Serbia’s Jana Nataros and Slovenia’s Maik Stojnic won the tightest U17 contests at the Olympic Hopes Tournament in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
The Olympic Hopes Tournament is taking place for the U19, U17 and U15 age groups in Sarajevo, where several of the future hopes impressed in the first and second sessions.
Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, the Netherlands, Palestine, Romania, Samoa, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates are participating in the competition in Sarajevo.
The bout of the day
Maik Stojnic claimed a bronze medal at the recent European U15 Boxing Championships in Budva last October and the Slovenian joined the U17 age group this January. Stojnic moved up to the 63kg weight class and he used his longer reach well enough to beat Italy’s Mattia Fabi in one of the top junior bouts of the day. The Italian caught the Slovenian a few times in all of the three rounds but Stojnic’s longer reach was enough to win this superb bout.
The surprise of the day
Azerbaijan’s Fatima Mammadli bagged a silver medal at the European Schoolgirls Boxing Championships and she was the main favourite at the women’s 50kg. The 15-year-old Azeri knew her opponent, Serbia’s Jana Nataros from U15 competitions but she was not able to keep the same speed in all of the three rounds. Mammadli moved up several categories this year and the Serbian adopted the level of the U17 boxers better in their bout in Sarajevo where the judges favoured 3:2 Nataros.
The Round-Up
Azerbaijan’s Aysel Farajova competed already in two editions of the European Championships and at the Commonwealth of Independent States Games as well. The strong Azeri boxer had to face with her teammate, Aydan Ismaili at the 48kg but she stopped her rival with heavy punches in the second round.
Romania’s Raian Nicolas Cola had a quick success over Bahrain’s Ameen Ibrahim at the 57kg weight category which was stopped by the referee in the first round. Ukraine’s Denys Snigur also landed stronger punches than his opponent at the 60kg, Palestine’s Atef Alshareef and his solid performance guaranteed a success for the 16-year-old.
Ajnur Memic has Bosnian roots but he represents Slovenia in the international stage and he had the strong opener in Sarajevo against a local boxer, Darin Tapolovic. The Slovenian had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards after two minutes of fight and he was able to keep the same rhythm until the last gong at the 60kg.
Bahrain sent their best young talents to the Olympic Hopes Tournament and this is their next return to the international events after the Middle East crisis. Their Mohamed Attia won all of the three rounds on the scorecards against Romania’s Eduard Marian Tangerica and he proved the next strong U17 performance in Sarajevo.
Serbia’s U15 national team member, Tadija Mitic had a successful mission against Croatia’s Luka Orec in the 40kg weight class. The next Serbian, Aksentije Pejic had some surprises in the previous Nations Junior Cup in Vrbas but this time he suffered a loss to Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Ajdin Skopljak.
Croatia’s European U15 competitor Maroje Stojanovic had a dangerous rival at the 63kg, United Arab Emirates’ Mukhammad Kitaev, but he managed to win the fight with his tactical repertoires. The Croatian is a strong member from their 2012 age group and he has huge potential also to earn medals in the next European U15 Boxing Championships.
England’s Abdul-Rahman Burton made a revenge and knocked out France’s Izaya Gaucher in the semi-finals of the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic today.
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Montenegro, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey and Wales are competing in Usti nad Labem.
The bout of the day
Hungary’s Vladislava Kukhta defeated Poland’s Olympic silver medallist Julia Szeremeta in the Brazilian World Boxing Cup two months ago and she had another big scalp in the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem today. The 27-year-old Hungarian followed the instructions of her head coach, Mr. Emanuele Renzini from the first seconds and she eliminated Turkey’s Olympics bronze medallist Esra Yildiz Kahraman at the 57kg. The Hungarian will now meet for the gold medal Czechia’s Lenka Bernardova who returned to the events earlier this year after giving birth to her son.
The surprise of the day
France’s Izaya Gaucher defeated England’s Abdul-Rahman Burton in the final of the recent European U23 Boxing Championships in Budapest seven months ago. The French and her English rival both are technician boxers with fantastic footwork and their re-match was one of the most anticipated contests in Usti nad Labem today. Burton not only made a revenge for that loss in the European final but he knocked out Gaucher in the first round of their 55kg semi-final bout.
The Round-up
Hungary’s European U23 silver medallist Lilla Szeleczki was a finalist at the Belgrade Winner Tournament in Serbia one month ago and she repeated that performance in the Czech Republic as well. The 23-year-old Hungarian used her best strategy and long-distance punches with quick actions effectively against Italy’s ex-kickboxer Chiara Mosetti today to join the finals of the women’s 48kg.
France’s Mayssoun Bourega was an unknown boxer in the international stage one and half year ago and after a few events she has the experience to beat such good athletes as Czechia’s European U19 silver medallist Claudia Totova. The French boxer had a hectic success over the more experienced local girl and she will now face for the gold medal with India’s No.1, Sakshi Choudhary.
India’s defending Asian Champion, the Paris Olympian Preeti Pawar did not underestimate her Hungarian opponent, the European bronze medallist Hanna Lakotar today. The Indian 54kg boxer gained the control of their semi-final in the first round and she was able to keep that until the last gong of this semi-final. The 23-year-old Indian will be boxing for the gold medal of this strong weight category with France’s Jeyssa Marcel who had a close success over Finland’s Emma Jokiaho.
India’s Sachin failed his last bout, the so-called Box-off in the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Bangkok two years ago and he had to miss the Paris Olympics. The Indian is now more experienced and his technical skills overmatched Junmilardo Ogayre’s boxing knowledge in Usti. Following his unanimous success against the Filipino boxer, he will be facing for the title with Hungary’s returning Roland Veres at the 60kg.
Austria’s Emin Yildiz was highly confident in the entire competition but he suffered a loss to Italy’s Giacomo Giannotti in the semi-finals of the 65kg. His teammate, the World bronze medallist Michael Fares Derouiche was more punctual in his semi-final bout and he eliminated Bulgaria’s tall Semion Boldirev. Derouiche was expect strong resistance in the final of the 85kg in Usti nad Labem where he will now meet Czechia’s Daniel Komarek.
Slovakia’s Adolf Stanek had some unexpected triumphs in the recent competitions and he shocked his Indian opponent, Sumit Kundu with his strength to join the final of the 70kg weight category. His compatriot, Ladislav Horvath walked over to the title contest of the 75kg where his last opponent will be Hungary’s World bronze medallist Pylyp Akilov.
Bulgaria’s Roselin Bachevski and India’s Kapil Pokhariya will be the finalists at the 90kg weight class after their successes over Hungarian and Welsh opponents. Armenia’s World silver medallist Davit Chaloyan used his fighting range well to beat England’s newcomer Clinton Achusim and he can face for the title with India’s veteran, Narender Berwal at the super heavyweight.
The next important European event, the Olympic Hopes Tournament will take place for the U19, U17 and U15 age groups in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina on June 18-21. The competition will start with 22 bouts today with such a young star as Bahrain’s Asian U17 Champion Jayden Price opens the entire event.
Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Italy, Palestine, Romania, Samoa, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates have registered to the competition in Sarajevo.
The pre-training camp of the competition was held between June 8 and 18 in the fully equipped and professional boxing gym of the BK Novi Grad with high quality of equipment and professional staff.
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s new event support the preparation of the U19, U17 and U15 boxers and both genders. The Bosnian & Herzegovians are planning to be more active in the international stage of boxing and hosting more events in the upcoming years.
The U15, U17 and U19 boxers have a busy year with their international duties with European and World events in the upcoming months.
The 2008 and 2009 born boxers will be able to compete in the U19 age group which will have World Championships in Budva, Montenegro this October.
Boxers who were born in 2010 and in 2011 are eligible to participate in the U17 part of the competition in Sarajevo. The Olympic Hopes Tournament will prepare these talents to the upcoming European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11.
The 2012 and 2013 born boxers will be able to participate in the U15 age group and the Olympic Hopes is also a preparation for them to the European Championships.
