All of the winners in the third day boxing marched to the semi-finals at the 34^th edition of the Ahmet Comert Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament in Istanbul.

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

Ukraine’s European U23 Champion Dzhamal Kuliyev and Kazakhstan’s World Championships quarter-finalist Nurkanat Raiys both had amazing results in the recent events and they faced each other in one of the top fights of the day. The Ukrainian is a big puncher and he tried to reduce the fighting range to gain the control of the exchanges in the first round. Raiys performed stronger in the second and he had a great finish but Kuliyev was better in this 80kg quarter-final bout today.

The surprise of the day

Australia’s William Mlacic is not a well-known boxer in the European events and he had the disadvantage against Kazakhstan’s Nurmukhan Bekarys after the first round. The Aussie boxer received the best instructions in the first break and he joined back to the business and kept his chance to win the fight after two rounds. Mlacic had the stamina in the third round and he eliminated a more experienced Kazakh boxer, delivering a surprise in the session.

The Round-up

Sayat Ilyasov represented Uzbekistan in several international events in the past but he switched to Kazakhstan this year. The 65kg boxer opened the third day of boxing at the Ahmet Comert Tournament with confident style of boxing and he eliminated Ukraine’s Rasul Guliyev in their quarter-final.

Kyrgyzstan’s historic World silver medallist Omar Livaza will turn only 22 this year but he has all the potential to win top championships as well. The Asian U22 Champion found the best rhythm against Turkey’s Mustafa Colak in the first round and he looked faster and stronger in the exchanges. The Kyrgyz boxer was in different level as his opponent today and he joined the last four at the 65kg weight class.

Uzbekistan sent a few male boxers to the annual Ahmet Comert Tournament and all of them are among the next generations. Ilkhomjon Ergashev is not enough experienced among the elites yet but he had a fantastic first round against Turkey’s Enes Refik Ciftci. After the opening three minutes, Ergashev kept the full control of this 65kg quarter-final and he managed to win the contest by large margin of difference.

Moldova’s Vladislav Vascovschii had a great finish to beat Georgia’s Archil Gaprindashvili in the fourth quarter-final of the men’s 65kg weight class. Three out of the five judges favoured the young Moldovan in the closest contest of the third competition day. Moldova’s best male boxer, the European silver medallist Alexandru Paraschiv was confident against Ukraine’s Mark Lomakin at the 70kg.

Germany’s lone boxer in the entire third competition day was Randy Botikali who had a strong start at the Ahmet Comert on Day2. His opponent from the boxing power Uzbekistan, the Asian Youth Championships competitor Kakhramonjon Fozilov opened the first round with strict punches. Botikali was more active from the second round and the German boxer could turn back their quarter-final bout at the 70kg.

Kyrgyzstan’s next sensation, Ikhtiyar Nishonov is a 22-year-old boxer, but he has already seven years of international experience. The Kyrgyz, who reached the quarter-final at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, controlled the second and third rounds well enough to beat Turkey’s Abdulselam Saman at the 70kg weight class.

Turkey’s Mert Aybuga controlled the first and second rounds against Australia’s Marlon Sevehon to win the entire contest at the 80kg. The next Turkish boxer in this weight category, Emre Parlak had a tough battle against the taller Australian Paul Trainor but he enjoyed the tight 3:2 victory after the last gong.

Kazakhstan’s Youth World Champion from 2024, Oner Seilkhan moved up two categories and he competed at the 80kg today. The 19-year-old Kazakh was dominant against Ukraine’s Artur Kasianov and he delivered a top performance on Day3. The next Kazakh boxer, Mukagali Makhmetaly was not enough shape today and he lost to Australia’s Lachlan Lawson, abandoning their 90kg contest.

Ukraine’s Daria-Olha Hutarina eliminated a top Turkish teenager, the Youth World silver medallist Pinar Belek as first in the women’s 57kg. The Ukrainian was not able to repeat that performance in the opening and the second rounds therefore he suffered a tight loss to another Turkish boxer, Erivan Barut.

Ireland’s European U22 Champion Niamh Fay had the strong strategy against Australia’s Holly Perdikaris and she managed her pathway to the semi-finals of the 57kg easily. Turkey’s Guler Deniz Topuz also defeated an Aussie boxer, Jaymee-Lee Cartwright while Serbia’s Jelena Zekic secured the fourth semi-final spot in this 57kg weight category.

Ukraine’s former World bronze medallist, the veteran Anastasia Chernokolenko eliminated Turkey’s Dilara Sak using her distance well in the bout. Another World Championships bronze finisher in this 70kg weight class, Serbia’s Nikolina Gajic had a hard job against Uzbekistan’s Raykhona Kurbonboyeva but due to her last round, she won their meeting by 3:2 split decision.

Australia’s Emma Smith was smaller than her veteran opponent, Serbia’s Milena Matovic and she is almost a newcomer in the international stage. Despite the previous chances, the Aussie boxer stopped her opponent with heavy punches before Ukraine’s Anastasia Taran eliminated a local girl at the 70kg, Zeliha Ozdemir.

Romania’s Amalia Nita had amazing junior and youth results between 2021 and 2024 and the multiple European Champion is now an ace in the elite squad. The 19-year-old Romanian performed well enough in the second and third rounds to beat Turkey’s Sude Nur Aslan at the 75kg.

Ireland’s Adam Hession, Ukraine’s Daria-Olha Hutarina, Germany’s Randy Botikali and Australia’s Toby Reading were among the heroes at the 34^th edition of the Ahmet Comert Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament in Istanbul on Day2.

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

Ireland’s Adam Hession was member of their national team at the 2025 World Boxing Championships and the 2024 European Boxing Championships as well. The experienced Irish had some issues with the distance in the first round but he stepped into the gas in time to beat Turkey’s Sezgin Acar at the men’s 60kg.

The surprise of the day

Turkey’s Pinar Benek achieved a silver medal at the 2024 Youth World Boxing Championships and she was named as one of the favourites in Istanbul. The youngster was not enough fresh in the first round against Ukraine’s Daria-Olha Hutarina and she could not repeat her previous level of footwork. The Ukrainian caught her from all of the ranges and she won not only the first round but the entire bout at the women’s 57kg.

The Round-up

Turkey’s Emine Kilinc is a promising local boxer at the women’s 51kg but she gained the control in her opener against Ukraine’s Yaroslava Marynchuk in the first round. The Ukrainian was competitive and found the distance only in the third round therefore Kilinc managed to win their meeting by 4:1 split decision today.

Ireland’s Caitlin Fryers and Uzbekistan’s Mukhlisa Khushvaktova both are trying to impress their head coaches and reach the top teams in their homelands. The Irish girl found her rhythm earlier than the younger Uzbek and the first and second rounds were decisive on their women’s 51kg bout.

Uzbekistan’s Kakhramonjon Fozilov was smaller than Turkey’s Cem Kaya but he used his aggressive style of boxing to catch his opponent with heavy shots. The local hopeful equalized his disadvantage in most of the scorecards in the second round but Fozilov had the motivation and the stamina to decide their 70kg bout in the third.

Germany’s Randy Botikali has just joined the national team only in 2025 but he delivered some unexpected victories despite his low number of international bouts. The German dominated the first round against Serbia’s Dzejlan Toskic and he had the 10:8 advantage on the judges’ scorecards after three minutes. The taller Botikali shocked the Serbian with multiple punches in the end of the second round and the referee stopped their 70kg contest.

Uzbekistan’s Uzukjamol Yunusova competed in the level of the Asian Championships as a junior and a youth boxer with titles and medals between 2021 and 2024. The 19-year-old Uzbek maintained the best fighting distance in the first round against Turkey’s Hatice Kubra Gocer and she was still able to increase her rhythm in the second. Yunusova continued the same tempo in the third round therefore she won this 54kg quarter-final bout with confidence.

Moldova’s Iulia Coroli represented her nation in almost all levels of boxing excluding the Olympic Games and after a break, she decided to return to the sport. Her opponent, Kazakhstan’s Gulnar Turapbay received a warning in the first round and she did not find the rhythm in this 54kg bout. The Kazakh ringside abandoned the contest after two minutes and ten seconds and the Moldovan made a great comeback with a guaranteed medal.

Ireland’s Nicole Clyde looked one size bigger than Germany’s Tatiana Obermeier in the next quarter-final at the women’s 54kg. The German was energetic in the first round but Clyde found the best weapons against her from the second, and Clyde joined the medal phase of this weight class. The fourth medallist in this category became Ukraine’s Inna Statkevych who eliminated Kazakhstan’s Tomiris Myrzakul.

Serbia’s Relja Stojkovic has injured in the first exchanges therefore Australia’s experienced Marlon Sevehon advanced to the next stage at the men’s 80kg. Turkey’s Emre Parlak felt the support of the home crowd and he was able to keep the control against Kyrgyzstan’s 20-year-old Atay Asanbekov in all of the three rounds.

Australia’s Holly Perdikaris made her international debut at the recent Montenegro Elite Cup in Budva and she was selected to participate also in Istanbul. The Aussie boxer looked stronger in the exchanges than Kazakhstan’s Zhumakhan Korkem in the first round and she finished their 57kg bout in the second with a stoppage.

Germany’s Denis Bril almost qualified for the Paris Olympics through the last chance event when he was only 20-year-old. Bril moved up to the 60kg last year and his technical skills resulted a clear advantage on the scorecards against Turkey’s Selahattin Cinibulak. Germany’s top talent had an emerging performance in all of the three rounds to win his opening bout at the Ahmet Comert.

Kyrgyzstan’s Paris Olympics silver medallist Munarbek Seyitbek Uulu started his campaign in Istanbul well enough against a good Uzbek rival on Day1 and he used the same style of boxing as next when he faced Australia’s Darcy O’Malley. The Kyrgyz lightweight boxer was patient, waited for the best angles to win the contest but the Aussie youngster proved also his future potential in their meeting.

