gained the control in the first round of the final against her compatriot, Anzha Sadvakassova and she managed to win most of the rounds to take the title of the Great Silk Way.
Turkey’s Berfin Kabak started her road in the Round of 16 in Baku when she stopped Hungary’s Diana Cifra in the third period of their preliminary bout. The Turkish boxer repeated that performance also in the final of the women’s 65kg and she stopped Australia’s Eve Bryson with punctual and heavy punches.
Azerbaijan’s European U23 Champion Subhan Mamedov used his reach better than Georgia’s Goga Topuria and he controlled all of the three rounds in their 50kg semi-final battle. Mamedov’s final opponent will be his 18-year-old super talented teammate, Bilalkhabashi Nazarov which could be one of the most awaited title bouts.
Azerbaijan’s next young talent, Mahammadali Ashiraliyev performed strongly against Kazakhstan’s Asian U22 Champion Nursultan Altynbek and he joined the final of the 60kg category. After that big scalp, Ashiraliyev will be boxing for the gold medal of the lightweight with the experienced Olympian, Tayfur Aliyev.
Azerbaijan’s Malik Hasanov is another star of the annual Great Silk Way Tournament and Bulgaria’s European U23 silver medallist Viktorio Iliev was also not able to stop him in the semi-final of the 65kg. Hasanov’s final opponent will be Zaur Gahramanov while several boxers from Kazakhstan, Turkey, Australia and Uzbekistan have joined the title contests.
Kyrgyzstan’s No.1, the Paris Olympics silver medallist Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu returned with a gold medal at the 34thedition of the Ahmet Comert Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament in Istanbul.
Uzbekistan topped the medal standings with five gold medals ahead of Ukraine’s four titles at the Ahmet Comert Bosphorus International Tournament. Turkey and Kazakhstan both bagged three titles in the event while Kyrgyzstan and Ireland both earned two gold medals in Istanbul.
The city of Istanbul will be the host of the next edition of the European Games on June 16-27 in 2027.
The bout of the day
Germany’s Jule Woche exceeded all of the previous expectations in the Ahmet Comert Tournament and she won three tough contests to reach the final of the competition. The German had to meet Kazakhstan’s Asian Youth Champion Assem Tanatar for the title of the women’s 65kg weight class. The Kazakh started the first round better but Woche was better minutes by minutes in this excellent final contest. The German produced a superb final round but she was not able to turn back this title bout which guaranteed Kazakhstan’s first gold medal in the event.
The surprise of the day
Kazakhstan’s Oner Seilkhan was a gold medallist at the 2024 Youth World Boxing Championships but the 19-year-old boxer is still new among the elites. Additionally, Seilkhan moved up two categories since his youth ages but he looked highly confident in the final against such an experienced and strong boxer as Ukraine’s European U23 Champion Dzhamal Kuliyev.
The Round-up
Uzbekistan’s Robiyakhon Bakhtiyorova moved back to the 48kg which is perfect for her physical condition and she impressed in the entire tournament. The young Uzbek controlled all of her contests in Istanbul, including the final against Zeynep Onen of Turkey. Her teammate, the Asian Youth Champion Uzukjamol Yunusova became also a champion in the event after beating Ireland’s Nicole Clyde at the 54kg.
Ireland sent a strong female team to the Ahmet Comert Tournament and two of their girls have crowned in the event. Firstly, the returning Caitlin Fryers defeated Turkey’s Eda Nur Kilicci at the women’s 51kg with top performance. Secondly, their European U22 Champion Niamh Fay continued her winning path and she had the perfect strategy against Serbia’s Jelena Zekic at the women’s 57kg.
Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova claimed a gold medal at the 2021 edition of the Asian Elite Boxing Championships and her main goal is to regain the top spot in the national squad at the women’s 60kg. The Paris Olympian maintained the best fighting distance in the first round against Turkey’s Esmanur Lok and she was able to continue the same performance until the last bell of the final.
Ukraine’s Anastasia Chernokolenko was a bronze medallist at the 2014 Women’s World Boxing Championships and after twelve years in the events, she was still speedy and motivated to win the 70kg. Her teammate, Raisa Piskun progressed in all aspects of boxing in the recent two years and she had the strong punches to take the title at the 80kg.