The facts of the Olympic Hopes Tournament
Name: Olympic Hopes Tournament
Competition Period: June 19-21
Venue: Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: U19 & U17 & U15
Date of Birth of the boxers:
U19 – 2008-2009 born boxers
U17 – 2010-2011 born boxers
U15 – 2012-2013 born boxers
The schedule of the Olympic Hopes Tournament
June 8-17 – Pre-training camp of the competition
June 17 – Arrival of the delegations
June 17 – Technical Meeting
June 17 – Official Draw
June 18 – Day1 competition
June 19 – Day2 competition
June 20 – Day3 competition
June 21 – Departure of the delegations
The Hungarians proved a strong quarter-final day at the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem in the Czech Republic today, six of their boxers won their meetings against strong rivals.
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Montenegro, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey and Wales are competing in Usti nad Labem.
The bout of the day
Slovakia’s Adolf Stanek had a few unexpected wins in the previous two years and the 70kg is the best for his height and physical conditions. The Slovakian boxer did not find the best distance against Germany’s Chukwuka Okah-Ezeokeke and he had a disadvantage on the scorecards. Stanek had the stamina and the strong fighting spirit from the second round to turn back their narrow fight in Usti nad Labem.
The surprise of the day
Wales’ Daniel Pitt bagged a gold medal at the first edition of the U19 World Boxing Championships in Pueblo two years ago and he is one of the top team members in his homeland. The Welsh boy moved down to the 80kg weight category to compete at the Commonwealth Games but his last test was unsuccessful against Germany’s promising Jason Zeller today.
The Round-up
England’s Abdul-Rahman Burton achieved a valuable silver medal at the 2025 European U23 Boxing Championships in Budapest and he earned a gold in another Hungarian event, at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament this March. The English 55kg boxer was too smart and technician for Slovakia’s Tibor Katona and he was better from all of the angles.
Germany’s Omid Ahmadisafa, the ex-Iranian pugilist, stopped Philippines’ Asian U22 Champion Aaron Jude Bado in a rapid contest which was one of the surprises of the first competition day. The veteran boxer had to meet another Asian opponent on Day2, India’s Jadumani Mandengbam, who has been preparing for the Commonwealth Games. Ahmadisafa had energetic attacks in the first round but the technician Indian switched into a higher tempo to win their 55kg meeting today.
Hungary’s Roland Veres, the bronze medallist from the 2022 European Boxing Championships, decided to return from the professional world and he had a tight victory over Germany’s Mohamed Al Manouchi on Day1. The 27-year-old Hungarian looked more confident and followed the instructions to beat and stop Poland’s Oliwier Rogiewicz as second in the quarter-finals of the 60kg.
Hungary’s Laura Horvath moved down to the 51kg weight category in the recent weeks and she claimed a bronze medal at the Belgrade Winner Tournament last month. His opponent, Germany’s Dounia Ifli was competitive in the first round but the 21-year-old Hungarian had better actions from the second to win this quarter-final bout. Her teammates as Hanna Lakotar, Vladislava Kukhta and Luca Hamori all joined the semi-finals.
The Austrians earned several medals and tournament titles in the previous 12 months which showed their impressive progress in many areas especially strength and tactics. Emin Yildiz is their 65kg boxer in the national squad and he won all of the three rounds on the judges’ scorecards against Germany’s Hamza Auragh.
India’s Priya Ghanghas earned a title at the 2025 edition of the Asian U23 Boxing Championships and she was unstoppable also at the Boxam Tournament in Spain and in the Asian Elite Boxing Championships this year. India’s new lightweight sensation used her longer hands well enough to beat Germany’s Ayssa Lopez Martinez and she proved that she is also a gold medal favourite at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.
Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic impressed in all of his international competitions this year and the 20-year-old boxer also started well in Usti nad Labem on Wednesday. Montenegro’s new sensation met a more experienced boxer from Wales, Orlando Holley-Sotomi who moved down to the 70kg this year. Roganovic looked one size smaller than the Welsh boxer and Holley-Sotomi decided the bout with his uppercuts.
Hungary’s Milan Kiss impressed at the Belgrade Winner Tournament with his bronze medal last month and he had the full control against Czechia’s Viktor Agatelian at the 90kg which means that he is also a medallist in Usti nad Labem. Wales’ Connor Williams, India’s Kapil Pokhariya and Bulgaria’s Roselin Bachevski secured further semi-final places in this weight category.
Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic, Germany’s Omid Ahmadisafa, Hungary’s returning Roland Veres and England’s new super heavyweight sensation Clinton Achusim were the heroes of the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem in Czechia on Day1.
The boxers will use this opportunity to prepare well to the next European Elite Boxing Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in Usti nad Labem.
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Montenegro, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey and Wales registered their elite boxers to Usti nad Labem.
The bout of the day
Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic competed in the 2024 edition of the Youth World Boxing Championships but the 20-year-old youngster made an unexpected progress in the recent months. He won the Vllaznia Memorial in Albania and the Belgrade Winner Tournament in Serbia therefore Montenegro’s new pride looked confident against France’s Youth World bronze medallist Djamel Djemmal in their 70kg meeting. The French, who has just won the Portimao Box Cup, was not able to keep the same rhythm in all of the three rounds and Roganovic managed his path to the next stage in Usti nad Labem.
The surprises of the day
Omid Ahmadisafa received the German passport last year and he is very active in the international boxing map to accomplish his Olympic goals. The ex-Iranian boxer had a top opponent at the men’s 55kg weight category first, Philippines’ Asian U22 Champion Aaron Jude Bado but he shocked the Southeast Asian opponent in the first round and the ringside doctor stopped the bout.
England’s Clinton Achusim has just won their National Elite Championships this year but he is inexperienced in the international stage of boxing. The 25-year-old boxer not only kept the rhythm against France’s Olympics bronze medallist Djamili Dini Aboudou Moindze, but his athletic skills were enough to produce the main surprise of the day.
The Round-up
France’s Jeyssa Marcel impressed in the junior and youth competitions in the 2010s and she decided to return to her favourite sport after a break. The French boxer was outstanding in the first round against Germany’s Assia El Fachtali and she still increased her speed in the second. The 19-year-old German is a strong attacker but she could not repeat her previous performance in Usti nad Labem this time.
Slovakia’s Bibiana Lovasova achieved her first European Championships’ medal still as a junior in 2021 and she is now one of the aces of their elite national squad. The 21-year-old Slovakian dominated the first round against Germany’s Anna Klock and she took the lead on the judges’ scorecards. The German boxer proved better performance in the third round but Lovasova won their meeting at the women’s 57kg weight class.
The Czechs have got a fantastic women’s boxing team, their all-time best line-ups this year including European medallists and U19 Champions. Barbora Maxova will be only 20 but she had the strong performance in the first round against Germany’s Victoria Sawazki. The young Czech not only controlled their contest but the referee stopped this 60kg preliminary bout in the second round.
Turkey’s Esra Yildiz Kahraman is one of the stars of the Grand Prix and she is the gold medal favourite at the women’s 57kg. The Turkish boxer spent a lot of time in international training camps this year and she was better seconds by seconds against Germany’s Canan Tas. Turkey’s Olympic medallist was dominant in the third round and she had a comfortable victory in her opener in Usti nad Labem.
Hungary’s Roland Veres achieved a bronze medal at the 2022 edition of the European Elite Boxing in Yerevan and he almost qualified for the Paris Olympics. The Hungarian turned to professional last year but he returned to the Olympic boxing to chase his dream for Los Angeles. Veres had another tall opponent in the Round of 16 at the 60kg, but his routine was enough to beat Germany’s 19-year-old Mohamed Al Manouchi.
The next edition of the four-days long Grand Prix Usti nad Labem will open with its Sport Entries Check, Technical Meeting and Official Draw in the Czech Republic today.
The Grand Prix Usti nad Labem has a strong brand name in the European boxing map and the interest is huge from the National Federations every year.
Czechia hosted the European U19 Boxing Championships last October which was the first continental event for European Boxing and a new milestone.
The event will be starting with its first competition day on this Wednesday, June 17 while the finals will take place in the city of Usti nad Labem on June 20.
The boxers will use this opportunity to prepare well to the next European Elite Boxing Championships, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games.
The World Boxing Cup in China is overlapping the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem but 20 nations have registered to the Czech international event.
Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Montenegro, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Slovakia, Turkey and Wales are planning to send their elite boxers to Usti nad Labem.
The Grand Prix Usti nad Labem has a bright history and several of the Olympic Champions started their international roads in this event.