Serbia arrived to the competition with a fantastic female team and their Jelena Zekic continued the winning path after the Montenegro Elite Cup. The Serbian had to meet Georgia’s newcomer in the elite national team, Khuraman Kasumova and she was too strong for her opponent today.

Following the success of two local boxers such as Vedat Kacar and Berke Sadettin Sahip, Australia’s Toby Reading delivered the next top performance of the session. The 75kg boxer from Down Under used his physical advantage over Turkey’s Sitki Isik and he joined the last four in this weight class.

Kyrgyzstan’s Olympic Games silver medallist Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu returned to the events with a superb success at the 34^th edition of the Ahmet Comert Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament in Istanbul on Day1.

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

Ireland’s Eoghan Quinn started the first round better than Australia’s Paul Trainor and she had the advantages on the judges’ scorecards after three minutes. The Aussie boxer used his distance better in the second therefore the final verdict was depended on their performance in the last period. The taller Australian kept the Irish opponent on long in the third round and he secured his place in the last eight at the 80kg.

The surprise of the day

Turkey’s Seyma Duztas achieved a bronze medal at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool and she was one of the highest hopes of their female team in Istanbul. The Turkish boxer faced Uzbekistan’s Asian Youth Champion Sobirakhon Shakhobiddinova in the quarter-finals of the women’s +80kg. The Uzbek teenager is a newcomer among the elites but her pressure paid off today and she eliminate a Turkish favourite in Istanbul.

The Round-up

Germany’s Jule Woche had some difficulties in the first round against Uzbekistan’s Odinakhon Ismoilova but she looked better and stronger every minutes. Woche, who competed at the Golden Girl in Sweden and the Riga Ladies Boxing Cup in Latvia this year, turned back their 65kg contest with great finish. Her second opponent in the quarter-finals will be Turkey’s Sila Bicil who reached the Top8 at the 2022 European Youth Championships.

Kyrgyzstan arrived to the Ahmet Comert Tournament with their top team while their second line-ups with the younger hopes are participating in the current Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Ulaanbaatar. Their historic World medallist and Asian U22 Champion Omar Livaza was too smart for Georgia’s Mamuka Jibuti and the 21-year-old Kyrgyz will now meet Turkey’s Mustafa Colak in the quarter-finals of the 65kg.

Kazakhstan’s Nurkanat Raiys was a quarter-finalist at the 2021 World Boxing Championships in Belgrade but due to the Olympic possibility, he moved up to the 80kg this year. The 26-year-old Kazakh adopted the level of his new weight class and he dominated the first and second rounds against Moldova’s Valeriu Razmerita. Raiys saved some fuels for the later actions in the third round but he had the clear success in this preliminary bout.

The European U22 Championships bronze medallist Delil Dadaev of Germany has just recently won the Montenegro Elite Cup earlier this month. The strong German had a close first round against Turkey’s Mert Aybuga in their 80kg meeting but the local opponent stepped into the gas in the second. Despite Dadaev’s efforts in the third round, the Turkish boxer advanced to the quarter-finals of the Ahmet Comert Tournament.

Turkey’s Nurullah Oyan had a big scalp at the 50kg quarter-final in Istanbul where he defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Strandja Memorial Tournament winner Anvarzhan Khodzhiyev. The next Turkish talent, Semih Gumus prepared well to this event and controlled all of the three rounds against Kazakhstan’s Nurlybek Amanat at the 55kg.

Georgia has excellent boxers in the smallest male age group and their Lasha Kereselidze had energetic attacks in the first round against Azerbaijan’s Ujal Musayev. The smaller Georgian caught the Azeri boxer in the second round as well and despite Musayev’s great efforts in the third, Kereselidze managed to win this 50kg quarter-final bout by 3:2 split decision.

Ukraine’s Yelmir Nabiyev had a tight success over Australia’s Jesse Wicks in the quarter-finals of the 55kg which was another spectacular battle in the opening day of boxing. The next Aussie boxer, the Brandenburg Youth Cup silver medallist Taj Harrington worked better in the next bout but he lost to Turkey’s Nihat Adiyan by split decision in the battle of the southpaw athletes.

Kyrgyzstan’s Zafarbek Kamilov joined the international stage of boxing in 2021 when he was only 15-year-old. The Asian Youth silver medallist controlled the first round against Turkey’s Baran Kirkgozler and he had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards. Kamilov landed his punched with perfect timing and due to his dominance in the second round, he won this 55kg battle by unanimous decision.

Uzbekistan’s Robiyakhon Bakhtiyorova claimed a silver medal at the Asian U23 Boxing Championships last summer and she moved back to the 48kg this year. The Uzbek talent had the impressive footwork to stop Turkey’s Aleyna Demirkir with body shots in the first round and she controlled also the second. The local girl found her best rhythm only in the third round too late to turn back their quarter-final bout in Istanbul.

Kyrgyzstan’s first Olympic medallist in boxing, the runner-up from Paris, Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu returned to the international stage in this Ahmet Comert Tournament. The experienced Kyrgyz has been preparing for the Asian Games and he had the perfect counter-attacks in his opener against Uzbekistan’s Tilav Suponov. Seiitbek Uulu dominated the exchanges in all of the three rounds and he started his campaign with a unanimous points decision triumph.

Azerbaijan’s main elite international competition, the Great Silk Way Tournament will be another highlight in the month of April.

The new edition of the Great Silk Way Tournament will begin with its first competition day on April 2 and the finals are scheduled on April 7.

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.

Azerbaijan’s top elite competition will welcome several medallists from various European Boxing Championships, and new talents from the previous U19 age groups.

The Australian Boxing has an important year due to the Commonwealth Games and one of the groups of their boxers will participate at the Great Silk Way Tournament as well.

Turkey will host the Ahmet Comert Tournament but the strong country will send boxers also to Azerbaijan’s capital to this parallel competition.

The top boxing nations, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan will also participate in Baku despite the current Asian Elite Championships in Mongolia.

The facts of the Great Silk Way Tournament

Name: Great Silk Way Tournament

Competition Period: April 2-7

Venue: Baku, Azerbaijan

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: Elite

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

The schedule of the Great Silk Way Tournament

April 1 – Arrivals of the delegations

April, from 11:00 – Sport Entries Check

April 1, 18:00 – Technical Meeting

April 1, 18:30 – Official Draw

April 2, 14:00 – Day1 competition

April 3, 14:00 – Day2 competition

April 4, 14:00 – Day3 competition

April 5, 14:00 – Day4 competition

April 6, 14:00 – Day5 competition

April 7, 14:00 – Day6 competition with the finals

April 8 – Departures of the delegations

The boxers who need to be watched in the Great Silk Way Tournament

- Yelyanur Turganova, Kazakhstan, women’s 48kg – Youth World Champion

- Zhansaya Rakhymberdi, Kazakhstan, women’s 51kg – Bronze medallist from the 2017 Youth World Boxing Championships

- Gamze Soguksu, Turkey, women’s 51kg – Bronze medallist at the European U23 Boxing Championships

- Nilay Yaren Cam, Turkey, women’s 54kg – European U23 Champion

- Nazerke Serik, Kazakhstan, women’s 65kg – Asian Junior Champion

- Eve Bryson, Australia, women’s 65kg – Silver medallist at the Independence Cup

- Ergyunal Sebahtin Sabri, Bulgaria, men’s 50kg – Silver medallist at the European Championships

- Sakhil Alakhverdovi, Georgia, men’s 50kg – European Champion; Bronze medallist at the World Boxing Championships

- Lachlan Shipsey, Australia, men’s 50kg – Silver medallist at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament

- Yasen Radev, Bulgaria, men’s 55kg – Bronze medallist at the European Elite Boxing Championships

- Nijat Huseynov, Azerbaijan, men’s 55kg – Paris Olympian; European U22 Champion

- Zidan Humbatov, Azerbaijan, men’s 55kg – Bronze medallist at the Youth World Boxing Championships

- Tayfur Aliyev, Azerbaijan, men’s 60kg – Bronze medallist at the European Games

- Mahammadali Gasimzada, Azerbaijan, men’s 60kg – Bronze medallist at the Youth World Boxing Championships

- Viktorio Iliev, Bulgaria, men’s 65kg – Silver medallist at the European U23 Boxing Championships

- Zviad Tchotchua, Georgia, men’s 65kg – European U19 Champion

- Malik Hasanov, Azerbaijan, men’s 65kg – Bronze medallist at the European Elite Boxing Championships

- Vasile Cebotari, Moldova, men’s 70kg – Bronze medallist at the European Elite Boxing Championships

- Sarkhan Aliyev, Azerbaijan, men’s 70kg – Bronze medallist at the World Boxing Championships

- Luka Nikabadze, Georgia, men’s 70kg – Silver medallist at the European U23 Boxing Championships

- Talgat Shayken, Kazakhstan, men’s 70kg – Silver medallist from the 2018 Youth World Boxing Championships

- Elnur Abdulaevi, Georgia, men’s 70kg – Silver medallist at the European U19 Boxing Championships

- Saidjamshid Jafarov, Azerbaijan, men’s 75kg – Bronze medallist at the World Boxing Championships

- William Cholov, Bulgaria, men’s 80kg – Silver medallist at the European U23 Boxing Championships

- Murad Allakhverdiyev, Azerbaijan, men’s 80kg – Bronze medallist at the European Games; Paris Olympian

- Bedirhan Kalkan, Turkey, men’s 85kg – Bronze medallist at the European U23 Boxing Championships

- Mahammad Abdullayev, Azerbaijan, men’s +90kg – Silver medallist at the European Games; Paris Olympian

The 34^th edition of the Ahmet Comert Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament will begin with its first competition day in Istanbul on March 30 and the finals are scheduled to take place on April 5.