Romania’s Amalia Nita had brilliant results among the junior and youth events and the European Champion reached the top of the podium at the women’s 75kg, achieving her nation’s lone gold medal in Istanbul. Uzbekistan’s two-time Asian Youth Champion Sobirakhon Shakhobiddinova was the strongest boxer in the women’s +80kg and the 19-year-old talent defeated Ukraine’s Polina Chernenko to take the last female gold medal.
Turkey’s Salih Samet Oruc used his patient style of boxing to take the title of the men’s 50kg after beating Ulas Yalcinkaya. Semih Gumus bagged Turkey’s second gold medal in the event, he had a tough battle against Kyrgyzstan’s Zafarbek Kamilov at the 55kg. Vedat Kacar achieved Turkey’s third gold medal in the event, he succeeded over Australia’s Toby Reading at the men’s 75kg final.
Kyrgyzstan’s Paris Olympics silver medallist Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu reached amazing historic milestones for his nation’s boxing in 2023 and in 2024. The currently 30-year-old boxer returned in the Ahmet Comert Tournament in top shape and he had the comfortable success over Ukraine’s Ivan Zavadskyi at the 60kg.
Uzbekistan’s Ilkhomjon Ergashev (65kg), Kyrgyzstan’s Ikhtiyor Nishonov (70kg), Kazakhstan’s Ayan Kalmakhanbetov (85kg), and Ukraine’s duo, Yevhenii Pavlovskyi (90kg) and Dmytro Lovchinskyi (+90kg) also earned titles in Istanbul.
Algeria’s Fatiha Mansouri won one of the toughest bouts at the Great Silk Way Tournament in Baku on Day4 and several of the final line-ups are decided.
Altogether 29 female and 97 male boxers are participating in the annual Great Silk Way Tournament in the heart of Azerbaijan.
Baku hosted several big events in the recent 20 years, including the Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships in 2011, the Youth World Boxing Championships and the Cadet World Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
The Algerian girls progressed a lot and their new national team has great future potential in the upcoming major events as the Mediterranean Games. Their Fatiha Mansouri had the technical skills to keep the same level as Turkey’s Gamze Soguksu and she had the chance to make a surprise after two rounds. The Algerian had the stamina in the last round to win the semi-final of the women’s 51kg and she will be meeting Kazakhstan’s Zhansaya Rakhymberdi for the title.
The surprise of the day
Australia’s Eve Bryson is a very talented boxer with strong development but she expected a hard bout against Azerbaijan’s European Junior Champion Emili Rzayeva. The local boxer had the support from the crowd but Bryson not only adopted the level of the contest but her control in the second and third rounds were decisive. The Australian will be facing for the gold medal with Turkey’s Berfin Kabak who defeated her third rival in Baku today.
The Round-Up
Kazakhstan’s Anel Kudaybergen, the former Youth World bronze medallist, had a difficult semi-final at the women’s 48kg when she met Australia’s Alana Selak but she was able to keep the full focus. The 25-year-old Kazakh had a good finish to beat the Aussie boxer today and she will be boxing for the title of the Great Silk Way Tournament with Akbota Bolat, an Asian U22 Champion.
Kazakhstan’s Anel Sakysh achieved her first top result, a silver at the 2019 Asian Youth Boxing Championships and she had the strong start against Gaukhar Zarden, another boxer from her nation. The 24-year-old Sakysh finished the job in the second round when the referee confirmed her RSC success therefore she has the chance to take the title of the 54kg against her teammate, Anzha Sadvakassova.
Azerbaijan’s Subhan Mamedov achieved a gold medal at the European U23 Boxing Championships in Budapest a few months ago and he came back to the international events in Baku. Mamedov used his long hands to keep the best distance against Australia’s Bocskai Memorial Tournament silver medallist Lachlan Shipsey and he secured his place in the semi-finals of the men’s 50kg.
Azerbaijan’s next ace in the smallest men’s category, Bilalkhabashi Nazarov dominated the first and second rounds against Yusif Soltanov and his strength made the difference today. Another star in this 50kg weight category, Georgia’s Sakhil Alakhverdovi had punctual attacks from his safest distance to beat Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nuridenov.