The facts of the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem
Name: Grand Prix Usti nad Labem
Competition Period: June 17-20
Venue: Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: Elite
Date of Birth of the boxers: 1986-2007 born boxers
The weight categories of the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem
Women: 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and +80kg
Men: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg, and +90kg
The schedule of the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem
June 16 – Arrival of the delegations
June 16, 12:00-19:00 – Boxing Entries Check
June 16, 21:00 – Technical Meeting
June 16, 21:30 – Official Draw
June 17 – Day1 competition
June 18 – Day2 competition
June 19 – Day3 competition
June 20 – Day4 competition with the finals
June 21 – Departure of the delegations
Boxers who need to be watched at the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem
- Aira Villegas, Philippines, women’s 51kg – Bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics
- Sakshi Choudhary, India, women’s 51kg – Youth World Champion
- Hatice Akbas, Turkey, women’s 54kg – World Champion
- Preeti Pawar, India, women’s 54kg – Asian Champion
- Esra Yildiz Kahraman, Turkey, women’s 57kg – Bronze medallist at the Olympics
- Bojana Gojkovic, Montenegro, women’s 57kg – Multiple European Champion
- Sthelyne Grosy, France, women’s 57kg – Silver medallist at the 2021 Youth World Championships
- Priya, India, women’s 60kg – Asian Champion
- Ginevra Muzzi, Italy, women’s 60kg – European Youth Champion
- Luca Hamori, Hungary, women’s 65kg – Quarter-finalist at the Paris Olympics
- Viktorie Jilkova, Czech Republic, women’s 65kg – European U19 Champion
- Rosie Eccles, Wales, women’s 70kg – Commonwealth Games winner
- Lovlina Borgohain, India, women’s 75kg – Bronze medallist at the Olympics
- Stella Blazkova, Czech Republic, women’s 80kg – U19 World Champion
- Zsofia Szira, Hungary, women’s +80kg – European U23 Champion
- Ergyunal Sebahtin Sabri, Bulgaria, men’s 50kg – Silver medallist at the European Boxing Championships
- Izaya Gaucher, France, men’s 55kg – European U23 Champion
- Abdul-Rahman Burton, England, men’s 55kg – Silver medallist at the European U23 Boxing Championships
- Mohamed Al Manouchi, Germany, men’s 60kg – Silver medallist at the U19 World Boxing Championships
- Pylyp Akilov, Hungary, men’s 75kg – Bronze medallist at the World Boxing Championships
- Michael Fares Derouiche, Austria, men’s 85kg – Bronze medallist at the World Boxing Championships
- William Cholov, Bulgaria, men’s 85kg – Silver medallist at the European U23 Boxing Championships
- Narek Manasyan, Armenia, men’s 90kg – Silver medallist at the European Boxing Championships
- Teagn Stott, England, men’s 90kg – Silver medallist at the World Boxing Championships
- Djamili-Dini Aboudou Moindze, France, men’s +90kg – Bronze medallist at the Paris Olympics
- Davit Chaloyan, Armenia, men’s +90kg – Silver medallist from the 2021 World Boxing Championships
Azerbaijan’s earned seven out of the thirteen available U17 male gold medals at the 10th edition of the World Junior Nations’ Cup in Vrbas, Serbia but the host country, Kazakhstan and Montenegro also reached titles.
Boxers who were born in 2010 and in 2011 were eligible to participate in the U17 part of the Junior Nations Cup in Vrbas, while athletes from the younger 2012 and 2013 age groups attended for the medals in the U15 level.
The World Junior Nations’ Cup provided a fantastic opportunity for this age group to prepare well to the upcoming European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11, additionally to Türkiye’s event, the European U15 Boxing Championships as well.
The bout of the day
Serbia’s Andrija Trajkovic and Azerbaijan’s Shukar Aliyev both claimed a bronze medal at the 2024 edition of the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships therefore their final was highly anticipated in Vrbas. The Serbian, who has just moved up to the 80kg weight category, did not underestimate Azerbaijan’s pride, and he kept the focus from the first seconds until the last. Trajkovic underlined in their final that he is in top shape and he claimed the second gold medal for Serbia after Dusan Nekic.
The surprise of the day
Kazakhstan’s second finalist, Sayan Tokhtarbekov faced also a boxer from Azerbaijan, Nihat Mammadli who is another technician talent at the 48kg weight category. Tokhtarbekov, who missed the medal in the latest Kazakhstan U17 Junior National Championships, exceeded his previous level of boxing and he defeated the Azeri hope in Vrbas.
The Round-up
Kazakhstan’s Bekzat Magzhan eliminated Azerbaijan’s Hasrat Mammadov in the first semi-final of the men’s 46kg weight class and he joined the finals in Vrbas. The 16-year-old Kazakh had to meet another boxer from Azerbaijan’s Aydin Shahbazov, but he looked confident from the first exchanges. The Kazakh youngster used his best weapons, excellent counter-attacks and long-distance shots to beat his second rival from Azerbaijan.
Azerbaijan’s third finalist in the event, Rustam Nasibov succeeded over Serbia’s David Simic and he had the clear dominance to take his nation’s first gold medal in the World Junior Nations’ Cup. His teammate, Ismayil Nasirzada had an easier way to take the title of the competition as he stopped Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Filip Bukalina in the first round and he bagged the gold medal at the 52kg.
Montenegro’s Strahinja Mrdak is one of their aces in the U17 national squad which has been preparing hard for the European U17 Boxing Championships. Mrdak, who also competed at the Bornemissza Memorial Tournament two weeks ago, was way too smart for Azerbaijan’s Elijan Musazada and Serbia’s Ilhan Sacirovic at the 54kg. The referee counted his Serbian opponent in the final and Mrdak’s skills overmatched his opponent’s one during the fourth session of the event.
Montenegro’s next finalist, Nikola Raicevic claimed a bronze medal at the recent European U17 Boxing Championships in Germany and he can still compete in this age group in 2026 as well. Montenegro’s pride won two out of the three rounds on the judges’ scorecards against Azerbaijan’s Ali Jamalzada and he bagged their second title in Vrbas.
Azerbaijan has an excellent U17 team and their next strong performer, Ali Abbasli, dominated his final against Croatia’s Enzo Stojansek at the 60kg. Another Azeri prodigy, Vakil Gurbanov followed the instructions of his ringside well enough to beat Serbia’s Strahinja Filic at the 63kg weight class.
Azerbaijan’s Yusuf Aghakishiyev is one of the most experienced boxers in their U17 squad with European medals and tournament titles on his bag. Aghakishiyev had a crucial but successful mission against Montenegro’s Veselin Dedic to take the gold medal at the 75kg. His teammate, the powerful Mehran Rasulov earned the last gold medal of the entire event after beating Montenegro’s Vasilije Bugarin by split decision.
Montenegro’s Ema Hot won one of the tightest contests at the 10th edition of the World Nations’ Junior Cup in Vrbas, Serbia during the third session of the event.
Boxers who were born in 2010 and in 2011 are eligible to participate in the U17 part of the Junior Nations Cup in Vrbas, Serbia this year, while athletes from the younger 2012 and 2013 age groups are attending in the U15 level.
The U15 and U17 boxers have a busy year in 2026 and the World Junior Nations’ Cup is another top international event for them.
The World Junior Nations’ Cup provides a fantastic opportunity for this age group to prepare well to the upcoming European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11, additionally to Türkiye’s event, the European U15 Boxing Championships as well.
The bout of the day
Montenegro has been preparing for the European U17 Boxing Championships with full speed to show their progress on home soil this October. The U17 squad contains strong weapons and their new female hope, Ena Hot, also worked hard to accomplish her next goal in Vrbas. Hot has her boxing idol in her homeland, the Olympian Bojana Gojkovic, and she followed the similar strategy in the event to beat Serbia’s Viktorija Jovic at the 57kg. Hot turned up the heat in the third round and she mobilized all of her leftover power to beat the local Serbian in the top fight of the session.
The surprise of the day
Serbia’s Aksentije Pejic and Vukasin Kljajic both are members of the U15 national squad who had not only a final in the event but a selection bout for the later international actions. Pejic knew after two rounds that he still needs a perfect final period to beat his compatriot and he has done enough to win the 50kg.