Istanbul hosted several big events in the recent decades such as the Women’s World Boxing Championships, Junior World Boxing Championships, Cadet World Boxing Championships and the famous Ahmet Comert Tournament.

Such great boxing nations as Afghanistan, Australia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Germany, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Romania, Serbia, Türkiye, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan will be competing at the Ahmet Comert with strong boxers.

The upcoming Ahmet Comert Tournament will be preparation event for the World Boxing Cups, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the European U23 Boxing Championships as well.

The city of Istanbul will be also the host of the next edition of the European Games on June 16-27 in 2027.

The facts of the Ahmet Comert Tournament

Name: 34^th Ahmet Comert Bosphorus International Boxing Tournament

Competition Period: March 27 – April 6

Venue: Istanbul, Türkiye

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: Elite

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

The schedule of the Ahmet Comert Tournament

March 27-28 – Arrivals of the delegations

March 27-28 – Registrations

March 28-29 – Sport Entries Check

March 29, 16:30 – Technical Meeting

March 29, 17:00 – Official Draw

March 30, 14:00 & 18:00 – Day1 competition

March 30, 17:30 – Official Opening Ceremony

March 31, 14:00 & 18:00 – Day2 competition

April 1, 14:00 & 18:00 – Day3 competition

April 2, 14:00 & 18:00 – Day4 competition

April 3, 14:00 & 18:00 – Day5 competition

April 4, 14:00 & 18:00 – Day6 competition

April 5, 14:00 – Day7 competition with the finals

April 6 – Departures of the delegations

The boxers who need to be watched in the Ahmet Comert Tournament

- Gulnaz Buribayeva, Kazakhstan, women’s 48kg – Asian U22 Champion

- Robiyakhon Bakhtiyorova, Uzbekistan, women’s 48kg – Silver medallist from the Asian U22 Boxing Championships

- Leah Anderton, Australia, women’s 51kg – Bronze medallist from the 2024 U19 World Boxing Championships

- Gulnar Turapbay, Kazakhstan, women’s 51kg – Silver medallist from the Asian U22 Boxing Championships

- Tomiris Myrzakul, Kazakhstan, women’s 54kg – Silver medallist from the Asian U22 Boxing Championships

- Uzukjamol Yunusova, Uzbekistan, women’s 54kg – Silver medallist from the Asian U22 Boxing Championships

- Niamh Fay, Ireland, women’s 57kg – European U22 Champion

- Jelena Zekic, Serbia, women’s 57kg –

- Pinar Benek, Turkey, women’s 57kg – Silver medallist from the Youth World Boxing Championships

- Natalia Shadrina, Serbia, women’s 60kg – European Champion

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

- Sitora Turdibekova, Uzbekistan, women’s 60kg – Asian Champion

- Esmanur Lok, Turkey, women’s 60kg – Bronze medallist from the European U23 Boxing Championships

- Anastasija Lukajic, Serbia, women’s 65kg – Bronze medallist from the Women’s World Boxing Championships

- Yonca Gul Yilmaz, Turkey, women’s 65kg – Silver medallist from the Youth World Boxing Championships

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

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

- Nikolina Gajic, Serbia, women’s 70kg – Bronze medallist from the Women’s World Boxing Championships

- Dilara Sak, Turkey, women’s 70kg – Bronze medallist from the Youth World Boxing Championships

- Amalia Nita, Romania, women’s 70kg – European Youth Champion

- Sude Nur Aslan, Turkey, women’s 75kg – Bronze medallist from the Youth World Boxing Championships

- Tatia Bukia, Georgia, women’s 80kg – Silver medallist from the European Youth Championships

- Daria Sazonova, Moldova, women’s +80kg – European Elite Champion; European Youth Champion

- Sobirakhon Shakhobiddinova, Uzbekistan, women’s +80kg – Asian Youth Champion

- Seyma Duztas, Turkey, women’s +80kg – Silver medallist from the European U23 Boxing Championships

- Anvarzhan Khodzhiyev, Kyrgyzstan, men’s 50kg – Gold medallist at the Strandja Memorial Tournament

- Luka Kublashvili, Georgia, men’s 50kg – European U22 Champion

- Taj Harrington, Australia, men’s 55kg – Silver medallist from the 2025 Brandenburg U19 Tournament

- Salah Ibrahim, Germany, men’s 55kg – Cologne Boxing World Cup winner

- Zafarbek Kamilov, Kyrgyzstan, men’s 55kg – Silver medallist in the Asian Youth Boxing Championships

- Munarbek Seyitbek Uulu, Kyrgyzstan, men’s 60kg – Silver medallist at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games

- Omar Livaza, Kyrgyzstan, men’s 65kg – Silver medallist from the World Boxing Championships; Asian U22 Champion

- Alexandru Paraschiv, Moldova, men’s 70kg – Silver medallist at the 2024 European Boxing Championships

- Ikhtiyar Nishonov, Kyrgyzstan, men’s 70kg – Quarter-finalist at the 2025 World Boxing Championships

- Oner Seilkhan, Kazakhstan, men’s 70kg – Youth World Champion

- Alperen Yilmaz, Turkey, men’s 75kg – Bronze medallist from the Youth World Boxing Championships

- Dzhamal Kuliyev, Ukraine, men’s 75kg – European U23 Champion

- Delil Dadaev, Germany, men’s 80kg – European U22 Boxing Championships bronze medallist

- Dmytro Lovchinskyi, Ukraine, men’s +90kg – European U22 Champion; Paris Olympian

Following the recent announcement that the National Federations for boxing in Russia and Belarus have had their applications for membership endorsed by the Executive Board of World Boxing (subject to full approval at the next World Boxing Congress in November 2026), the Executive Board of European Boxing, as the continental confederation for boxing in Europe, will meet on 13 April 2026 to establish a process for how this will be implemented into its competition structure.

The process will incorporate all competitions from the senior elite level, such as the forthcoming European Boxing Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, from 15 – 26 September 2026, to the grassroots.

As part of this process, European Boxing will seek guidance from World Boxing and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the conditions for participation in its competitions, which are expected to follow the AIN procedure – ‘Athlètes Individuels Neutres’ (Individual Neutral Athletes) –  deployed by the IOC for Russian and Belarusian athletes that competed at the recent 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina.

Under this procedure, boxers from Russia and Belarus participate as individual athletes without a flag or national anthem. Participation will be subject to applicable eligibility and neutrality criteria, in line with the guidance of World Boxing and the IOC.

The meeting of European Boxing’s Executive Board on 13 April 2026 will also consider broader questions regarding the involvement of coaches, officials and administrators from Russia and Belarus in European Boxing activities, in a manner that is consistent with the current international sporting framework.

Lars Brovil, the President of European Boxing said: “The leadership of European Boxing recognises that the endorsement of Russia and Belarus as members of World Boxing means we will need to consider how their participation may be addressed within our competition structures and operations.

“We will be working closely with our existing members, the International Federation and other key stakeholders, including the IOC, to ensure this is done in a way that reflects European Boxing’s commitment to strong governance, sporting integrity and a competitive environment that prioritises boxers and supports the continued development of Olympic boxing.”

Following the meeting on 13 April 2026, European Boxing will circulate a communique to all member National Federations outlining the agreed approach in the days following the meeting.  Until that point, the current ways of working will apply in competitions and at all levels of European Boxing’s operations.

Latvia’s Romans Iljins, Lithuania’s Simonas Puniskis, and Germany’s Dietrich Hermann won the best finals at the 21^stedition of the Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth International Boxing Tournament in Vilnius, Lithuania today.

Armenia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, host Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine were the participating nations in the event. Among them Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Germany earned at least one title in the city of Vilnius.

Boxers who were born in 2008 or in 2009 were eligible to participate in the 21^st Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament.

The bout of the day

Latvia’s next finalist, Romans Iljins dominated his quarter-final bout against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Sychevskyi and he eliminated Lithuania’s promising Arturas Majauckas in the last four. The Latvian southpaw focused on his defence and he tried to find the best angles in the attacks against Lithuania’s European Junior Championships competitor Giedrius Bacianskas.  After the tactical first round, Iljins was more punctual in the exchanges, and he bagged Latvia’s second gold medal in Vilnius.

The surprise of the day

Lithuania’s Dovydas Kerpe eliminated one of the favourites of the 60kg, Czechia’s Dorian Kropog in the semi-finals and he met Simonas Puniskis for the title of the Danas Pozniakas. Kerpe was not only taller than his compatriot but he landed quicker punches from his safest distance in the first round. Kerpe’s hooks were dangerous but Puniskis found the best range in the second and his jabs landed in the target area. The final verdict was depended on their performance in the last round when Puniskis’ activities guaranteed for him the success.

The Round-Up

Lithuania’s Vitas Bytautas and Poland’s Szymon Griszyn met in the first final of the Danas Pozniakas Tournament in Vilnius. The Polish southpaw looked more active than his Lithuanian opponent and he had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards. Griszyn was not exhausted in the last round, he launched quicker actions than Bytautas and he celebrated a well-deserved success at the 50kg weight class.

Moldova’s Damian Grisman eliminated Ukraine’s Matvey Kolupay and the European Junior quarter-finalist Mateusz Adamski during his road to the final of the 55kg. Grisman’s final opponent was Latvia’s Denys Bulchenko, a taller opponent, who tried to keep the Moldovan on long from the first seconds. Grisman was patient in all of the three rounds but Bulchenko’s long-distance tactics worked better today and the Latvian earned the gold medal in Vilnius.

Poland’s southpaw Aleksander Sikora and Lithuania’s Edvin Drutel met in the final of the 85kg weight class which was the fourth bout in the session. The taller Polish used his jabs to stop Drutel’s attacks but the Lithuanian was faster in the exchanges to reach Sikora. The local boxer reduced the fighting distance successfully in most of the actions and he claimed Lithuania’s next gold medal on home soil.