Azerbaijan’s Tayfur Aliyev earned his first ever elite result, a bronze at the 2015 European Games when he was only 18-year-old. The experienced boxer felt the rhythm in most of the exchanges against Algeria’s most promising male pugilist, Mouatez Bechagra today. His younger teammates, such as Mahammadali Ashiraliyev and Mahammadali Gasimzadeh both eliminated their opponents at the 60kg.
Azerbaijan’s Zidan Hunbatov, Uzbekistan’s Sherbek Shokirov and Bulgaria’s Viktorio Iliev won tight contests at the Great Silk Way Tournament in Baku during the day of the quarter-finals.
Altogether 29 female and 97 male boxers are participating in the annual Great Silk Way Tournament in the heart of Azerbaijan.
Baku hosted several big events in the recent 20 years, including the Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships in 2011, the Youth World Boxing Championships and the Cadet World Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
Azerbaijan’s next sensation at the 55kg weight class, Zidan Hunbatov is a new addition from their powerful U19 team and he had strong pedigree in all of the previous international events. The teenager had a competitive rival today, Algeria’s Mohamed Abbas but his technical skills and stamina were enough to win this crucial battle today.
The surprise of the day
Kazakhstan’s Talgat Shayken achieved a gold medal at the 2018 Asian Youth Championships and a silver at the annual Youth World Boxing Championships. The Kazakh boxer returned to the events after a short break and he was named as one of the gold medal favourites at the men’s 75kg. Shayken surprisingly failed to reach a medal in Baku after his unexpected loss to Uzbekistan’s young Sherbek Shokirov.
The Round-Up
Turkey’s Gamze Soguksu is a talented boxer at the women’s 51kg but she had to meet Kazakhstan’s Youth World Champion Yelyanur Turganova in the third day of boxing. The 19-year-old Kazakh has just moved up to this weight class and she did not adopt the rhythm and the strength of the division yet. The Turkish boxer delivered her best ever performance in this bout and she defeated such a technician boxer as Turganova.
Azerbaijan’s Emili Rzayeva had an outstanding junior and youth boxing career and she is now a member of their elite national team. She had a seriously hard job against Algeria’s newcomer Melissa Hamda in the quarter-finals of the women’s 65kg but she managed to beat her opponent by 3:2 split decision.
Australia’s Eve Bryson joined the international events only 15 months ago but she had such a great progress after the intense training camps of the recent weeks. The Aussie boxer outpointed Kazakhstan’s Symbat Aliaskar today and her opponent abandoned this 65kg contest after the second round.
Azerbaijan’s Amin Mammadzade bagged silver medal at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament in Hungary last month and he moved back to the 55kg, which is the best for him. The local boxer gained the control against Uzbekistan’s Otabek Ismoilov in the first round and he kept it until the last gong today.
Kazakhstan’s experienced Timur Kabdeshov had a strong performance against Georgia’s Lado Karchava in the 55kg and he is also a medallist in Baku. His teammates, such as Beknur Batyrbek (85kg), Dauren Mamyr (85kg) and Ontalap Rakhmanov (90kg) all joined the next phase of the tournament.
Azerbaijan’s Zaur Gahramanov is another high hope for the future who demonstrated his power against Mahmud Huseynov at the 65kg. The best Azeri boxer in this weight class, the tall Malik Hasanov used his longer reach well enough to beat a dangerous opponent, Georgia’s Levan Demurovi in their quarter-final.
Bulgaria’s Viktorio Iliev developed rapidly in the recent one and half year and he achieved a fantastic silver medal at the European U23 Boxing Championships in 2025. The 19-year-old Bulgarian, who tested his skills also in World Cups last year, controlled most of the exchanges against Algeria’s promising Mohamed Walid Allaoui in the next 65kg quarter-final battle.
Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Altynbek made a great debut at the 60kg in the Great Silk Way Tournament opened in Baku, Azerbaijan today where Sabuhi Alizadeh, Alexander Shaw, Sakhil Alakhverdovi and Tayfur Aliyev also managed to win their openers.
Altogether 29 female and 97 male boxers are participating in the annual Great Silk Way Tournament in the heart of Azerbaijan.