The Round-up
Serbia’s Nina Damjanovic competed at the traditional Bornemissza Memorial Tournament in Hungary at the end of May and she was ready to participate in the next international event immediately. The 14-year-old Serbian girl was too smart for Anja Pudja and she controlled all of the three rounds at the 48kg weight class.
England’s Kiyan Iqbal is one of the youngest U15 boxers in the World Junior Nations’ Cup but he amazed in the 37kg weight class in Vrbas. The English boy found the best rhythm against Serbia’s Ostoja Drulovic in the first round and he had the next tournament success during his career.
Montenegro reached several excellent results this year especially in the U17 and the elite competitions but their new U15 talents also shined in Serbia. Nikola Ilic is their next ace in the national team who had a strong strategy to beat Serbia’s Gavrilo Savic at the 57kg weight category, in another hectic fight.
Azerbaijan’s U17 pride, Aydin Shahbazov had the confidence to beat Serbia’s Amar Vehapi in semi-final of the 46kg and he secured his place in the final. Azerbaijan’s technician boxer will be meeting for the gold medal Kazakhstan’s experienced Bekzat Magzhan who eliminated Hasrat Mammadov in a tight contest.
Montenegro’s Strahinja Mrdak also competed at the Bornemissza Memorial Tournament two weeks ago and he was ready to show his skills again without any rest after the Hungarian event. The 16-year-old Montenegrin controlled his semi-final over Azerbaijan’s Eljan Musazada and he delivered one of the top performances in the session.
Invitation Program CBF Ringside Doctor Course Zagreb 2026 V1
European Boxing is pleased to announce the organization of the 2nd European Boxing Ringside Doctor Course, which will take place in Zagreb, Croatia, on 12–13 September 2026.
The course is organized by European Boxing in cooperation with the Hrvatski Boksački Savez – Croatian Boxing Federation and will be hosted at Hotel Diplomat in Zagreb. Arrival date for participants is scheduled for 11 September 2026.
Following the successful first edition, this educational initiative continues European Boxing’s commitment to the development of medical standards, athlete safety, and professional education within Olympic-style boxing across Europe.
The course is specifically designed for medical doctors, both experienced practitioners and newcomers, who wish to expand their knowledge and understanding of the role of the Ringside Doctor in boxing competitions. Participation is open exclusively to National Federations affiliated with European Boxing.
The educational program will be led by Dr. David McDonagh, Chair of the European Boxing Medical Commission and Chair of the Norwegian Boxing Federation Medical Commission, together with Dr. Maksym Maslyanyy, Member of the European Boxing Medical Commission and Chair of the Ukraine Boxing Federation Medical Commission. The course will be coordinated by Prof. Therese Bjørnaas of the Norwegian Boxing Federation.
The two-day program combines theoretical and practical sessions covering key medical aspects related to boxing competitions, including:
* Anti-doping procedures
* Management of cuts and facial injuries
* Concussion recognition and SCAT6 practical applications
* Down boxer practical management
* Fractures and soft tissue injuries
* Injury prevention and nutrition
* Emergency medical situations
* Return-to-boxing protocols and competition regulations
The course will conclude with both written and practical examinations, followed by the awarding of certificates to participants.
Due to the practical nature of the course, participation is limited to 20 attendees. National Federations are kindly reminded that 31 July 2026 is the final registration deadline, and no registrations will be accepted after this date.
European Boxing looks forward to welcoming medical professionals from across Europe to Zagreb for another important educational event focused on athlete health, safety, and medical excellence in boxing.
HOTEL PRICES
1/1 FB – 99,00 € per person : full board single room
1/2 FB – 74,00 € per person : full board double room
1/3 FB – 71,00 € per person : full board triple room
Tourist tax: 1,86 € person/night
The next top international event, the Nations Junior Cup will take place in Vrbas, Serbia between June 9 and 15.
Following the successful Belgrade Winner Tournament, the Serbians are ready to host their next international event, the World Junior Nations’ Cup in three weeks.
The 10th edition of the World Juniors Nations’ Cup has re-scheduled from May to June 9-15 to reach maximum number of boxers in the traditional competition.
The U15 and U17 boxers have a busy year in 2026 and the World Junior Nations’ Cup is another top international event for them.
The competition will be held for the U17 and U15 junior girls and boys in the city of Vrbas and it will avoid the overlapping with the Hungarian international event, the Bornemissza Memorial Tournament.
The competition, which has a bright tradition, will start with its first session on June 10 and the finals are scheduled to take in Vrbas place on June 14.
Boxers who were born in 2010 and in 2011 are eligible to participate in the U17 part of the Junior Nations Cup in Vrbas, Serbia this year, while athletes from the younger 2012 and 2013 age groups will compete in the U15 level.
The venue of the Junior Nations Cup is the Drago Jovovic Sports Hall while there are several accommodation options for the participating teams.
The Junior Nations Cup will provide a fantastic opportunity for this age group to prepare well to the upcoming European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11, additionally to the European U15 Boxing Championships as well.
The facts of the Junior Nations Cup
Name: Junior Nations Cup
Competition Period: June 10-14
Venue: Vrbas, Serbia
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: U17 & U15
Date of Birth of the boxers:
U17 – 2010-2011 born boxers
U15 – 2012-2013 born boxers
The weight categories of the Junior Nations Cup
Girls U17: 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and +80kg
Boys U17: 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and +80kg
Girls U15: 34kg, 35.5kg, 37kg, 38.5kg, 40kg, 41.5kg, 43kg, 44.5kg, 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 56kg, 59kg, 62kg, 65kg, 68kg, 72kg, 76kg and +76kg
Boys U15: 34kg, 35.5kg, 37kg, 38.5kg, 40kg, 41.5kg, 43kg, 44.5kg, 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 56kg, 59kg, 62kg, 65kg, 68kg, 72kg, 76kg and +76kg
The schedule of the Junior Nations Cup
June 9 – Arrival of the delegations
June 9, 19:00 – Technical Meeting
June 9, 20:00 – Official Draw
June 10 – Day1 competition
June 11 – Day2 competition
June 12 – Day3 competition
June 13 – Day4 competition
June 14 – Day5 competition with the finals
June 15 – Departure of the delegations
The European Boxing Executive Board has appointed Mr. Martin Volke of Germany as the Secretary General of the continental governing body.
Mr. Martin Volke will lead all the operations of European Boxing as the new Secretary General to achieve the main goals of our continent’s boxing life.
The President of European Boxing Mr. Lars Brovil and the Board made the official announcement about fulfilling the position of the Secretary General today.
The German official will work closely together with the affiliated members of European Boxing, the World Boxing, other Confederations and all of the stakeholders of our sport.
Mr. Martin Volke worked in the management of the German Boxing Federation in the recent 15 years and he supported the operations of European Boxing as the Chairman of the Sports & Competition Commission.
The European Boxing scheduled all of its five European Championships for this year which will be held for both genders and each age group in 2026.
The first European Boxing Championships this year will take place for the U19 boxers in Loznica, Serbia on August 11-22 and the handbook of the competition will be available for all of the National Federations shortly.
The European Women’s and Men’s Elite Boxing Championships will continue the lines of the big events in our continent, and Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia is ready to host that major competition on September 15-26 with a pre-training camp before the start.
Montenegro’s boxing city Budva will welcome all of the boxers from the 2010 and 2011 age groups at the European U17 Boxing Championships on October 1-11 as next.
Turkey’s Trabzon will host the European U15 Boxing Championships on October 14-26 while Croatia’s Porec was announced as the organizer of the European U23 Boxing Championships on November 14-25.
Appointment of Seretary General
The European Boxing Executive Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Martin Volke as the new Secretary General of European Boxing.
Mr. Volke brings more than 15 years of executive management experience within the German Boxing Federation, complemented by advanced academic qualifications in sports management and an MBA.
In addition to his executive leadership experience, Mr. Volke served as official Team Leader of the German Boxing Team at the last three Olympic Games, during which the team celebrated the achievement of two Olympic medals.
Throughout his career, he has made significant contributions to federation development, international relations, event organisation, and competition management within Olympic boxing. His professional background combines extensive expertise in both elite sport and international sports governance.