Lithuania’s Lukas Petraska eliminated Poland’s Samuel Kulik in the first semi-final of the 70kg and he met another Polish talent, Kewin Trukawka, for the title. The European U19 Championships competitor Lithuanian landed nice left-handed punches in the first round but Trukawka worked more from the second to win their meeting.

Following Matas Naumcev’s success over his teammate, Kajus Bogusis, one of the most anticipated final was held at the 80kg. Germany’s European U19 quarter-finalist Dietrich Hermann had strong performance in the entire competition, and he had the same strategy against Armenia’s No.1 in this age group, the European Youth Champion Samvel Siramargyan. The 18-year-old German used his longer reach perfectly in many of the exchanges and his physical advantages decided their final bout.

The dream final at the 80kg has realized between Germany’s Dietrich Hermann and Armenia’s Samvel Siramargyan at the 21^st edition of the Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth International Boxing Tournament in Vilnius, Lithuania on Day3.

Armenia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, host Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine will be the participating nations in the event.

Boxers who were born in 2008 or in 2009 will be eligible to participate in the next 21^st Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament.

The bout of the day

Moldova’s Damian Grisman eliminated Ukraine’s Matvey Kolupay in the previous round of the 55kg and he met a Polish opponent, the European Junior quarter-finalist Mateusz Adamski as next. Both the Moldovan and the Polish boxers had the similar speed and game plan therefore the first round was close between them. The Moldovan felt the tempo and the distance better in the second and third rounds and Grisman managed to win this important semi-final contest in Vilnius.

The surprise of the day

Latvia progressed in all of the age groups in the recent one year and their Romans Iljins dominated his quarter-final bout against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Sychevskyi on Day2. The Latvian 65kg boxer faced with Lithuania’s promising Arturas Majauckas and his powerful combinations guaranteed the success for Iljins.

The Round-Up

Czechia’s Dorian Kropog eliminated Lithuania’s Jokubas Nedzinskas in the previous round at the 60kg which was the bout of the second session. The 18-year-old Czech was experienced in all levels of boxing but he could not repeat his performance against another local boxer, Dovydas Kerpe and he claimed a bronze medal in Vilnius. Kerpe will meet his teammate, Simonas Puniskis in the upcoming final bout in this strong weight class.

Lithuania’s European Junior Championships competitor Giedrius Bacianskas eliminated his teammate, Emilis Murauskas in the quarter-finals and he met Poland’s Lew Myslowski-Mikos became as next at the 65kg. The Lithuanian was smaller than his Polish opponent but Bacianskas stepped into the best fighting distance with great footwork to win this semi-final.

Lithuania’s Lukas Petraska competed in the last edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships in Ostrava half year ago and he has strong plans for 2026. The Lithuanian eliminated Poland’s Samuel Kulik in the first semi-final of the 70kg and he will now meet for the title another Polish talent, Kewin Trukawka.

The next Lithuanian battle was held between Kajus Bogusis and Karolis Onaitis in the semi-finals of the 75kg weight class. Bogusis had the advantages in terms of height, longer reach and technical skills therefore his had was raised after the final bell. He will be boxing for the title of this weight class with another Lithuanian talent, Matas Naumcev, who had a point decision success over Poland’s Kasjan Galkiewicz.

Germany’s European U19 quarter-finalist Dietrich Hermann eliminated Estonia’s Daniil Panin and Lithuania’s Donatas Bartosevicius during his road to the semi-finals at the 80kg. He used his longer hands effectively against Latvia’s Kirils Salkovskis and stopped the attacks of his Baltic opponent. The tall German looked confident also in the second and third rounds to beat Salkovskis by large margin of difference.

Armenia’s No.1 in this age group, the European Youth Champion Samvel Siramargyan eliminated Lithuania’s Vadim Ivanov on Day2 and he met a taller German opponent as next, Leon Kulle. The 18-year-old Armenian reduced the fighting distance successfully and his hooks resulted a clear success for him in the battle of the southpaw boxers.

Czechia’s Dorian Kropog and Lithuania’s Arturas Majauckas won the tightest contests at the 21^st edition of the Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth International Boxing Tournament in Vilnius, Lithuania on Day2.

Armenia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, host Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine will be the participating nations in the event.

Boxers who were born in 2008 or in 2009 will be eligible to participate in the next 21^st Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament.

The bout of the day

Czechia’s Dorian Kropog competed already at the 2021 edition of the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships and he had five years of international routine to keep the control against Lithuania’s Jokubas Nedzinskas in the first round. The Lithuanian switched also into a higher tempo in the second round and he impressed in the later parts of their 60kg meeting in Vilnius. The 18-year-old Czech was stronger in several of the exchanges in the decision-making last round and Kropog became the guaranteed medallist.

The surprise of the day

Czechia’s Tomas Glovcik started his international career still back in 2019 when he was only 11-years-old and he competed in several editions of the European Boxing Championships as well. The Czech was not able to keep the control in all of the exchanges against Lithuania’s Arturas Majauckas and he suffered an unexpected loss at the 65kg quarter-final.

The Round-Up

Iceland’s new sensation, Artem Siurkov started his campaign against Estonia’s Aleksandr Silinskii well enough at the 60kg weight class and he joined the quarter-finals in Vilnius. The Icelandic boxer had a harder opponent as second, and Lithuania’s strong Dovydas Kerpe stopped him in the last eight.

Aleksandras Lukaitis raised Lithuania’s flag in the quarter-finals of the 60kg when he stopped Ukraine’s Danil Sidenko after his heavy punches. The next Lithuanian, Simonas Puniskis controlled two out of the three rounds well enough to beat Latvia’s Bogdans Pronins in the fourth quarter-final at the 60kg.

Lithuania’s European Junior Championships competitor Giedrius Bacianskas had the strong strategy against his teammate, Emilis Murauskas and he followed the game plan to beat his opponent. Poland’s Lew Myslowski-Mikos became the next winner in the quarter-finals of the 65kg, he eliminated Estonia’s Matvei Krassohin in a hectic contest.

Latvia’s next boxer in action was Romans Iljins, who controlled all of the three rounds against Ukraine’s Oleksandr Sychevskyi to join the semi-finals of the 65kg. His teammate, Kirils Salkovskis also succeeded in the second day of boxing in Vilnius, he eliminated Lithuania’s Valerij Salomatin at the 80kg quarter-final.

Germany’s No.1 in Vilnius, Dietrich Hermann reached the Top8 at the last edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships in Ostrava and after his success over Estonia’s Daniil Panin, he eliminated Lithuania’s Donatas Bartosevicius in the quarter-finals. Armenia’s European Youth Champion Samvel Siramargyan also succeeded in this 80kg, he bowed out Lithuania’s Vadim Ivanov on Day2.

Iceland made history in the opening day at the 21^st edition of the Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth International Boxing Tournament in Vilnius, Lithuania following both of their talents won their contests.  

Armenia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, host Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine are the participating nations in the event.

Boxers who were born in 2008 or in 2009 will be eligible to participate in the new edition of the 21^st Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament.

The bout of the day

Iceland is a unique country among the participating teams at the Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth Tournament. Their Artem Siurkov competed in smaller international events in the past but he had the strong game plan against Estonia’s Aleksandr Silinskii in the first contest of the 60kg. The Icelandic boxer followed the strategy well enough in this contest and he eliminated a tough Estonian out of his way.

The surprise of the day

Following Artem Siurkov’s success in one of the closest contests of the first competition day, Iceland’s next boxer, Mihail Fedorets also won his challenge in Vilnius. The Icelandic boxer competed in the last three editions of the King of the Ring Tournament in Sweden but his clear success over Lithuania’s Kristupas Povilionis was slightly unexpected.

The Round-Up

Latvia’s Denys Bulchenko and France’s Anthony Gillardi started the entire Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth Tournament in Vilnius after the Opening Ceremony. The Latvian boxer found the rhythm immediately in the first round and he controlled all of the exchanges to beat his French rival unanimously at the 55kg weight class.

Moldova sent a smaller but strong squad to the Lithuanian capital and the country is active in all of the major events this month. Their Damian Grisman has the potential to compete in the highest level of boxing in the future and he underlined his strong progress in his opening bout. Ukraine’s Matvey Kolupay was not able to match Grisman’s skills and the Moldovan marched to the next stage of boxing in Vilnius.

Mateusz Adamski was a quarter-finalist at the 2024 edition of the European Junior Boxing Championships and he has the strong plan to reach the podium in the top events this year. The Polish boxer won two out of the three rounds and the entire contest against Lithuania’s Kornelijus Kerpe at the busy 55kg.

Lithuania’s Karolis Onaitis eliminated his teammate, Klaudijus Stankevicius at the 75kg weight class, controlling all of the three rounds. Poland’s Kasjan Galkiewicz continued his nation’s winning path in Vilnius where he stopped Estonia’s Vladislav Kharitonov in the next bout of this middleweight.

Germany’s Dietrich Hermann reached the Top8 at the last edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships in Ostrava and he is still competing in this age group in 2026 as well. The German opened his bout better than Estonia’s Daniil Panin and he was able to keep the control until the last seconds of this 80kg contest.

The 21^st edition of the Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth International Boxing Tournament will be starting in Vilnius, Lithuania tomorrow.

Lithuania hosts three top international events every year and their first, the prestigious Danas Pozniakas will take place for the U19 boxers this week.

Armenia, Czechia, Estonia, France, Germany, Iceland, Israel, Latvia, host Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, and Ukraine will be the participating nations in the event.

The President of the Lithuanian Boxing Federation Mr. Darius Saluga and the Secretary General of the NF, Mr. Donatas Macianskas will arrange a fantastic competition in Vilnius.