Baku hosted several big events in the recent 20 years, including the Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships in 2011, the Youth World Boxing Championships and the Cadet World Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
Azerbaijan’s Sabuhi Alizadeh had the height and weight advantage against Algeria’s newcomer Abderrahim Magta and he used that well in the first round. The Azeri super heavyweight boxer stopped the Algerian attacks in the second and third periods and Alizadeh celebrated a well-deserved success after the last gong.
The surprise of the day
Australia’s Alexander Shaw won their Elite National Selection Tournament this year and he used his strength to take the lead against Moldova’s Nicolae Burdiuja at the +90kg. The Aussie boxer found the wholes between the wholes of the Moldovan boxer and his body shots also worked well in their meeting therefore Shaw joined the next stage of the event.
The Round-Up
Australia’s Alana Selak competed in Sweden, Colombia and the United States in the recent 15 months and she conquered Azerbaijan in the opening bout of the second competition day. The Aussie girl controlled all of the three rounds against Azerbaijan’s Lala Madatova and she joined the next stage at the women’s 48kg.
Kazakhstan’s Anel Kudaybergen achieved already a bronze medal at the 2018 Youth World Boxing Championships in Budapest and she had a perfect opener in the Great Silk Way Tournament against Azerbaijan’s Mehpara Mammadova. Her teammate at the 54kg, Anzha Sadvakassova had a tight victory over Algeria’s Douaa Rouaz and she needed a great finish to win this bout.
Turkey’s southpaw, Berfin Kabak competed in the 2024 edition of the European U23 Boxing Championships and he represented the country in various events from Poland to Bulgaria. The 24-year-old Turkish faced Hungary’s Diana Cifra in the Round of 16 at the women’s 65kg weight category and she expected a hard fight today. The Hungarian was competitive in the first round but from the second Kabak had the dominance and a stoppage in the third round favoured the Turkish athlete.
Kazakhstan’s Nursultan Nuridenov had impressive youth results in the past but he was not able to make the real breakthrough among the elite boxers yet. The 50kg Kazakh had the technician style of boxing in all of the three rounds against Moldova’s Mihai Porombac and his hand was raised after the last gong.
Georgia’s Sakhil Alakhverdovi is a European Champion, World bronze medallist boxer in the smallest weight class and he is one of the top names at the Great Silk Way Tournament. The Georgian was patient in the attacks and he controlled all of the three rounds against Azerbaijan’s Ramal Yolchuyev with his longer reach.
The 60kg weight class is fantastic at the Great Silk Way Tournament in Baku where a local boy, Umud Rustamov won the first preliminary bout against Australia’s Johnny Dale. Bulgaria’s Yasen Radev continued the winning series and he had the right responses to Georgia’s Davit Mushkudiani.
Kazakhstan’s Asian U22 Champion Nursultan Altynbek moved up to the 60kg this year and he had the technical superiority against Azerbaijan’s Nadir Malikov. One of the most talented local hopes in this weight class, Mahammadali Gasimzadeh was confident in his debuting contest but Algeria’s Mouatez Bechagra and the veteran Tayfur Aliyev also impressed in the Round of 16.
Turkey’s Onen Zeynep, Germany’s Jule Woche and Australia’s Bilal Souied made surprise successes at the 34th edition of the Ahmet Comert Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament in Istanbul on Day5.
Such great boxing nations as Australia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan are competing at the Ahmet Comert with strong boxers.
The city of Istanbul will be the host of the next edition of the European Games on June 16-27 in 2027.
The bout of the day
Kyrgyzstan’s Paris Olympics silver medallist Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu used his patient style of boxing against Germany’s Denis Bril but his opponent also adopted that tactical chess game in the first round. The 30-year-old Kyrgyz was more punctual in the second round and he looked more fresh also in the third mentally and physically to reach the final of the 60kg weight class after his victory in the bout of the day.
The surprise of the day
Kazakhstan’s Gulnaz Buribayeva spent her career mostly out of her country in various international competitions and she is aiming for a top elite result. The Central Asian started better than Turkey’s Onen Zeynep and she had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards after one round. The local boxer felt the support of the home crowd and she made a big U-turn from the second round therefore Zeynep caused a surprise success on Day5.