Lars Brovil, President of European Boxing, stated:
“Martin Volke combines strong strategic understanding with extensive international boxing experience. His expertise in both federation management and Olympic sport will be of great value to European Boxing and all our National Federations.”
Mr. Martin Volke commented:
“It is a great honour to take on this responsibility. I have been part of European Boxing since its very beginning, and contributing to its future development and success is truly close to my heart. I look forward to working closely together with our National Federations, athletes, coaches, officials, and partners to further strengthen and develop boxing throughout Europe.
A key priority for the future will be the continued development of the European Championships across all age categories, while further strengthening sporting integrity, transparency, and high standards of governance throughout European Boxing.”
Mr. Volke will support the transition process and familiarise himself with his future responsibilities in the coming months. He is scheduled to officially assume the position of Secretary General at the European Boxing headquarters in Prague on 1 October 2026.
The European Boxing Executive Board will invite all National Federations to an online European Boxing Town Hall Meeting by the end of June, where further information regarding future activities, the upcoming Congress, and key development projects will be presented.
Furthermore, the Executive Board will shortly announce an interim Chair to replace Mr. Martin Volke within the European Boxing Sports & Competition Committee until the election of a new Chair takes place during the upcoming European Boxing Congress.
European Boxing extends its congratulations to Mr. Martin Volke and looks forward to continued cooperation with all member federations in the ongoing development of boxing throughout Europe.
European Boxing United
On behalf of the European Boxing Executive Board,
Yours in Boxing,
Lars Brovil
President
European Boxing
Azerbaijan’s Bilalhabasi Nazarov, Georgia’s Lasha Gagnidze, Greece’s Michail Tsamalidis and the Belarusian female boxers all shined in the finals of the Irakli Abashidze Memorial Tournament in Batumi.
Georgia hosted the Kakauridze U19 Tournament earlier this month but their management decided to arrange another international event in the city of Batumi, the Irakli Abashidze Memorial Tournament.
Altogether 27 female and 71 male boxers participated for the 17 available titles in the Abashidze Memorial Tournament in Batumi.
The Abashidze Memorial Tournament was another preparation event for the European Elite Boxing Championships which will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria on September 15-26.
The bout of the day
Lasha Gagnidze had strong international results in the previous years and he is aiming for a medal in the upcoming European Elite Boxing Championships. He advanced to the finals of the Abashidze Memorial Tournament but he had a hard job to do against Georgia’s European Youth bronze medallist Levan Demurovi at the 65kg. Gagnidze had the good rhythm in the first round of their final but the younger 20-year-old Demurovi also returned to the match in time. The third round was decisive between them and Gagnidze’s routine guaranteed a gold medal for him.
The Round-Up of the finals
Armenia’s Heghine Petrosyan became the first winner at the Abashidze Memorial Tournament in Georgia, she controlled all of the three rounds against a local girl, Pikria Bendeliani at the 48kg final. The next Armenian female boxer, who succeeded, was Lusya Avetisyan, she defeated her compatriot Luiza Grigoryan in the final of the women’s 54kg.
The Belarusians returned to the international events after a break and their veteran Yulia Apanasovich earned a gold medal for them at the women’s 51kg. She had the control against another Belarusian athlete, Iryna Vinahradava in all of the three rounds and the former European medallist Apanasovich made a successful comeback.
The next Belarusian final battle was held at the women’s 70kg, which resulted a very close bout between the winner Aryna Danilchyk and Daria Letsko, the silver medallist of the Abashidze Memorial Tournament. Belarus’ Mariya Pilipenka and another experienced female boxer, Alina Veber both defeated their Armenian and Georgian rivals while a local athlete, Maria Murzina also claimed a gold medal in the women’s part of the tournament.
Azerbaijan’s Bilalhabasi Nazarov claimed a gold medal in the 2025 edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships and he has joined the elite competitions only this January. Nazarov claimed a silver medal at the Great Silk Way Tournament last month, which he switched into a gold in Batumi following his successes over Israel’s David Zakhari today and Georgia’s Lasha Kereselidze to take the title of the men’s 50kg.
Georgia’s Gor Ayvazyan was a gold medallist at the 2023 edition of the European Youth Boxing Championships and the currently 21-year-old boxer has already seven years of international routine. Ayvazyan felt the tempo against Israel’s U23 boxer, Farid Hreish in the final of the men’s 55kg and he performed strongly in this bout.
Georgia’s Giorgi Kapanadze became the main favourite of the men’s 60kg after that Azerbaijan’s Olympian and European Games bronze medallist Tayfur Aliyev lost his semi-final contest. Kapanadze won the first and second rounds in all of the judges’ scorecards against Davit Mushkudiani and his opponent abandoned the unequal final bout in the third.
Georgia’s Giorgi Natroshvili dominated the first round against Saba Papadze and his punches were decision making ones in the second to win the men’s 75kg weight class final in Batumi. Luka Matchutadze and Samvel Ghazaryan faced in the final of the 80kg and the first won their meeting today.
Greece’s Michail Tsamalidis is another European Youth Champion who is aiming strong elite results this year and the 22-year-old boxer was dominant in all of his contests in Batumi. He stopped Georgia’s Irakli Garibashvili in the semi-finals, and Israel’s Ariel Prilutsky was also an easy opponent for the Greek in the final.
Nikoloz Begadze is one of the most experienced boxers in Georgia and he has strong plans at the super heavyweight in 2026. The Georgian was too strong for Tariel Sharikadze in the semi-finals, which was a quick bout, and he dominated all of the rounds for the title against Azerbaijan’s Chanan Najafov.
The Georgians dominated the semi-finals at the Abashidze Memorial Tournament in Batumi today but Azerbaijan’s Bilalhabasi Nazarov and Moldova’s Alexandru Paraschiv also impressed in the fourth day of boxing.
Georgia hosted the Kakauridze U19 Tournament earlier this month but their management decided to arrange another international event in the city of Batumi, the Abashidze Memorial Tournament.
Altogether 27 female and 71 male boxers are participating for the 17 available titles in the Abashidze Memorial Tournament in Batumi.
The Abashidze Memorial Tournament is a preparation event for the European Elite Boxing Championships which will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria on September 15-26.
The bout of the day
Moldova’s European medallist Alexandru Paraschiv was near to qualify for the Paris Olympics but he has strong plans for LA 2028. The experienced Moldovan landed hard combinations to beat Georgia’s Giorgi Zhorzholiani in a superb 70kg contest, which was one of the top challenges of the fourth competition day. The 27-year-old Moldovan will face for the title with another Georgian pugilist, Nika Sukhashvili on Wednesday.
The surprise of the day
Georgia’s Davit Mushkudiani is a new face in the elite national team but he prepared well to the Abashidze Memorial Tournament. The Georgian boxer had a hard opponent, Azerbaijan’s Olympian Tayfur Aliyev, who bagged already a bronze medal at the 2015 European Games at the age of 18. Mushkudiani used his longer reach well to delivered the surprise of the day and he will be boxing for the title of the 60kg with Georgia’s Giorgi Kapanadze on Wednesday.
The Round-Up
Azerbaijan’s Bilalhabasi Nazarov has joined the elite competitions only this January and last year’s U19 star is now a finalist in the Abashidze Memorial Tournament. Nazarov eliminated Israel’s David Zakhari today and he will now meet Georgia’s Lasha Kereselidze for the title of the men’s 50kg.
Georgia’s Gor Ayvazyan earned several top results when he competed in the schoolboys, junior and youth age groups. The currently 21-year-old boxer bowed out Dima Putkaradze and he will now meet for the title of the 55kg, Israel’s Farid Hreish, who competed already in the 2018 edition of the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships.
Georgia’s European Youth bronze medallist Levan Demurovi had a dominant performance against his teammate, Nika Ositashvili in the semi-finals of the 65kg. The 20-year-old boxer won the first round 10:8 in all of the judges’ scorecards and his opponent abandoned the unequal fight in the third. Demurovi will have an important selection bout for the title with Lasha Gagnidze who walked over to the final against Azerbaijan’s Youth World runner-up Ali Abdullayev.
