Jennie Andersson, Eliar Kolomoichenko, Janette Vilen and Mitja Hellen all kept the gold medals of the Pirkka Tournament on home soil in the city of Tampere.

The city of Tampere is the host of the Pirkka Tournament this May but the local Tampere Boxing Association will arrange the famous Tammer Tournament for the elite women and men boxers later this year.

Tampere hosted the 1993 edition of the Men’s World Boxing Championships and also the European Boxing Championships in the year of 2000.

Boxers from the U19, U17, U15 and U13 age groups were eligible to participate in the Pirkka Tournament this year.

The bout of the day

The 16-year-old Jennie Andersson won the recent TUL Tournament in Finland two months ago and the local U17 boxer continued her winning path in Tampere as well. She had a strong start against Neea Pietilae and she had the advantage on the judges’ scorecards after the first round. Andersson still controlled the second period but Pietilae made a fantastic comeback in the third round with heavy punches. Andersson was tired in the final two minutes but she could keep the victory in this tight 63kg final bout.

The surprise of the day

Finland’s Eliar Kolomoichenko achieved a silver medal at the Nordic Boxing Championships this March and after that event, he moved back to the 65kg weight class. Finland’s U19 boxer had a tough and experienced Norwegian rival in the final of the Pirkka Tournament, Rene Alejandro Myhre and he managed to win that close bout by split decision.

The Round-up

Janette Vilen, the participant in the recent European U19 Boxing Championships in Ostrava, eliminated Helmi Tikkanen in the semi-finals of the women’s 54kg weight class on Day1. The 18-year-old talent, Finland’s No.1 in the U19 age group, had some difficulties in the first round of the final against Ida Tapaninen, but she stepped into the gas in the second. Vilen looked more confident after the first break and she earned the gold medal of the Pirkka Tournament.

Norway sent a strong team to the Pirkka Tournament and their Linda Aelia Farah had the full focus during her final to take the title of the women’s 57kg. The Norwegian controlled the second and third rounds well enough to beat Finland’s Vilja Kilpi therefore she became the next winner in the U19 age group. Farah is aiming for a place in the national team to represent Norway in the upcoming top U19 competitions.

Vilde Elisabeth Nostdahl is another Norwegian U19 talent who had strong motivation in the Pirkka Tournament to show her upgraded technical skills. The Norwegian boxer won all of the three rounds against Finland’s Riga Ladies Boxing Cup bronze medallist Jenny Westman and she earned the title of the 60kg.

Estonia’s U15 Champion Rolan Sigajev proved in the Pirkka Tournament but he is not only a talented boxer but he has the strong heart to win close bouts as well. The U15 boxer eliminated Fajer Ghazali in the semi-finals of the 48kg weight class and he continued the same attacking style of the boxing against Dominic Nurmi of Finland. The referee counted Nurmi in the second round which guaranteed Sigajev’s gold medal in Tampere.

The Welsh U19 boxers shined in the 60kg weight category at the U19 age group as two of their talents claimed the titles. The local organizers had to divide the participants of the 60kg into groups due to the high number of participants in Tampere. Firstly, Shane McIntyre was slightly better than Sweden’s Ruohin Isak Abdul-Wahab, secondly, the next Welsh boy, Kian Thomas was too smart for Finland’s Oliver Viikari.

Arto Zelenski, Veini Hintzell, Amos Tuomainen, Alvar Nikula and Mitja Hellen all won tight U19 finals in Tampere and kept the gold medals of their divisions on home soil. Hellen defeated Ramses Upshaw in the last final of the Pirkka Tournament despite that he was exhausted in the third round.

Eighteen final contests took place at the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Boxing Tournament in the city of Kutaisi, Georgia over the weekend where Banuchichak Nasirli, Andrea Buelga, Davit Mkhetsadze, Shalva Beridze, Akhmadi Arvaz and Safdar Mammadzada all won the titles.

Altogether 26 female and 150 male boxers competed the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Youth Tournament in Georgia.

The boxers from the 2008 and 2009 born age groups were eligible to participate in the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Youth Tournament in Georgia.

The event will be a perfect preparation event for the upcoming U19 World Boxing Championships which is scheduled to take place in Budva, Montenegro on October 13-28.

The bout of the day

Davit Mkhetsadze won the Georgian U19 National Championships this February and he prepared hard to this Kakauridze Tournament where he could fight in the front of his family and fans. Mkhetsadze lives and trains in Kutaisi and he used the familiar environment to take the title of the men’s 80kg in this strong U19 event. The Georgian boxer had a very hard job against Armenia’s European Youth Champion Samvel Siramargyan but he could share his power well to win this difficult final bout.