The Round-up
Ireland’s Caitlin Fryers had a superb boxing career in the 2010s and she decided to continue her job in the ring to achieve something big this year. The Irish girl is small in the women’s 51kg but she had energetic attacks against Turkey’s Emine Kilinc and she won all of the three rounds in the first semi-final of the day.
Australia’s Leah Anderton earned a bronze medal at the U19 World Boxing Championships in Pueblo one and half year ago and now she is aiming for the top spot in the elite national team. The Aussie boxer moved forward against Turkey’s Eda Nur Kilicci in the first round but the local girl used her distance better and she had the advantage on the scorecards. The Turkish boxer had unpredictable movements, she outperformed technically the Australian and she joined the finals of the women’s 51kg.
Turkey’s two young hopefuls such as Salih Samet Oruc and Nurullah Oyan had to meet in the first semi-final of the men’s 50kg in Istanbul today. Oruc worked from longer distance and she felt the tempo better in the first and second rounds therefore he had the advantage after six minutes. Oruc reduced his speed in the third round to save power and he was more static but his skills were enough to win the first male semi-final of the day.
The Uzbek management decided to send the 2021 Asian Champion Sitora Turdibekova to the Ahmet Comert Tournament instead of the current Asian Boxing Championships. The 24-year-old Paris Olympian controlled all of the three rounds against Turkey’s Berfin Polat and she joined the final of the women’s 60kg. Turdibekova’s final opponent will be another Turkish boxer, Esmanur Lok who eliminated Australia’s Jasmine Poole in the second semi-final.
Turkey’s Vedat Kacar had to meet his teammate, the talented Alperen Yilmaz in the semi-finals of the men’s 75kg division. After the first tactical round, Kacar turned up the heat and his strategy worked well to beat an experienced opponent in the last four. He will now face for the title Australia’s Toby Reading who had a successful mission against Turkey’s Berke Sadettin Sahap.
Ukraine’s Anastasia Chernokolenko earned her first World medal still back in 2014 and she moved down two weight categories since that success. The veteran Ukrainian used her distance better against Serbia’s World bronze medallist Nikolina Gajic and she was better minutes by minutes in the exchanges. Chernokolenko’s efforts guaranteed her spot in the final of the women’s 70kg where she will be boxing with her 14-years-younger teammate, the European Youth Champion Anastasia Taran.
Moldova’s Andrei Zaplitnii competed in dozens of competitions in the recent 10 years and he had the routine to beat Turkey’s Muhammet Yagiz Tunc in the semi-finals of the men’s 90kg. The Moldovan controlled all of the three rounds from his best fighting range and he can expect a hard final battle in Istanbul.
Germany’s new national team member in the women’s squad, Suada Ibraimovski is a newcomer in the international stage of boxing but she tried to use top footwork to avoid her opponent’s attacks. Uzbekistan’s Robiyakhon Bakhtiyorova ruled the middle of the ring in their semi-final bout at the 48kg and her routine was decisive today.
Ukraine’s Ivan Zavadskyi dictated the tempo against Ireland’s World Championships competitor Adam Hession and he took the lead after three minutes. The Irish boxer switched into a higher tempo and he tried to catch the Ukrainian was Zavadskyi delivered his best performance with perfect timing in the semi-finals of the 60kg.
Turkey’s Erivan Barut and Ireland’s Niamh Fay both earned gold medals at the 2022 edition of the European U22 Boxing Championships in different weight categories. The Irish boxer controlled the second round impressively and she had the stamina in the third to beat her top opponent. Fay will now meet for the title of the women’s 57kg Serbia’s Jelena Zekic who has more than 10 years of international experience.
Kazakhstan’s Bakytzhan Aitmukhanov had the technician performance to find the best counter-attacking angles and stopped Australia’s Bilal Souied. The Aussie boxer caught the young Kazakh with powerful combinations and his pressure paid off in the second round when the referee confirmed his RSC victory at the 85kg.