Vilnius is famous of its baroque architecture, its Medieval Old Town, cathedrals, churches, parks, peaceful environment and top quality restaurants.

Boxers who were born in 2008 or in 2009 will be eligible to participate in the next 21^st Danas Pozniakas Youth Tournament.

The competition was named after Lithuania’s national boxing hero Mr. Danas Pozniakas who claimed gold medal at the Mexico 1968 Olympic Games representing the Soviet Union and also crowned three-times in the history of the European Boxing Championships. During his long and successful career Lithuanian boxing icon, Danas Pozniakas won 203 bouts out of his 217 total contests in the '1960s.

The men’s boxers will able to compete in the following 10 categories in Vilnius: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg and +90kg.

The facts of the Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth Tournament

Name: Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth Tournament

Competition Period: March 18 – 21

Venue: Vilnius, Lithuania

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: U19

Date of Birth of the boxers: 2008-2009 born boxers

The schedule of the Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth Tournament

March 17 – Arrivals of the delegations

March 17, 19:00 – Technical Meeting

March 18, 07:30-09:30 – Medical Examination & General weigh-in

March 18, 10:00 – Official Draw

March 18, 15:00 – Opening Ceremony

March 18, 15:15 – Day1 competition

March 19, 13:00 – Day2 competition

March 20, 13:00 – Day3 competition

March 20, 19:00 – Dinner for the officials

March 21, 13:00 – Day4 competition with the finals

March 22 – Departures of the delegations

The boxers who need to be watched in the Danas Pozniakas U19 Youth Tournament

- Mateusz Adamski, Poland, 55kg – Quarter-finalist in the 2024 European Junior Boxing Championships

- Jokubas Nedzinskas, Lithuania, 60kg – Quarter-finalist in the 2024 European Junior Boxing Championships

- Tomas Glovcik, Czechia, 65kg – Bronze medallist at the 2022 European Schoolboys Boxing Championships

- Matas Naumcev, Lithuania, 75kg – Quarter-finalist in the 2024 European Junior Boxing Championships

- Dietrich Hermann, Germany, 80kg – Quarter-finalist in the 2025 European U19 Boxing Championships

- Samvel Siramargyan, Armenia, 80kg – European Youth Champion

- Aleksander Sikora, Poland, 85kg – Quarter-finalist in the 2025 European U17 Boxing Championships

The Executive Board convened this weekend in Copenhagen (7 March 2026) for a strategic meeting hosted by the Danish Boxing Federation at the impressive House of Sports. The gathering brought together board members to review key priorities for the federation and to discuss the next strategic steps for the development of the sport.

 A central theme of the meeting was the continued emphasis on good governance. Board members reflected on how transparent decision-making, strong institutional structures, and responsible leadership remain essential for the sustainable growth of boxing within the international sporting landscape. The discussions highlighted the importance of aligning governance practices with broader expectations of integrity, accountability, and athlete-centred management in modern sport.

The Executive Board was also honoured to welcome distinguished guests from the Danish sporting community. Paul Broberg, representing National Olympic Committee of Denmark, and Bo Brønnum, President of the Danish Boxing Federation, joined the meeting and shared valuable perspectives on leadership and the long-term development of sport.

Their contributions provided important insights into the evolving role of sport governance, particularly the need for collaboration between national federations, Olympic bodies, and international organisations. Both speakers emphasized that strong leadership, clear governance frameworks, and strategic cooperation are crucial to ensuring that sport continues to grow while maintaining the highest ethical and organisational standards.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment among Executive Board members to continue strengthening governance structures and to pursue strategic initiatives that will support the future development of boxing at both national and international levels.

European Boxing S.Z. is reopening the recruitment process for the position of Secretary General.

European Boxing Secretary General Job Description

The Executive Board is committed to identify the best possible qualified candidate to lead the organisation into its next phase of development and governance strengthening.

Applications are open until 19 March 2026 at 23:59 CET and shall be send to admin@europeanboxing.org.

The selected candidate should be available to start as soon as possible.

The General Statistics of the Strandja Trophy Tournament

- Number of participants in the event: 338 boxers

- Number of participating countries: 31

- Number of continents in the event: 5

- The biggest delegations in the event: Kazakhstan with 39 boxers; Uzbekistan with 30 boxers; Turkey with 27 boxers; Bulgaria with 26 boxers; Ukraine with 22 boxers

- The smallest delegations in the event: Cambodia, Haiti, North Macedonia, Serbia, Sierra Leone and Switzerland with 1 boxer

- Number of weight categories: 20 (10 women, 10 men)

- Number of competition days: 7

- Number of bouts after all competition days: 318

- Number of medallist boxers: 79

- Number of medallist nations: 18

- Best boxers: Zlatislava Chukanova (BUL) and Radoslav Rosenov (BUL)

The participating nations in the Strandja Trophy Tournament

Algeria, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Czechia, Egypt, England, Georgia, Germany, Haiti, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United States of America, Uzbekistan and Wales

The medal standings of the Strandja Trophy Tournament

1. Uzbekistan: 7 gold – 4 silver – 6 bronze medals

2. Kazakhstan: 4-2-3

3. Ukraine: 3-3-4

4. Bulgaria: 2-1-4

5. England: 2-1-3

6. United States of America: 1-1-5

7. Kosovo: 1-0-0

8. Brazil: 0-4-1

9. Ireland: 0-1-3

10. Australia: 0-1-1

10. Azerbaijan: 0-1-1

12. Turkey: 0-1-0

13. Mongolia: 0-0-3

14. Armenia: 0-0-1

14. Egypt: 0-0-1

14. Germany: 0-0-1

14. Italy: 0-0-1

14. Romania: 0-0-1

Bulgaria’s No.1, Radoslav Rosenov remained on the top of the podium and he won a tactical final in the last competition day at the 77^th edition of the Strandja Trophy Tournament in Sofia.

The bout of the day

Bulgaria’s eight-times European Champion Radoslav Rosenov and Brazil’s World silver medallist Luiz Gabriel Oliveira have the same counter-attacking style of boxing. The Brazilian moved forward more in this 60kg final bout in comparison to his previous contests in Sofia but Rosenov had the brilliant footwork to avoid his attacks. Both had amazing defensive skills in this 60kg final bout and the host nation’s pride won this tactical game today.

The surprise of the day

United States’ Lorenzo Patricio eliminated his Mongolian opponent in the last four, which was one of the best contests in the semi-finals. The US teenager moved forward before landing his counter-attacks to score against Ukraine’s Maksym Zymenko in the final of the men’s 55kg. The Ukrainian had also the brilliant footwork in this contest to take the gold medal of the Strandja Trophy Tournament.

The Round-Up

Ukraine’s Hanna Okhota, the 2018 World silver medallist, returned to the national team in the recent months, and she advanced to the final of the women’s 48kg weight class in Sofia. The Ukrainian had a smaller opponent, Uzbekistan’s Olympian Sabina Bobokulova and she made a strong comeback in this event. Okhota was one time counted in their final bout and Bobokulova secured the first title at the Strandja this year, winning the battle of the southpaw boxers.

Ireland’s Commonwealth Games winner Michaela Walsh is one of the veterans at the women’s 57kg but she is still fast, motivated and strong to reach top results. The Irish tried to keep the distance against Uzbekistan’s Nigina Uktamova and used her longer reach in all of the three rounds. The 10-years-younger Uzbek landed multiple combinations in the second round and her excellent rhythm delivered the second success for her nation in Sofia.

Brazil’s defending World Champion Rebeca Santos and Kosovo’s historic World medallist Donjeta Sadiku marched to the final of the women’s 60kg. Both boxers were patient in the exchanges during the first round and it was a big chess game between them to find the best angles. The smaller Brazilian was not nervous and she continued the same game play in the second round but she did not land enough punches therefore Sadiku made a surprise.

England’s Chantelle Reid and Brazil’s Viviane Pereira both amazed in the previous rounds of the Strandja Trophy Tournament. Reid, who returned to the sport after a break, reached several impressive results last year, and she looked highly confident against the South American. The English coaches built up excellent tactics and Reid followed that from the first seconds until the last moments.

Australia’s Emma-Sue Greentree claimed a bronze medal at the 2023 Women’s World Boxing Championships and she decided to move down to the 75kg weight class. The Aussie girl eliminated Kazakhstan’s former World Champion Valentina Khalzova in the semi-finals and she repeated the same level against Uzbekistan’s Aziza Zokirova. Greentree landed nice shots but Zokirova progressed a lot in the recent one year and the Uzbek celebrated the gold medal today.

Kazakhstan’s Nadezhda Ryabets also returned to the boxing world as Valentina Khalzova and the Tokyo Olympian moved up to the 80kg weight class. The 26-year-old Kazakh and her final opponent, Yaren Duztas had similar style of boxing and in that game the more experienced Ryabets was better in all aspects. She bagged Kazakhstan’s second gold medal in the strong Strandja Trophy Tournament and she made a strong comeback to the sport.

Bulgaria’s Zlatislava Chukanova walked over to the title of the women’s 51kg after hear final opponent, Uzbekistan’s Firuza Kazakova was not able to fight against her today.

Azerbaijan’s lone finalist in the Strandja Trophy, Bilalhabasi Nazarov has just joined the elite age group but the European U19 Champion had the strong counter-attacks in the final of the 50kg. Nazarov followed the same rhythm as Kazakhstan’s former Asian silver medallist Daniyal Sabit and both invested a lot of work to win the first male final of the event. The Azeri teenager looked tired in the last round and Sabit had the routine to use this opportunity up to win the final.

Ukraine’s next finalist, Elvin Aliyev had a disadvantage on the judges’ scorecards after three minutes of fight against Brazil’s World silver medallist Yuri Falcao Reis but he turned up the heat in the second round. The Ukrainian, who won the Boxam Tournament in Spain this February, continued his winning path against an amazing opponent today.