The surprise of the day

Romania’s European Junior bronze medallist Denis Cucu won several international events in the recent one year and he was the main favourite for the title at the super heavyweight. The 18-year-old Romanian has high goals in 2026 and he performed also well in the final but Azerbaijan’s Safdar Mammadzada had the great last round to win their title contest by 3:2 split decision.

The Round-up

Azerbaijan’s Banuchichak Nasirli, the European U19 silver medallist, had a quick success in the semi-finals of the women’s 48kg and she faced another Georgian girl, Liza Kokosadze for the title of the Kakauridze Tournament. The 18-year-old Azeri proved her strength once again and the referee stopped the unequal final bout still in the first round.

Spain’s Andrea Buelga Garcia joined the U19 age group this January and she had a superb start in the youth competitions. The Spaniard controlled her semi-final bout well enough and she had a massive opening round against Georgia’s Sopho Gigauri at the women’s 51kg. The 17-year-old Spanish felt that she is the stronger while the Georgian ringside abandoned the bout in the second round.

Lithuania’s European Junior medallist Jelizaveta Jakimova not only advanced to the final of the Kakauridze Tournament but she had the strong motivation to take the title of the women’s 57kg. The 18-year-old Lithuanian started the first round better than Georgia’s Nino Bekauri and she was able to keep the full control until the end of the contest.

Georgia’s Lika Bukia was born in a boxing family and she had the outstanding performance to beat her teammate, Lilie Sagrishvili in the final of the women’s 60kg. Nini Malania (65kg) and Gvantsa Berulava (+80kg) claimed two further gold medals for the Georgians in the women’s part of the Kakauridze Tournament.

Kyrgyzstan sent a promising female team to the event and their Asian U19 bronze medallist Zarina Asanova caused a small surprise in the day of the semi-finals. The 18-year-old boxer had the comfortable advantage on the judges’ scorecards against Georgia’s Anzhela Momtselidze after the first round and she bagged an important title for Kyrgyzstan.

Georgia’s Shalva Beridze is one of the highest hopes of the host country in this age group despite that the 17-year-old boxer is still new among the U19 boxers. The Tbilisi-based boxer used his excellent reach to keep his final opponent, Armenia’s Tigran Kirakosyan on long from the first seconds. Beridze was also stronger in several of the exchanges and the ringside doctor stopped their 50kg final bout in the third round.

Spain’s Manuel Bueno won several of his difficult contests by 3:2 split decision this year and he continued that in Kutaisi as well. The 17-year-old Spaniard had a tough final opponent, Denis Alexandrescu of Romania but he had the stamina in the third round to win the title at the men’s 55kg. Georgia’s favourite Emil Ismailovi was not able to box in the semi-finals and he earned a bronze medal but he is still a high hope in all of the major U19 events this year.

The U19 National Champion Sandro Kapanadze won the first Georgia vs. Azerbaijan final battle in Kutaisi after beating Ali Baghishov by unanimous decision at the men’s 60kg. Georgia’s next title was achieved by the Batumi-based Nika Papava who had the tactical success over Azerbaijan’s Shahin Aslanov at the 65kg.

Kyrgyzstan’s World Boxing Future Cup silver medallist Akhmadi Arvaz is only 17-year-old but he has already more than 100 bouts and the powerful athlete won more than 95% of his international contests. The Asian Junior Champion was too strong for Lithuania’s Pozniakas Tournament winner Matas Naumcev and the referee stopped their 75kg final bout in the third round.

The host Polish team won the final of the 41^st edition of the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament in the city of Radom following their 8-6 victory over Team GB. Ireland ranked No.3 in the competition while Germany finished fourth the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament.

The new edition of the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament became a four-nations team competition in Poland which saw impressive bouts in Radom.

Ireland, England, Germany and Poland were the participating four strong teams in the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament and all of them prepared hard to this traditional competition.

Mr. Feliks Stamm was a legendary boxing coach in Poland who built up fantastic teams in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. These boxers earned several medals and titles for Poland in the Olympic Games and in the European Boxing Championships making that period as the golden era for the country. This year marks the 50^th anniversary of his death and the new edition supported the teams in their preparations for the European Championships.

Poland’s Youth World silver medallist Natalia Kuczewska won her first contest in Radom and she defeated her second opponent as well, England’s Kelsey Oakley and she delivered the best performance at the women’s 51kg.

Poland’s next victory was achieved by Wiktoria Rogalinska at the women’s 57kg weight class, she defeated a tough English boxer, Vivien Parsons by 4:1 split decision. Ivy-Jane Smith was too smart for a local Polish athlete, Marta Prill at the women’s 54kg and she continued her strong achievements this year.

England’s No.1, Amy Broadhurst, the two-time World Champion, failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics but she returned in the recent months to accomplish her dreams. Her baby boy gave her extra motivation and she won her second contest against Poland’s Anastazja Michalek at the women’s 65kg.