Georgia’s strong duo, Giorgi Natroshvili and Saba Papadze will meet in the final of the men’s 75kg weight class in Batumi following their hard roads to the title bout. Papadze eliminated Azerbaijan’s young Abbasgulu Shadlinski, which was a small surprise in the day of the semi-finals. Another two Georgians as Luka Matchutadze and Samvel Ghazaryan will be fighting for the gold medal of the men’s 80kg category to decide the spot in the national squad.
Greece’s Michail Tsamalidis claimed a gold medal at the 2022 edition of the European Youth Boxing Championships in Sofia and he moved up to the 85kg division this year. The 22-year-old Greek has already more than three years of elite routine in the national team and he had the pressure to stop Georgia’s Irakli Garibashvili in the semi-finals. The powerful Greek boxer will be fighting for the gold medal with Israel’s second finalist in Batumi, Ariel Prilutsky.
Georgia’s Nikoloz Begadze had the weight and the height disadvantage against Tariel Sharikadze but he caught his teammate with heavy shots to win their super heavyweight semi-final by RSC in the first round. The 28-year-old Georgian will now meet Azerbaijan’s Chanan Najafov for the title of the king’s weight class in Batumi.
Natnicha Chongprongklang, Artur Kuzmenko, Abdul-Rahmaan Burton and Finn Bos won the awards after the finals of the 9th Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands.
Boxers four out of the five continents participated in the 9th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands with several Olympic and World medallists.
The Eindhoven Box Cup was a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.
The bout of the day
England’s Isaac Okoh knocked out his semi-final opponent but Germany’s new face in the heavyweight, David Nwanya had a brave attempt to beat the top rival in the final of the 90kg. Okoh handled the tactical first round slightly better than the emerging German, and he had the better jabs in the decisive second as well. Nwanya did not match with Okoh’s routine but he had a great final round to reduce the difference between the two boxers and he made the title contest one of the tightest ones in Eindhoven. Okoh had still the advantage on the scorecards to take the gold medal in the prestigious tournament but Nwanya proved his future potential as well.
The surprise of the day
Poland’s 19-year-old Natalia Niewiadomska walked over to the title of the women’s 48kg following her experienced Ukrainian opponent, Hanna Okhota was unable to box in the day of the finals. Her teammate, Nikola Prymaczenko, reached her career highlight with her unexpected and tight success over Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol at the women’s 51kg. The Spaniard eliminated Thailand’s star Chuthamat Raksat in the semi-finals and gave in all therefore Prymaczenko looked fresh in their final meeting.
The Round-Up
Philippines’ Asian U19 Championships silver medallist Clark Vicera never boxed in Europe before the Belgrade Winner Tournament where he earned a gold medal one week ago. The Filipino teenager had some difficulties in the first round against Ukraine’s Maksym Rudyk but he switched into a higher tempo from the second. Vicera performed strongly in the second and third rounds to turn back their final at the men’s 50kg and he remained unbeaten in the European tournaments.
Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang, the Asian Elite Champion from the 2024 edition, used her nice technical skills to keep the best fighting distance against Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim in the battle of the U23 boxers. Chongprongklang was better minutes by minutes in their women’s 54kg final meeting and she earned Thailand’s first gold medal in Eindhoven.
Philippines’ second finalist, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Carlo Paalam delivered one of the best performances in the entire Eindhoven Box Cup. The 28-year-old boxer eliminated another Olympic silver medallist, Billal Bennama of France in the semi-finals and he was too smart for England’s European U23 Championships runner-up Abdul-Rahmaan Burton in the final of the 55kg.
France’s Amina Zidani claimed a gold medal at the European Games three years ago and she had high expectations in the Olympic Games in Paris but she was not able to accomplish her minimum target on home soil. She gave birth to her little boy last year, that motivated her so much in the final of the women’s 57kg against Netherlands’ Tara Vogels, therefore she bagged her second tournament title in 2026.
Ukraine’s Tetiana Dovhal and Netherlands’ Maud Van der Toorn both won big youth events in 2022 and they knew each other from several events. The Dutch boxer felt the support of the home crowd but the 22-year-old Dovhal had the right tactical responses to Van der Toorn’s actions to take the title of the women’s 60kg.
Amy Broadhurst is one of the strongest boxers in Europe and the two-time World Champion made another strong step to reach her throne in all levels of boxing with her amazing performance in Eindhoven. Following her big comeback in the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament, the 29-year-old star defeated Thailand’s Olympic silver medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng and Netherlands’ Aaliyah Hoppema to earn the gold of the women’s 65kg.
Netherlands’ Mahmoud Al Chabtoun felt after the first round that he has to show more from his powerful attacks in the second and the local boy was able to do that in a close final against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Vasko. His teammate, Luna Beeloo returned to the national squad and she had the tight success over another Ukrainian boxer, the former World bronze medallist Anastasia Chernokolenko in the final of the women’s 70kg.
Ukraine’s Artur Kuzmenko, the European U23 Champion, had a tactical success over Finland’s Ismail Umar and he was named as the Best Male Boxer of the Eindhoven Box Cup. His teammate, Nikita Zakharchenko also succeeded in the event after beating Belgium’s Idriss Khlifi at the men’s 75kg final.
Netherlands’ next ace in the men’s national team, Finn Bos had confident style of boxing in the whole Eindhoven Box Cup and he secured the title of the men’s 70kg over a promising opponent, Belgium’s Hornel Ayetivi. The last Dutch finalist, Shannon Viet is not enough experienced in the international stage yet and Ukraine’s Raisa Piskun stopped her.
Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata impressed in the recent three years, the UK-based boxer not only competed in various international events but she has now a strong pedigree. Following that she won the Golden Girl Box Cup this year, she repeated that performance and achieved another gold medal in Eindhoven. Mbata gained the control of her final against Spain’s Belgrade Winner Tournament gold medallist Alma Garcia in the first round and she kept that until the last gong to won a title for Africa.
Austria’s European U23 quarter-finalist Lucky Osaro Aimufua walked over to the title of the men’s 80kg weight class against Germany’s new sensation, Sofian Bizzit today. His teammate, the historic World bronze medallist Michael Fares Derouiche had the skills to beat Germany’s Valerij Walter in the 85kg final which made Austria’s best ever performance in the history of the Eindhoven Box Cup.
Philippines’ Carlo Paalam won the battle of the Olympic medallists during the semi-finals at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands. Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol, Germany’s David Nwanya and Finland’s Ismail Umar all eliminated top boxers on their road to the finals.
Boxers four out of the five continents are participating in the 9th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands.
The live scoring of the Eindhoven Box Cup is available at the Boxerbase website: www.boxerbase.com while the strong international event also will use live streaming from all of the sessions on its Facebook page.
The Eindhoven Box Cup is a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.
The bout of the day
Philippines’ Carlo Paalam and France’s Billal Bennama both claimed silver medals in the Olympic Games during their career but both returned this year to accomplish their goals. The taller French boxer started the first round better with his longer reach and he had the tight advantage on the judges’ scorecards. Paalam, who claimed a silver in Tokyo, received the right instructions in the break, he turned back the battle of the 1998 born boxers, and he joined the final of the tough 55kg.
The surprises of the day
Thailand’s Olympian Chuthamat Raksat, the two-times World medallist, eliminated Poland’s Nadia Formela in the quarter-finals and she was the favourite against Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol in their women’s 51kg. The Spaniard, who achieved a gold medal in the Bocskai Memorial Tournament in Hungary two months ago, exceeded all of the expectations and she defeated her Thai opponent in another top bout of the day.
France’s Mohamed Ounai is one of the new sensations in the elite national team who arrived to the venue of the Eindhoven Box Cup as the top gold medal contender of the men’s 65kg weight class. The French boxer had a hard tactical job against Finland’s Ismail Umar and the taller Nordic rival made a surprise with his punctual counter-attacks.
The Round-Up
Poland’s Natalia Niewiadomska has just joined the elite national team this January but the 19-year-old talent is a key boxer at the women’s 48kg. The Polish teenager had to meet in an important semi-final with her teammate, Marta Prill and she won their selection meeting in Eindhoven where her next rival will be Ukraine’s former World silver medallist Hanna Okhota for the title of the category.
Thailand’s next Asian Champion boxer, Natnicha Chongprongklang felt the distance better than Poland’s Angelika Krysztoforska and she joined the finals of the women’s 54kg weight class. The 22-year-old Thai will be boxing for the title of this category with Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim who eliminated France’s World bronze medallist Wassila Lkhadiri in a superb contest.