Lavant Brownlee was member of the US U19 national team in 2025 and he quickly included to the elite squad this January. The US teenager eliminated more experienced opponents in the previous stages of the Strandja and he used his longer hands to catch Kazakhstan’s Farukh Tokhtassunov. Brownlee is a newcomer among the elite boxers but a fantastic talent and he made a debut with a gold medal in Sofia.

Uzbekistan’s defending World Champion Fazliddin Erkinboyev and Bulgaria’s European Champion Rami Kiwan met in an anticipated final at the men’s 75kg. The Bulgarian tried to work from longer distance but the 20-year-old Uzbek caught him with body shots and jabs in the corner. Erkinboyev had a massive advantage on the scorecards after two rounds and he did not make any risks in the third to earn the gold medal in Sofia.

Uzbekistan’s next reigning World Champion Javokhir Ummataliyev dictated the tempo against Ukraine’s Pavlo Illiusha and he had the advantage after two rounds. The Ukrainian was better and better every minutes and he surprisingly he turned back this 80kg final bout. Uzbekistan’s World Champion Akmaljon Isroilov controlled the exchanges against Matvii Razhba of Ukraine at the 85kg final.

Uzbekistan’s Turabek Khabibullayev is the Asian Champion and the World Champion at the 90kg who landed the better shots than Ukraine’s Bogdan Tolmachov to earn his next title. England’s Damar Thomas had a very difficult semi-final bout at the +90kg but that increased his motivational level to take the title in Sofia. The 21-year-old English met another southpaw, Uzbekistan’s Ozodbek Aliyev but he won all of the three rounds easily today.

The quote of the day

“We spent two weeks intense training camp in the United States before the Strandja Tournament and those efforts simply paid off. The Strandja is a strong event with many good boxers, but I could manage my main goal, to earn the gold medal here,” said England’s 28-year-old Chantelle Reid in the mixed zone after the final bout.

England’s duo, Lauren Mackie and Damar Thomas amazed in the sixth competition day at the 77^th edition of the Strandja Trophy Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria and both advanced to the busy finals.

The bout of the day

Germany’s last remaining boxer, European U23 Champion Nikita Putilov is in top shape in this event after his hard preparation. Putilov shocked England’s former European Youth Champion Damar Thomas in the first round with his heavy punches and the referee counted his opponent twice. The 22-year-old German led 10:8 in all of the judging scorecards after one round but the taller English used his distance better in the second. Thomas worked hard in the last round and he made a big U-turn after the first period which means that he will be meeting Uzbekistan’s Ozodbek Aliyev in the final.

The surprise of the day

England’s Lauren Mackie claimed a silver medal at the 2022 edition of the European Youth Championships in Sofia and she returned to the Bulgarian capital as the member of the elite team. She not only advanced to the semi-finals but due to her stamina, she was able to beat United States’ favourite, Yoseline Perez at the 54kg.

The Round-Up

Ukraine’s Hanna Okhota returned to the boxing business this year and she is in top shape after a hard preparation. The former World silver medallist finished the second round with a beautiful hook and she controlled all of the three rounds against Mongolia’s young Enkh-Amgalan Nomundari therefore she earned the first final spot at the Strandja Trophy.

Bulgaria’s Zlatislava Chukanova progressed a lot in the recent two years and she was near to qualify for the Paris Olympics. The Bulgarian moved forward in the first round and she tried to overcome Armenia’s Anush Grigoryan in the attacks. Chukanova knew her experienced Armenian opponent well enough and she worked well enough to beat Grigoryan in a superb semi-final at the women’s 51kg.

Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kazakova is a multiple Asian Champion and one of the most talented women boxers at the 51kg. The 22-year-old Uzbek had longer reach than Ireland’s Caitlin Fryers and she control the first round from her best range. The Irish was not able to reduce the fighting distance effectively and Kazakova won their meeting with a technician performance.

United States’ Alyssa Mendoza and Ireland’s Michaela Walsh both were patient in the first round and they had a tactical opener at the 57kg. The US southpaw turned up the heat in the end of the second round with several tough combinations but the Commonwealth Games winner Irish responded with great counters. The taller Irish worked a lot on feet in the final round and she deserved to win this intense battle in Sofia.

Brazil’s Rebeca Santos, the defending World Champion delivered excellent performance in the previous stages of the Strandja Trophy but she had to keep her full concentration against Mongolia’s Namuun Monkhor in the semi-final of the 60kg. The Brazilian knew the weak points of her Asian opponent and she impressed once again which means that she will meet Kosovo’s Olympian Donjeta Sadiku in the final.

Uzbekistan’s next ace, the two-time Asian Champion Navbakhor Khamidova worked from counter-attacking range despite she was smaller than England’s Sacha Hickey in the semi-finals of the women’s 65kg. The 25-year-old Uzbek had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards after two rounds but the European U23 Champion did not give up this fight. Hickey is a promising boxer in this weight class but Khamidova’s routine was the decisive factor between them today.

Ukraine’s Maksym Zymenko had excellent victories last year and he began the year at the Boxam Tournament in Spain. The Ukrainian southpaw looked active in the first round and he dictated the tempo against Bulgaria’s Yasen Radev in their 55kg semi-final. The 23-year-old Bulgarian had good footwork but Zymenko landed enough jabs and hooks to win this contest in Sofia.

United States’ teenager, Lorenzo Patricio and Mongolia’s Bilguunsaikhan Kharkhuu invested a lot of efforts to their semi-final bout. The super talented US boy used his counter-attacking style of boxing and he was a hard target for the technician Kharkhuu today. The confident Patricio was better in the exchanges and he won one of the best contests of the entire competition day.

Brazil’s World silver medallist Luiz Gabriel Oliveira made the show against Ukraine’s Aider Abduraimov and he managed his pathway to the finals of the men’s 60kg. Bulgaria’s record-breaking European Champion Radoslav Rosenov also has done the job against England’s William Hewitt and he is a finalist in a Strandja Trophy once again. The two stars of the competition will meet each other in one of the most anticipated final contest of the entire event.

Bulgaria’s next flag bearer in the national team, the reigning European Champion Rami Kiwan was better than Romania’s Alexandru Buleu in all ranges. He felt the tempo from the first seconds against his younger opponent and he impressed in all of the three rounds. Kiwan was untouchable for the Romanian today and he secured the next final spot for the host country.

Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Erkinboyev became World Champion at the 75kg weight class at the age of 20 last September and he met another boxer from the 2005 age group, Italy’s Gabriele Guidi Rontani. The Italian was a silver medallist at the recent European U23 Boxing Championships and he tried to use the same style of boxing as Erkinboyev. The Uzbek, who kept the focus until the last seconds, was better in that game play and he advanced to the final once again.

Uzbekistan’s defending World Champion at the 80kg, Javokhir Ummataliyev worked well to beat Ukraine’s Dzhamal Kuliyev in their semi-final meeting. Uzbekistan’s 19-year-old Akmaljon Isroilov was the youngest winner in the 2025 World Boxing Championships half year ago and he looked confident against Ukraine’s Danylo Zhasan at the 85kg semi-final. The Ukrainian was a competitive opponent today but the Uzbek teenager had the strong strategy to beat Zhasan.

Ukraine’s Matvii Razhba faced with one of the new Uzbek talents in the semi-final of the 85kg, Norbek Abdullayev who had a clear pathway to the last four in Sofia. The Uzbek teenager started the bout better but Razhba switched into a higher tempo, and he felt the distance better, additionally his stamina was enough to turn back this semi-final.

The best 40 women boxers advanced to the semi-finals on the fourth competition competition day at the 77^th edition of the Strandja Trophy Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria today. England’s Lauren Mackie, Egypt’s Yomna Ayyad and Brazil’s World Champion Rebeca Santos eliminated superb rivals in these quarter-finals.

The next edition of the European Elite Boxing Championships will also take place in Sofia on September 15-26 in 2026.

The bout of the day

England’s Lauren Mackie achieved a silver medal at the 2022 European Youth Boxing Championships in Sofia and she returned to Bulgaria as an elite boxer. The 21-year-old English had a tight advantage against Ireland’s Olympian Jennifer Lehane after the first round and she had the stamina to beat her strong opponent at the women’s 54kg in one of the best contests of the day.

The surprise of the day

Egypt’s Yomna Ayyad qualified for the Paris Olympics but she is still not enough experienced in the international stage of boxing. The Egyptian had the strong will and fighting spirit in her quarter-final bout against Kazakhstan’s Asian Champion Rimma Volosenko and her hard job resulted a surprise victory for Ayyad.

The Round-Up

Germany’s Maxi Kloetzer eliminated two top rivals including Ireland’s Daina Moorehouse in the previous stages at the Strandja Trophy. The Paris Olympian met Uzbekistan’s multiple Asian Champion in various age groups, Feruza Kazakova which was a top bout at the women’s 51kg today. The German tried to repeat the same strategy as in the previous rounds but Kazakova was slightly better in the exchanges today.

Armenia’s Anush Grigoryan has more than 10 years of routine in the international elite events but she is still in full focus to reach top results. The Armenian found back to her best shape in this event and she had the technician performance to beat Serbia’s Tokyo Olympian Nina Radovanovic at the 51kg.

Ireland sent the best female team to the Strandja Trophy and their Caitlin Fryers proved its strong progress in this event. Fryers met Bulgaria’s Venelina Poptoleva in the quarter-finals of the women’s 51kg and despite her height disadvantage the Irish girl controlled the bout. Fryers was quick, fresh and she had the strong game plan to win their meeting today which means that she is also a medallist in the Bulgarian capital.

Bulgaria’s best female boxer, Zlatislava Chukanova progressed a lot in the recent two years and she opened the first round with solid performance against Ukraine’s Alona Unkovska. The experienced Bulgarian had the advantage in terms of routine, technical skills and strength therefore she managed her path to the semi-finals at the 51kg.