Poland’s Agata Kaczmarska is a highly decorated female boxer who decided to move down to the 75kg weight class this year. The 28-year-old athlete had the height advantage against England’s Mary-Kate Smith but he had to do her very best to win this battle in Radom.

Poland’s Bartlomiej Roskowicz had a great youth career and he was immediately involved to the elite national team. After three years of routine in the squad, he was able to beat Scotland’s GB pugilist, Sonny Kerr in their men’s 70kg bout. England’s super heavyweight No.2., Matthew Williams defeated Oskar Safaryan as last but Team Poland won the title of the Feliks Stamm.

The Irish girls all impressed in the session, their Caitlin Fryers (51kg), Niamh Fay (57kg) and Kellie McLoughlin (60kg) won contests over German boxers. Milana Nurislamov, Canan Tas and Ayssa Lopez Martinez did not have enough experience yet to keep the level of the Irish trio in Radom.

Germany’s U19 World silver medallist Mohamed Al Manouchi is a new face in the elite national team but he won his second contest in Radom, using his longer reach against Kacper Frymus of Poland. Ireland’s Kelyn Cassidy, a veteran boxer, also enjoyed the entire Feliks Stamm and he had the second comfortable victory over Mateusz Malek.

The Pirkka Tournament opened with 44 semi-final contests in the first day of boxing in Tampere where Iceland’s Ronald Bjarki Manason, Sweden’s Joshua Ndakola and Finland’s Janette Vilen all impressed in the session.

The city of Tampere is the host of the Pirkka Tournament this May but the local Tampere Boxing Association will arrange the famous Tammer Tournament for the elite women and men boxers later this year.

Tampere hosted the 1993 edition of the Men’s World Boxing Championships and also the European Boxing Championships in the year of 2000.

Boxers from the U19, U17, U15 and U13 age groups are eligible to participate in the Pirkka Tournament this year.

The bout of the day

Iceland had some excellent results in the recent one year in various events and the country has a growing boxing market. Their best U19 boxer, Ronald Bjarki Manason is a well-known athlete in the Nordic regional events and he had the speed to catch Sweden’s Adam Rhafouli in the first round of their 50kg contest. The Swedish stepped into the gas in the second round but Manason had the right response to the tactical changes to take the victory.

The surprise of the day

Sweden’s Joshua Ndakola claimed only a bronze medal in their U17 National Championships last month but he received the right to compete at the Pirkka Tournament, representing the national team. Ndakola shocked his Finnish opponent, Mikki Ukkola in the first round and he looked stronger in all of the exchanges in the semi-finals at the 70kg.

The Round-up

Norway’s Andrea Bjornsen and Sweden’s Matilda Molin both participated in several international competitions in the Nordic region and their U19 final bout had the quality of boxing on Day1. The Norwegian found the distance better than her Swedish opponent and she won their 65kg bout by unanimous decision.

Janette Vilen competed for Finland at the European U19 Boxing Championships last year and also at the Nordic Boxing Championships. The local boxer controlled all of the three rounds against Helmi Tikkanen at the women’s 54kg weight class and she delivered one of the best performances in the U19 age group.

Estonia’s U15 Champion Rolan Sigajev is only 14-year-old but he has already three and half years of experience from various events which took place in Finland, Estonia, and Hungary. The U15 boxer is one of the top future hopes and he proved his technical skills against Fajer Ghazali at the 48kg weight class.

Wales’ Jenzen Miguel-Powell bagged a silver medal at the 2024 edition of the British Schools Boxing Championships and two years after that achievement, he is a top member of their U17 team. He shocked Sweden’s Alan Mayi with heavy punches in the first round and he dominated the entire 57kg semi-final in Tampere.

Amos Tuomainen represented Finland in the European U17 Boxing Championships last December and he joined the U19 age group this January. Tuomainen celebrated his 17^th birthday only two months ago but he looked unstoppable for Iceland’s Kormakur Steinn Jonsson in the semi-finals of the 70kg.

An U19 talent, Ramses Upshaw competed in national events in the recent one year and he gained the control of the first round against Iceland’s Viktor Orn Sigurdsson. The Finnish 80kg boxer was able to continue in the same level of boxing until the end of the contest and he will now meet Mitja Hellen for the title of the category.

The 41^st edition of the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament is now a four-nations team competition in Poland which had an amazing first session.

Ireland, England, Germany and Poland are the participating four strong teams in the actual Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament.

Poland hosted the recent editions of the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament in various cities but the competition returned to their capital last year.

Mr. Feliks Stamm was a legendary boxing coach in Poland who built up fantastic teams in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. These boxers earned several medals and titles for Poland in the Olympic Games and in the European Boxing Championships making that period as the golden era for the country.