Germany’s Jule Woche was almost unknown before the start of the Ahmet Comert Tournament but after her tough five competition days, she is now a finalist at the women’s 65kg. The German boxer found the best fighting range in the beginning of the second round and she eliminated Romania’s Andra Crinuta Sebe to meet Kazakhstan’s Assem Tanatar for the gold medal.
Kyrgyzstan’s Zafarbek Kamilov and Australia’s Raphael Barone both amazed at the 34th edition of the Ahmet Comert Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament in Istanbul on Day4.
Such great boxing nations as Australia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan are competing at the Ahmet Comert with strong boxers.
The city of Istanbul will be the host of the next edition of the European Games on June 16-27 in 2027.
The bout of the day
Nihat Adiyan, the Turkish southpaw, had an exceptional footwork in the first round against a top Kyrgyz boxer, the Asian Youth silver medallist Zafarbek Kamilov at the 55kg. The Turkish boxer exceeded the expectations in the second round but Kamilov also increased his tempo in time to remain his winning chance alive. The Turkish boxer was running out of fuel in the third round and the Kyrgyz looked more punctual in the last exchanges which were decisive between them. The 20-year-old Kamilov joined the finals of this strong weight category and he will now meet for the gold medal Semih Gumus of Turkey.
The surprise of the day
Australia’s Raphael Barone, the silver medallist from their recent National Selection Tournament, and Turkey’s Ugur Aydemir had the similar physical skills and conditions therefore the first and second rounds were so equal between them. The new Australian super heavyweight boxer delighted the experts with his performance in the third round and he eliminated a more experienced pugilist.
The Round-up
Ireland’s Caitlin Fryers had strong results among the junior and youth boxing tournaments in the past and she decided to return to the world of boxing. The Irish girl met Australia’s Madeleine Bowen in the quarter-finals of the women’s 51kg and her punched were decisive in the third round when the referee stopped the bout.
The next Australian boxer in this weight class, Leah Anderton is an even younger talent who competed at the U19 World Boxing Championships in 2024. Anderton underlined in the first round against Selcan Oksuzoglu of Turkey that she is the better boxer and her dominance was even stronger in the second. The local girl was not able to repeat to that rhythm and Anderton won their quarter-final bout at the 51kg by large margin of difference.
Serbia’s World Youth bronze medallist Nikolina Dzida had a strong Turkish opponent in the quarter-finals of the women’s 51kg, Eda Nur Kilicci. The Serbian had the fighting spirit and the youthful enthusiasm in this contest but Kilicci worked hard in all the three rounds to win this contest on home soil.
Georgia sent a team also to the Ahmet Comert Tournament and their new super heavyweight boxer, Beka Tserediani looked two-size bigger than Turkey’s Veysel Turan. The powerful Georgian is not experienced in the international yet but he was dominant in this quarter-final bout which finished in the second round.
Ukraine’s Paris Olympian and European U22 Champion Dmytro Lovchinskyi had a tough opponent as first in Istanbul, Germany’s Younes Ouachou at the +90kg. The opening round delivered almost equal number of punches on both sides but the more experienced Ukrainian stepped into the gas in the second. The younger Ouachou was competitive today but his routine is not enough yet to beat such strong boxers as Lovchinskyi.
Turkey’s Berfin Polat and Ukraine’s Veronika Korets had an exciting quarter-final battle at the women’s 60kg weight class today. Polat achieved a bronze medal at the recent European U23 Boxing Championships in Budapest and she found the best fighting distance earlier than her Ukrainian opponent. Korets made a great finish in the third round but her efforts were not enough to turn back this quarter-final bout.
Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova achieved a gold medal at the 2021 Asian Elite Boxing Championships at the age of 19 and he moved up to the 60kg in this Olympic cycle. The Paris Olympian performed strongly in the second and third rounds to beat Turkey’s Evin Erginoguz in their quarter-final.
Jasmine Poole trained in England in the recent years and the Ahmet Comert Tournament is a new challenge for the talented Aussie boxer. She faced Germany’s Ayssa Lopez Martinez in the quarter-finals of the women’s 60kg weight category and the first round was better for the Australian. Poole’s best period was the third against the tiring German boxer and she managed her path to the semi-finals in Istanbul.