Netherlands’ next national team member, the 20-year-old Tara Vogels had the strong fighting spirit in her semi-final battle against Spain’s Andrea Cardenas and she is another finalist from the host nation’s squad. Vogels will have a world-class opponent for the title of the 57kg, France’s European Games winner and Olympian Amina Zidani.
Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn used her longer reach well enough against Kenya’s Rosemarion Achieng Otieno to take the lead on the judges’ scorecards. The Kenyan boxer, who switched back from Germany to her roots, was highly competitive in the third round but the 21-year-old Dutch had enough advantage to win their semi-final meeting at the 60kg.
England’s two-time World Champion Amy Broadhurst returned to the competitions only this month after she gave birth to her son. England’s pride had to face with Thailand’s Olympic silver medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng which was another highlight of the day. Broadhurst had the pressure on the powerful Thai and she eliminated another star from the competition therefore she will now face Netherlands’ Aaliyah Hoppema for the gold medal.
Netherlands’ European Games quarter-finalist Luna Beeloo returned to the squad and she made her debut at the women’s 70kg during the Eindhoven Cup. The 23-year-old had a solid performance against Poland’s Aleksandra Cyrek and her teammate, Finn Bos also joined the finals of the men’s 70kg.
Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata had a hard road to the finals of the women’s 75kg weight category but she won her next big challenge on Day3. The All Africa Games winner had a better start than Canada’s World bronze medallist Viktoria Penney and her second round was also near to the perfect. The Nigerian eliminated a big name and she will now face Spain’s new hope, Alma Garcia for the title of the Eindhoven Box Cup.
England’s Isaac Okoh had a hard contest in the second day of boxing but he had an easier job in the semi-final of the men’s 90kg. The 23-year-old English had hard punches in the first exchanges and he knocked out Ukraine’s Ashot Kocharyan still in the opening round. Okoh’s final opponent will be Germany’s David Nwanya who had a surprise success over Belgium’s Olympian, Victor Schelstraete.
Bulgaria’s Kiril Georgiev shocked Ireland’s Willie-John McCartan in the semi-final of the super heavyweight and he made quick decisions on their meeting. After the second count, the referee stopped their bout which means that the Bulgarian will now face England’s No.2 in this weight, Matt Williams.
Saudi Arabia’s Yara Alamri, France’s Billal Bennama and Germany’s Sofian Bizzit were the heroes of the second competition day at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands where the guaranteed medallists remained in actions.
Boxers four out of the five continents are participating in the 9th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands.
The live scoring of the Eindhoven Box Cup is available at the Boxerbase website: www.boxerbase.com while the strong international event also will use live streaming from all of the sessions on its Facebook page.
The Eindhoven Box Cup is a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.
The bout of the day
Saudi Arabia began to develop women’s boxing only in 2021 but their Yara Alamri achieved a historic Asian medal three years later in Chiang Mai. Alamri is still a young prospect in the national team who has been preparing to the Asian Games and she surprised Belgium’s Narjiss Barmoussa with her nice technical skills. Alamri’s jabs were decisive today and despite of the Belgian’s great march in the third round, she secured a success for Saudi Arabia.
The surprise of the day
Thailand’s Weerapon Jongjoho claimed a bronze medal at the 2021 World Boxing Championships and the Paris Olympian was named as the main gold medal contender at the men’s 80kg. Everything looked fine for the Thai after two rounds, he had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards against Germany’s Sofian Bizzit. Jongjoho was exhausted in the third round and the 20-year-old German made stormy attacks which caused an unexpected 3:2 victory for Bizzit.
The Round-Up
Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat, the two-times World medallist, is one of the stars in the women’s part of the Eindhoven Box Cup. The 33-year-old Thai joined the elite squad still back in 2013 but his speed and footwork both are still extraordinary in the competitions. Raksat dominated all of the three rounds against Poland’s Nadia Formela and she had a warm-up before the medal phase of the women’s 51kg.
Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol competed at the 48kg weight class in all of her recent international tournaments but she tries to test herself at the 51kg in Eindhoven. Following her first success on Day1, the 26-year-old Spaniard eliminated Canada’s Olympic Qualifiers competitor McKenzie Wright with remarkable technical skills.
Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim and the 19-year-old Assia El Fachtali of Germany both are attacking boxers with amazing physical conditions. The duo had a superb battle at the women’s 54kg which was won by the local girl unanimously before another Dutch, the teenager Aaliyah Hoppema eliminated Switzerland’s Anna Jenni in a hectic 65kg quarter-final bout.
Thailand’s Janjaem Suwannapheng was a surprise in the last Olympic cycle and after her medals in the World Championships, she achieved a silver in Paris. The Thai had some rest after the Olympics and she returned with perfect performance in Eindhoven where she was too strong for Ireland’s Kaci Rock at the 65kg.
France’s Mohamed Ounai opened the year in the Boxam Tournament with a silver medal and he is his nation’s new sensation in the elite national team. The French boxer was a hard target for Belgium’s Bruxelles Tournament winner Rasul Tisayev and his counter-attacks reached the target area several times to win their 65kg quarter-final.
Finland’s best male boxer, Ismail Umar has just recently competed in the first stage of the World Boxing Cup in Brazil and he continued his preparation in Eindhoven. Finland’s pride used his longer reach well to beat Germany’s young Simon Rieth but he needed to invest also a lot of efforts to make that happen in the last round.
Team Scotland has been preparing for their Commonwealth Games with full speed this year and their top boxers are ready to earn top results on home soil end of July. Sonny Kerr is only 21 but he had the routine and the technical knowledge to beat Saudi Arabia’s promising Naif Almoullad in the quarter-finals of the 70kg.
Netherlands’ Finn Bos joined the elite national team in this Olympic cycle but he won already dozens of the international bouts. The Dutch pugilist gained the control in the first round against Ukraine’s Yevhenii Ivaniuk and he was able to keep that until the last gong therefore Bos is a guaranteed medallist at the men’s 70kg. His strong teammates as Luna Beeloo and Mahmoud Al Chabtoun also won their contests in the second day of boxing.
Austria has four excellent options in the elite national team to reach top international results this year and their head coach is proud of Arsen Chabyan’s development. The young Austrian decided to compete in the 70kg this year and he showed his strength against Switzerland’s Timm Kellenberger, winning his second-in-a-row fight in Eindhoven.
England’s Matt Williams bagged a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament in Spain earlier this year and he enjoys his continuous challenges as a member of Team GB. Williams is a smaller super heavyweight boxer but he used his aggressive style of boxing once again to beat Germany’s Dennis Ohio today.
France’s Olympics silver medallist Billal Bennama has returned to the national team only a few weeks ago and he showed his extraordinary technical skills in the second competition day. The 28-year-old French controlled all of the three rounds against Saudi Arabia’s Abdulaziz Alatbi and he is now also a guaranteed medallist.
Austria’s Lucky Osaro Aimufua is a member of the national team since 2023 and he reaches better and better international results. The Austrian was strict in the first exchanges and one of his punches became a lethal weapon against Saudi Arabia’s Abdelrahman Sadek which was a classis KO in their 80kg meeting. His teammate, Michael Fares Derouiche, the historic World bronze medallist from Liverpool, also succeeded against Suriname’s Shevano Balvers.
The big guns at the men’s 90kg such as England’s Isaac Okoh and Belgium’s World bronze medallist veteran Victor Schelstraete both triumphed over their tough rivals on Day2 and marched into the semi-finals. Okoh was too tall for Belgium’s Idris Leganase while Schelstraete had a tactical victory over Nigeria’s Kenneth Anigboro.
The President of European Boxing, Mr. Lars Brovil, the Chairman of the European’s Boxing’s Sports and Competition Committee, Mr. Martin Volke and the President of the Serbian Boxing Federation, Mr. Nenad Borovcanin signed the official agreement and contract of the upcoming European U19 Boxing Championships in Belgrade.
The bidding procedure for the event was finished earlier this month and the Serbian Boxing Federation won that process to host the annual European U19 Boxing Championships after the decision of the European Boxing.
The European U19 Boxing Championships for the female and male boxers will take place in the city of Loznica between August 11 and 22. Altogether 10 women and 10 men boxers will earn the titles of the European U19 Boxing Championships in Loznica.