Following Anel Sakysh’s success, Elina Bazarova, another Kazakh female boxer shined in the women’s 54kg weight category. The former Youth World Champion was not enough shape in the first round against Turkey’s Aysen Taskin but she switched into a higher tempo in time to turn back their quarter-final bout.

Ukraine’s Elvin Aliyev started the year with a gold medal at the Boxam Elite Tournament in La Nucia and he arrived also to the Strandja to repeat that performance. The powerful Ukrainian controlled the first and dominated the second and third rounds against Turkey’s Mustafa Colak at the 65kg.

Uzbekistan’s Asian U22 Champion Abdullokh Madaminov will turn only 21 this year but he is already one of the stars at the 65kg. The young Uzbek did not land enough punches in the first round against Ireland’s Olympian Dean Clancy but he changed into a different tempo in time to beat his rival by unanimous decision.

Brazil’s brilliant Yuri Falcao Dos Reis was a silver medallist at the 2025 World Boxing Championships and he bowed out his second opponent out of his way at the Strandja Trophy as well. The Brazilian was a genius in the ring against Kazakhstan’s Ilya Kalinin in their 65kg preliminary bout and he advanced to the quarter-finals.

England’s Patrick Hewitt joined the national team only less than two years ago but he had already important triumphs in the international tournaments. The English boxer used his height advantage well against Austria’s Emin Yildiz and he had the massive advantage on the judges’ scorecards. The Austrian returned to this 70kg contest in the second but Hewitt’s final round was enough to secure the victory in this hectic preliminary.

Uzbekistan’s Shavkatjon Boltayev started his career with an Asian Schoolboy title in 2019 and he needed a few years of hard work to reach their elite squad. He represented Uzbekistan at the recent World Boxing Championships in Liverpool but he had to do his very best to beat Brazil’s newcomer Thauan Jociel Silva by split decision.

Germany has strong options at the men’s 70kg weight class and their Randy Botikali marched into the last eight in Sofia. The German was not enough punctual in the first round against Ukraine’s quick Mark Lomakin but he worked better in the second. Botikali’s pressure in the final round paid off and the German won their Round of 16 bout by 4:1 split decision.

Germany’s next boxer in the 70kg, Magomed Schachidov, the Paris Olympian, gained the control against Mongolia’s Byamba-Erdene Otgonbaatar immediately in the first round. The veteran German was smarter than the Mongolian fighter today and he also secured his place in the last eight as Randy Botikali.

Farukh Tokhtassunov is not the most famous Kazakh boxer at the 70kg where his teammate, the 19-year-old star, Torekhan Sabyrkhan is the reigning World Champion. Tokhtassunov exceeded his previous level of boxing and he had a strong advantage against Turkmenistan’s Bayramdurdy Nurmuhammedov after two rounds. The Asian Games bronze medallist Nurmuhammedov is their nation’s No.1, but Tokhtassunov was better today and he looked fresh.

Kazakhstan’s Ulzhan Sarsenbek was dominant as a youth boxer and she competed in one of the Olympic Qualifiers in 2024 at the age of 18. She progressed well in technical skills but United States’ Alyssa Mendoza was too experienced for her while Ireland’s Niamh Fay won a very hectic quarter-final over Uzbekistan’s Khumorabonu Mamajonova in this 57kg.

Ireland’s next boxer at the women’s 57kg, Michaela Walsh controlled all of the three rounds against Brazil’s Jessica Coutinho and she earned the next medal for their nation. Uzbekistan’s Nigina Uktamova subdued Ukraine’s Karina Vovk and the referee stopped their unequal contest in the second round.

Brazil’s Rebeca Santos defeated Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Grafeyeva in the semi-finals of the recent World Boxing Championships and she repeated that performance in a top bout. Mongolia’s Namuun Monkhor eliminated Uzbekistan’s former Asian Champion Sitora Turdibekova in another superb quarter-final at the 60kg.

The final part of the quarter-finals took place in the fifth competition day at the 77^th edition of the Strandja Trophy Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria today. The host Bulgarians and the Ukrainians delivered sensational victories among the European nations and both of these teams have several guaranteed medallists in Sofia.

The next edition of the European Elite Boxing Championships will also take place in Sofia on September 15-26 in 2026.

The bout of the day

Yordan Hernandez Morejon bagged a gold medal at the 2014 edition of the Youth World Boxing Championships in Sofia, representing Team Cuba. He switched to Bulgaria in the recent years and he became one of the best European super heavyweight boxers. Hernandez felt the support of the home crowd against United States’ powerful Kelvin Watts and he needed the full focus until the very end of their quarter-final to take the 3:2 split decision victory.

The surprise of the day

Ukraine’s Siyovush Mukhammadiyev competed in several international events in the recent three years and he had a fantastic game play today against a top opponent. Mongolia’s Aldarkhishig Battulga was a medallist in the last World Boxing Championships but the Ukrainian prepared well against him with strong strategy. Battulga was fast but Mukhammadiyev responded to all of his actions with perfect punches and the Ukrainian joined the last four at the 50kg.

The Round-Up

Uzbekistan’s Asilbek Jalilov is the defending Asian Champion and he had a strong game play today in the quarter-finals of the men’s 50kg. The 22-year-old Uzbek used his longer hands to catch Georgia’s Goga Topuria and he secured his place in the last four with one of his best performances.

Kazakhstan’s Daniyal Sabit claimed a silver medal at the 2021 edition of the Asian Boxing Championships at the age of 19 and he spent the recent five years to develop himself in all aspects of boxing. The Kazakh 50kg boxer controlled the first and second rounds against Turkey’s Ulas Yalcinkaya and his opponent’s ringside abandoned the fight in the third.

Ukraine’s Maksym Zymenko robbed into the world of boxing only last year with his energetic style of boxing and he demonstrated his technical skills in the quarter-finals of the 55kg in Sofia as well. The Ukrainian found the best distance against Azerbaijan’s Zidan Humbatov in the first round and he kept the control until the last gong today.

Lorenzo Patricio is one of the top talents in the United States and the teenager moved up to the 55kg with quick adaptation to the category. The 19-year-old boxer impressed first at the 2024 edition of the U19 World Boxing Championships and he proved his strong progress against one of the Uzbek talents, Samandar Olimov in the quarter-finals.

Mongolia’s Bilguunsaikhan Kharkhuu was born in a boxing family, his elder brothers were also medallists in the level of the Asian Championships. The youngest in the family had the strong will to join the semi-finals at the 55kg and he succeeded over one of the best Kazakh talents, Baglan Kenzhibek.  

Bulgaria’s sensation, Radoslav Rosenov set up a new record last November when he won his fourth-in-a-row title in the European U23 Boxing Championships. The Paris Olympian is one of the aces in the entire Strandja Tournament and he had the technical superiority against Mongolia’s Buyandalai Bayarkhuu at the 60kg.

Ukraine’s Aider Abduraimov achieved a gold medal at the 2022 edition of the European Youth Boxing Championships in Sofia and he returned to the city as a favourite at the 60kg. The Paris Olympian started better than Azerbaijan’s Mahammadali Ashiraliyev and he was able to keep the same strong rhythm until the last gong.

Ukraine’s Elvin Aliyev bagged the title at the Boxam Tournament in La Nucia in his opener this year and he is absolutely top shape in Bulgaria as well. His today’s challenge, Romania’s Arun Nicu Tudoroiu stopped his German rival in the Round of 16 yesterday, but he was not able to repeat that surprise success. Aliyev moved ahead without any stoppage and after the strong first round, the referee stopped their 65kg contest in the second.

Romania arrived to the Strandja Trophy with a huge delegation and their young hope, Alexandru Buleu marched into the semi-finals at the 75kg. The Romanian found Turkmenistan’s Elite National Cup winner Yhlas Bagtyyarov’s weak points in the first round and he became a medallist in Sofia.  

Bulgaria’s European Champion Rami Kiwan saved a lot of fuel today for the later actions against his younger teammate, Sami Khalil but as usual, he dominated his contest in Sofia. Another powerful Bulgarian, the current European U23 silver medallist William Cholov kept the full focus against Belgium’s Noa Hadjit to secure a guaranteed medal in the front of the home crowd.

Germany has strong traditions in the heaviest weight category and their European U23 Champion Nikita Putilov dictated the tempo against Ukraine’s Andrii Khaletskyi from the first seconds. The 22-year-old German dominated the first round with heavy punches and he stopped the Ukrainian in the second with one his remarkable performances.

The winners of the third competition day at the 77^th edition of the Strandja Memorial Tournament all advanced to the quarter-finals in Sofia, Bulgaria today.

The next edition of the European Elite Boxing Championships will also take place in Sofia on September 15-26 in 2026.

The bout of the day

Serbia’s Nina Radovanovic was a quarter-finalist boxer in the Tokyo Olympics five years ago but the veteran is still hungry to earn medals in the big events. The 32-year-old Serbian 51kg boxer made exceptional second and third rounds to beat Turkey’s Gamze Soguksu in a great preliminary contest.

The surprise of the day

Brazil’s two-time Olympian Jucielen Romeu had to fight in the Ring B almost in the same time as Coutinho in the Ring A. The Panamerican Champion Romeu did not find the fighting distance against Uzbekistan’s Khumorabonu Mamajonova and she was not able to repeat her previous technician performance therefore surprisingly the Asian boxer joined the quarter-finals of the women’s 57kg.

The Round-Up

Germany’s Maxi Kloetzer and Ireland’s Daina Moorehouse were born in the same year and they knew each other well since 2017, their youth ages. The German is usually smaller than all of her opponents but the former European Youth Champion Moorehouse has the same height. Kloetzer looked quicker in the exchanges today and her speed was the decisive factor between them in this 51kg bout.