Uzbekistan’s Sobirakhon Shakhobiddinova was unstoppable during her junior and youth ages and she earned several Asian titles in the recent years. The 19-year-old Uzbek is now a promising elite boxer and she used her footwork effectively against Kazakhstan’s Assel Toktassyn therefore Shakhobiddinova became the first finalist in Istanbul where she will now meet Ukraine’s Polina Chernenko for the title of the women’s +80kg.
Sayat Ilyasov competed for Uzbekistan in several top events and the current Asian U23 Champion decided to move to Kazakhstan in the previous months. Ilyasov had to face one of the best Kyrgyz boxers of our present days, Omar Livaza but he knew his opponent’s weak points. Ilyasov accomplished his minimum goal reaching the final of the 65kg and his last opponent will be Ilkhomjon Ergashev of Uzbekistan.
Kazakhstan’s Assem Tanatar and Serbia’s Anastasija Boskovic had a similar first round in their important 65kg quarter-final bout. The Serbian had the tight advantage on the scorecards but the Kazakh was able to win the entire contest due to a great second round. Another young hopeful in this weight class, Turkey’s Yonca Gul Yilmaz had an easier triumph over Georgia’s Lorena Surmanidze as next.
Azerbaijan’s main elite international competition, the Great Silk Way Tournament opened in Baku with 15 preliminary contests and the new wave of talents made strong impressions in the first day of boxing.
Altogether 29 female and 97 male boxers are participating in the annual Great Silk Way Tournament in the heart of Azerbaijan.
Baku hosted several big events in the recent 20 years, including the Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships in 2011, the Youth World Boxing Championships and the Cadet World Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
Georgia’s Levan Demurovi competed in five editions of the European Boxing Championships as a junior, youth and U23 boxer. The 19-year-old talent focuses not only the U23 events this year but for the elite competitions as well therefore he increased the number of his training sessions. Demurovi had the footwork to catch a tall boxer, a former European youth medallist Vladislav Gudzi of Moldova to win his opener in Baku.
The surprise of the day
Mohamed Walid Allaoui is a young Algerian talent, a newcomer in their elite national team but he was brave in the first exchanges against Uzbekistan’s Amirbek Jurakulov. The Algerian was never stopped attacking and his pressure paid off already in the first round when the referee stopped their 65kg preliminary contest.
The Round-Up
Kazakhstan’s Timur Kabdeshov competed first in the international stage of boxing in 2016 therefore he was the high favourite against Algeria’s Amine Zenaz in the opening day of boxing. The Kazakh boxer had to do his very best in the third round to beat his North African opponent who exceeded the expectations in their 55kg bout.
Georgia’s Lado Karchava competed in the last edition of the Great Silk Way Tournament and he returned to Azerbaijan with great expectations. The Georgian prepared for a hard battle against Azerbaijan’s Matin Mammadov which was the next hectic bout of the session in Baku where three out of the five judges favoured Karchava.
Azerbaijan’s European U22 Champion and Paris Olympian Nijat Huseynov is famous of his amazing technical skills and he proved some of his boxing skills against Moldova’s Ion Plinga today. Huseynov controlled the first round with his speed superiority and he could also save some energy for the later actions, dominating his 55kg bout today.
Azerbaijan’s Malik Hasanov is one of the top names of the entire Great Silk Way Tournament and he started his campaign in his homeland with a clear success. Hasanov used his distance better than Turkey’s Yigit Us and he controlled most of the exchanges in the three rounds to manage his first success in Baku.
Kazakhstan’s ace in the event, Darkhan Duisebay won the Asian youth title in 2019 and he progressed a lot in the recent two years. The 70kg Central Asian boxer was too experienced for Algeria’s Imad Eddine Benyaha Louai in their preliminary bout today. Kazakhstan’s next success was achieved by Dauren Mamyr who had one of the tightest contests of the day against Algeria’s Mohamed Maoui.
Georgia’s next young talent, the European U23 silver medallist Luka Nikabadze eliminated Azerbaijan’s Rovshan Abbasov in the Round of 16 at the 70kg weight class. Uzbekistan’s Youth World quarterfinalist Akbar Akhmadov won the next preliminary bout in this weight class, he had the stronger punches than Moldova’s Vasile Cebotari.