The management of the European Boxing will organize five continental events between August 11 and November 26 this year and the Loznica event will be the first on this busy competition order.
The city of Loznica is located near to the Bosnian & Herzegovian border in the Western part of Serbia and its picturesque landscape will guarantee the fantastic atmosphere during the European U19 Boxing Championships this August.
Serbia hosted the 2024 edition of the European Elite Boxing Championships in Belgrade and their National Federation has the experience to organize top competitions in our continent.
Their Belgrade Winner Tournament has just finished for the the elite boxers, the Nations U17 Junior Cup and the Golden Gloves of Vojvodina U19 Tournament are their next international competitions before the European U19 Boxing Championships.
The calendar of events is very busy for the U19 boxers this year with the World Boxing Future Cup, the World Boxing U19 Championships, and the Youth Olympic Games, but the new edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships would support the continent’s boxers to develop.
Boxers from the 2008 and 2009 age groups are important for all of the National Federations worldwide as these young talents could be already there also in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as elites.
The team delegations’ handbook with all of the information including the entry forms will be available for all of the National Federations next week.
The city of Ostrava hosted the last edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships on October 2025 which was a historic milestone for European Boxing. England won the medal standings in Ostrava ahead of Georgia, Turkey, France, Ukraine, Poland, Italy, Azerbaijan, Greece and Czechia.
Overlapping the Eindhoven Box Cup, the new Abashidze Memorial Tournament is another strong elite competition for the female and male boxers in Georgia these days.
Georgia hosted the Kakauridze U19 Tournament earlier this month but their management decided to arrange another international event in the city of Batumi, the Abashidze Memorial Tournament.
Batumi is one of the most developed cities in the region which is located off the coast of the Black Sea and Georgia’s new diamond in terms of tourism, investment and sport.
Georgia has strong elite national team with several European Elite and European U23 Championships’ medallists on the board and the event is also a selection between them for the top competitions of the year.
Armenia, Greece, Moldova, Poland and Turkey sent also a powerful squad to the Abashidze Memorial Tournament this year. Israel returned to the international boxing business and their best elite boxers are taking part in the city of Batumi.
Altogether 27 female and 71 male boxers are participating for the 17 available titles in the Abashidze Memorial Tournament in Batumi. Twelve contests are scheduled in the first competition day including three female bouts and some of them at the men’s 60kg are expected to be world-class.
The Abashidze Memorial Tournament is a preparation event for the European Elite Boxing Championships which will be held in Sofia, Bulgaria on September 15-26.
The facts of the Abashidze Memorial Tournament
Name: Abashidze Memorial Tournament
Competition Period: May 23-26
Venue: Batumi, Georgia
Gender: Women & Men
Age Group: Elite
Date of Birth of the boxers: 1986-2007 born boxers
The weight categories of the Abashidze Memorial Tournament
Women’s: 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 60kg, 70kg, 75kg, and 80kg
Men’s: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg, and +90kg
The schedule of the Abashidze Memorial Tournament
May 22 – Arrival of the delegations
May 22 – Technical Meeting
May 22 – Official Draw
May 23, 14:00 – Day1 competition
May 24, 14:00 – Day2 competition
May 25, 14:00 – Day3 competition
May 26, 14:00 – Day4 competition
May 27, 13:00 – Day5 competition with the finals
May 28 – Departure of the delegations
Nigeria’s UK-based boxers impressed in the first busy competition day at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands, which is the next big milestone in Europe’s boxing map.
Boxers four out of the five continents are participating in the 9th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands.
The live scoring of the Eindhoven Box Cup is available at the Boxerbase website: www.boxerbase.com while the strong international event also will use live streaming from all of the sessions on its Facebook page.
The Eindhoven Box Cup is a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.
The bout of the day
Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata, the All Africa Games winner, has just won their Commonwealth Games Trials and she decided to continue her preparation in Eindhoven. She was slightly better in the exchanges than her English opponent, Mary-Kate Smith in the first and second rounds and she had the advantages on the judges’ scorecards after six minutes. Smith had an exceptional last round but due to the first part of the bout Mbata’s won their 75kg meeting by 3:2 split decision in the opening session.
The surprises of the day
England’s Leo Wood was not the favourite against Thailand’s Asian Junior Champion Thanaphansakon Kalaseeram but surprisingly he has done enough to win their preliminary bout at the men’s 60kg.
Saudi Arabia’s Ziyad Majrashi competed in the Gulf Countries Championships last week but he is not enough experienced in the international stage yet. The Saudi Arabian boxer proved his stamina and progress against Germany’s Issayas Nebaye and he joined the last eight in the 60kg weight category.
The Round-Up
Canada’s Maxim Lessard competed in the level of the Panamerican Championships already but she had to keep the full focus to beat Slovakia’s Nicole Durikova in the opening bout of the entire Eindhoven Box Cup. The Slovakian was better in the second round and she had a great finish, but Lessard was able to won their meeting by 3:2 split decision.
The next Canadian female boxer, McKenzie Wright, the Olympic Qualification events competitor, also impressed in the first session in Eindhoven. The Canadian is a veteran pugilist but she has a big goal this summer, the Commonwealth Games where she plans to earn a medal. Wright controlled most of the exchanges against England’s Kelsey Oakley and she joined the quarter-finals at the women’s 51kg. The third Canadian female boxer, the World bronze medallist Viktoria Penney also started with a triumph against Germany’s Lerika Simon at the 75kg.
Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol had to miss the recent Belgrade Winner Tournament but she arrived to Eindhoven in top shape. The Spaniard, who won the annual Bocskai Memorial Tournament, moved up to the women’s 51kg but her performance in the first and second rounds was enough to eliminate Ukraine’s Alona Unkovska.
Netherlands’ Youth World bronze medallist Gabriella Weerheim moved back to the 54kg which is a better option for her physical conditions. The 21-year-old Dutch opened the season with a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament and she had was able to make a U-turn after the first round to beat Ukraine’s Viktoria Shkeul.
Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang was a gold medallist at the 2024 Asian Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai and she had a tough but successful start against England’s Ivy-Jane Smith in Eindhoven. Poland’s Angelika Krysztoforska and France’s World bronze medallist Wassila Lkhadiri also secured their places in the quarter-finals of the 54kg.
France’s Olympic Games silver medallist Billal Bennama returned to the national team in the recent weeks and he opened his campaign with a success against Thailand’s Kangpi Bokhunthod at the men’s 55kg. His teammate, another French Olympian, Davina Michel is also back on track and she eliminated Ukraine’s Olha Pylypchuk at the women’s 75kg.
Scotland’s Sonny Kerr has been preparing to the Commonwealth Games with full speed and he is near to his top form two months before the start of the event. The Scotsman dominated the first round against Seychelles’ Jovanie Darius Bouzin and he increased his rhythm in the second when the referee counted his African opponent. Kerr showed his excellent style of boxing in the third round as well and he won their 70kg preliminary bout by large margin of difference.
Another national team member from Seychelles, Jade Ethan Micock started relatively slow against Germany’s Kaidy Kadu and the first round was close between them. The boxer from the picturesque islands of Seychelles received the right instruction in the break and from the second round, he dominated their 80kg meeting.
Belgium’s Youth World bronze medallist Noa Hadjit had to meet with his teammate, Oussama El Moussaoui already in the first preliminary round, which was a selection bout between them in Eindhoven. The 22-year-old Hadjit gained the control in the first round and despite his warning in the third, he defeated his opponent in the 80kg.
Philippines’ Paul Julyfer Bascon was energetic in the recent Belgrade Winner Tournament last week and he had the great finish to beat Haiti’s Geronimo Saint-Louis Seide in the busy men’s 60kg weight category. Netherlands’ favourite in this division, Mahmoud Al Chabtoun, additionally Ukraine’s Oleksandr Vasko both impressed in the evening session.
Nigeria’s Kenneth Anigboro is a UK-based heavyweight boxer who claimed the gold medal at the National Trials and as Mbata, he is a high hope for the African country in the upcoming Commonwealth Games. He had to change his tactics after the first round against Germany’s Berat Korkmaz but his efforts were enough to turn back this 90kg preliminary bout.