Italy’s newcomer in the national squad, Michel Vescovini surprised Armenia’s European bronze medallist Anush Grigoryan in the first round of their 51kg meeting. The Italian moved a lot on feet and she made a good impression but Grigoryan’s routine decided their bout due to the Armenian caught her in the corners with heavy punches.

Ireland’s next 51kg female boxer, Caitlin Fryers performed better than her teammate, Daina Moorehouse and she joined the next round of the category. The Irish had a tactical first round against England’s World Championships competitor Kelsey Oakley and she delivered a great second which guaranteed her success on the scorecards.

Michaela Walsh is one of the Irish veterans in the women’s national squad with 13 years of experience as an elite international boxer. The Commonwealth Games winner destroyed Madalina Grabucea’s defence in the first round and she was stronger minutes by minutes to eliminate the younger Italian at the 57kg.

Jucielen Romeu is Brazil’s top boxer at the women’s 57kg weight class but this time a younger hopeful, Jessica Coutinho, also got the right to represent the country in a big event. The South American was a hard target for Bulgaria’s Hristea Ninova and her footwork was the difference between them today which guaranteed Coutinho’s successful opener.

England’s Elise Glynn claimed her first major title still back at the 2017 edition of the European Junior Boxing Championships. The 57kg boxer was not able to qualify for the Paris Olympics but she did not give up her dreams to compete in Los Angeles in 2028. Glynn found the best range late in her contest and Uzbekistan’s Nigina Uktamova defeated her in a close bout.

Mongolia’s Namuun Monkhor earned her first medal, a bronze in the 2015 Junior World Boxing Championships and she joined the elite squad eight years ago. The Asian silver medallist returned to her best category, the 60kg and she proved her excellent technical skills against Turkey’s Evin Erginoguz on Day3.

Egypt’s Yomna Ayyad qualified for the Paris Olympics and she had an energetic performance against Brazil’s Rafaela Marques Silva to win that 60kg bout. Brazil’s next boxer in this weight class, the reigning World Champion Rebeca Santos dominated her second contest in Sofia over Romania’s Claudia Nechita.

Donjeta Sadiku is Kosovo’s historic World medallist and the two-time Olympian also competes in the annual Strandja Memorial Tournament. The Kosovan maintained the best fighting distance in the first round against Czechia’s Barbora Maxova and she controlled the second and third on their meeting at the 60kg.

The Welsh boxers have been preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Games and their No.1, Owain Harris-Allan, secured his second success at the Strandja Memorial Tournament. He claimed a bronze in the last Commonwealth Games at the age of 18 and he looked confident from the first seconds against Brazil’s Ramon Conceicao today.

Bulgaria’s superstar, Radoslav Rosenov proved his excellent technical skills once again, he met North Macedonia’s Alen Rustemovski in the Round of 16 at the men’s 60kg. The Bulgarian was untouchable once again in this contest and he delivered the second clear success in the front of the home crowd.

United States’ Salim Ellis-Bay and Armenia’s Artur Bazeyan both eliminated strong opponents in the previous preliminary round of the men’s 60kg. The US teenager had physical advantage and he landed more shots than the European U22 Champion Armenian therefore he deserved to join the quarter-finals.

Mongolia’s Buyandalai Bayarkhuu was expected an easier job against Germany’s Mohamed Siala in the Round of 16 but finally he could manage that success with the right tactics. His teammate in the same 60kg, Lundaa Gantumur was competitive only in the first round against Brazil’s World silver medallist Luiz Gabriel Oliveira.

England’s Kayla Allen won the women’s 65kg weight class at the Boxam Tournament and their European U23 Champion Sacha Hickey impressed in the same division at the Strandja Memorial on Day3. The young talent used her height advantage and longer reach effectively against Turkey’s veteran Sema Caliskan to reach the last eight in Sofia.

Belgium’s Paris Olympian Oshin Derieuw was too strong for Bulgaria’s Valeria Andreeva before Turkey’s Berfin Kabak eliminated Algeria’s Women’s World bronze medallist Ichrak Chaib at the 65kg. Brazil’s Haziel Krishna Santos eliminated Switzerland’s No.1, Anna Jenni while Ireland’s Olympian Grainne Walsh also secured her place in the last eight.

Germany’s European U23 Champion Nikita Putilov met in an anticipated +90kg contest Armenia’s World silver medallist Davit Chaloyan in the end of the evening session. The German used his best combinations in the critical moments and he advanced to the last eight such as England’s Damar Thomas, Ukraine’s Andriy Khaletskyi and Bulgaria’s Yordan Hernandez Morejon.

The 77^th edition of the Strandja Memorial Tournament continued with 57 preliminary bouts and the women boxers also joined the busy campaign. Brazil’s World Champion Rebeca Santos, Bulgaria’s Kristiyan Dimitrov, Australia’s Lekeisha Pergoliti and Kazakhstan’s Elina Bazarova all won tough contests on Day2.

The next edition of the European Elite Boxing Championships will also take place in Sofia on September 15-26 in 2026.

The bout of the day

Brazil’s Rebeca De Lima Santos replaced the Olympic silver medallist Beatriz Ferreira in the national team and she won a top event immediately, the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool last year. The 25-year-old South American faced England’s Lucy Kings-Wheatley who switched to boxing only a few years ago but she developed all of her skills to world class level. The smaller Santos had a hard job against the English girl but she managed to win this meeting in Sofia.

The surprise of the day

Austria’s first ever medallist in a World Championship, Michael Derouiche used his distance well in the first round against Bulgaria’s Kristiyan Dimitrov. The local boxer received the right instruction in his corner and he stepped into the gas from the beginning of the second round which efforts were successful in the exchanges. Dimitrov won the second and the third rounds in all of the judges’ scorecards and he eliminated one of the favourites.

The Round-Up

Germany’s Maxi Kloetzer qualified for the Paris Olympics and she was in amazing shape in the year of 2024. The 51kg boxer had several difficulties last year therefore she needed three minutes to acclimatize back to the ring. Her opponent, Gulsevar Ganiyeva of Uzbekistan won the first round but the 25-year-old German found the best tempo in time to turn back their bout.

Ireland’s Daina Moorehouse had a fantastic year as a youth boxer in 2018 but she needed five more years in the elite events to reach the level of the national squad. The Irish boxer had to do her very best in the last round to beat Mongolia’s Mungunsaran Balsan but her stamina was enough to make that happen.

Following Lozano’s tight loss, her teammate, the World silver medallist Yoseline Perez proved much better performance in the second day of boxing. The US boxer controlled all of the three rounds against Germany’s ex-kickboxer Tatjana Obermeier and Perez marched into the next stage at the women’s 54kg.

Bulgaria’s Venelina Poptoleva started her career with a gold medal at the 2013 Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships. After a few poor years, she returned to the national team four years ago and she earned already medals in top championships. The Bulgarian overcame Egypt’s Habiba Aly in the attacks and she bagged the host country’s first victory in the second day of boxing.

England’s Kelsey Oakley represented her nation at the recent World Boxing Championships half year ago and she needed three minutes to find the best tempo against Turkey’s Eda Nur Kilicci. She received the best advices in the ringside during the break and from the second round, she had the full control to beat the Turkish boxer.

Caitlin Fryers has been preparing hard for the Commonwealth Games where she is one of the favourites at the women’s 51kg weight class. The Irish girl proved her technical skills against Kazakhstan’s Anita Adisheva and the strong first and second rounds guaranteed Fryers’ clear success today.

Ireland’s next sensation, the Paris Olympian Jennifer Lehane made the show in the preliminary stage of the women’s 54kg today. She had some surprise successes last year but she is still in progressing stage, which she proved in her battle over a Welsh girl, Helen Jones today.

Kazakhstan’s Elina Bazarova claimed a gold medal at the 2022 Youth World Boxing Championships and since then she competed in several top events. The Kazakh had a strong game plan against Australia’s Olympian Monique Suraci and she used her height advantage also well enough today. Bazarova was patient in the exchanges and she landed her punches with perfect timing therefore the young Kazakh eliminated a top Australian.

Australia’s Lekeisha Pergoliti achieved a fantastic silver medal at the 2025 World Boxing Championships and she travelled more than one day to compete in the famous Strandja Memorial Tournament. The Aussie boxer moved forward against Uzbekistan’s young Oysha Toirova and her hooks were effective in most of the exchanges. Pergoliti felt the tempo, she jumped into the best distance to land her jabs and all of her efforts delivered a success for the 70kg boxer.

Kazakhstan’s Baglan Kenzhibek is a native talent in our sport and he won his opening bout in Sofia on Day1 but he did not have any chance to relax, as he had to face Uzbekistan’s Abdulaziz Abdunazarov today. Kenzhibek impressed once again and he joined the quarter-final stage of the Strandja while his teammate, Timur Kabdeshov lost to United States’ Lorenzo Patricio in the next 55kg battle.

Bulgaria’s Yasen Radev returned to the national team and the multiple European medallist used his technical skills well to keep Turkmenistan’s young Meylis Shadurdyyev in a safest distance. Radev saved fuel for the later actions in the last round but he delivered one of the best performances at the men’s 55kg.

Uzbekistan’s Akmaljon Isroilov became a gold medallist at the 2024 Youth World Boxing Championships and he immediately won the Elite World Boxing Championships in Liverpool at the age of 19. The Uzbek landed his punches with perfect timing against Ireland’s Nathan Ojo and he started his campaign well at the men’s 85kg.

Ukraine’s Danylo Zhasan made his international debut exactly 10 years ago and he is one of the aces at the men’s 85kg in this Strandja Memorial. The Ukrainian controlled the first round against Czechia’s Daniel Komarek who won his first preliminary bout in the World Boxing Championships last September. The experienced Ukrainian did not underestimate the Czech boy and he won their contest by unanimous decision.