The Polish boxers amazed in the last edition of the World Boxing Cup in Foz da Iguacu, Brazil and their progress is continuous every year.

Poland’s Natalia Niewiadomska was born in 2007 and she joined the elite squad only this January but she is such a high quality of boxer at the women’s 48kg. The Polish teenager defeated Germany’s Suada Ibraimovski while her teammate, Natalia Kuczewska also succeeded over Milana Nurislamov at the women’s 51kg.

England’s Kelsey Oakley and Ireland’s Caitlin Fryers had an exciting battle in the first day of the Feliks Stamm Memorial when the two top nations met in the encounter. The 23-year-old English was slightly better in the most important periods and she deserved to win the battle by 3:2 split decision at the women’s 51kg.

Germany’s teenager Assia El Fachtali has relatively low number of bouts but she has the fighting spirit and the strong will to win her contests. The young German met Ireland’s debutant Sarah Cunningham on Day1 and she won the first and second rounds to earn a 4:1 split decision victory.

Ireland’s European U22 Champion Niamh Fay is one of the top boxers at the women’s 57kg weight class in the entire event and she proved her very best against England’s Vivien Parsons, using her technical superiority to win the bout unanimously.

The two-time World Champion Amy Broadhurst switched from Ireland to England in 2024 and she returned to the boxing world after giving birth to his son. Broadhurst made a fantastic comeback to the international events and she defeated Ireland’s Kaci Rock unanimously at the women’s 65kg.

Ireland’s Terry McEntee had a great success over Scotland’s GB Team member, Sonny Kerr at the men’s 70kg which was a small surprise on Day1. Ireland’s experienced athlete at the 80kg, Kelyn Cassidy was too smart for Poland’s Richard Gilej and he bagged his nation’s next triumph in the first session of the Feliks Stamm.

Germany’s U19 World silver medallist Mohamed Al Manouchi impressed against Poland’s Ilia Bader in their meeting on Day1. Poland’s best hope at the 75kg, Mateusz Wojtasinski outpointed Ireland’s Tadhg O’Donnell and he also made a strong debut in the event.

The final line-ups are confirmed at the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Boxing Tournament in the city of Kutaisi in Georgia after the exciting semi-finals.  

Altogether 26 female and 150 male boxers are participating in the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Youth Tournament in Georgia where 18 finals have scheduled today.

The boxers from the 2008 and 2009 born age groups are eligible to participate in the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Youth Tournament in Georgia.

The event will be a perfect preparation event for the upcoming U19 World Boxing Championships which is scheduled to take place in Budva, Montenegro on October 13-28.

The bout of the day

Georgia’s Shalva Beridze is one of the rising stars of the host nation’s boxing life who claimed several tournament titles in the previous years. The 17-year-old boxer has more than 100 bouts already in his record and he used all of his routine to reach the finals of the men’s 50kg when he met Azerbaijan’s strong Ali Aliyev. The Azeri boxer was highly competitive for the taller Georgian but Beridze’s long-distance tactics paid off in this crucial semi-final.

The surprise of the day

Estonia’s Melana Nelk achieved a silver medal at the last edition of the European U17 Boxing Championships and she joined the U19 age group this January. The Baltic boxer had a good first round against Kyrgyzstan’s Zarina Asanova but her Central Asian opponent switched her tempo into a next level after the opener. The 18-year-old Kyrgyz had a strong finish in this semi-final which means that Asanova will be boxing for the title of the women’s 70kg against Georgia’s Anzhela Momtselidze.

The Round-up

Azerbaijan’s Banuchichak Nasirli claimed a silver medal at the recent European U19 Boxing Championships in Ostrava and she is one of the aces in the women’s side of the Kakauridze Tournament. After the powerful first round, the 18-year-old Azeri stopped Georgia’s Mariami Eradze in the second and she will now meet another local boxer for the title of the 48kg, Liza Kokosadze in Kutaisi.

Spain’s Andrea Buelga Garcia is one of their top boxers in the 2009 born age group and she opened the year with great international results. The Spaniard did not underestimate her semi-final opponent at the women’s 51kg, Kyrgyzstan’s Perizat Zholchubekova, and the referee confirmed her RSC success after the standing counts. Buelga’s final rival in the event will be a Georgian, Sopho Gigauri, she is the current U19 National Champion from Tbilisi.

Lithuania’s European Junior medallist Jelizaveta Jakimova is the best female boxer of their U19 national team currently who proved her technical skills and development in the semi-finals of the Kakauridze Tournament. The 17-year-old Lithuanian eliminated Spain’s Cristina Peinado Garcia in a hectic contest in Kutaisi where her final opponent will be a strong Georgian, Nino Bekauri.

Spain’s Manuel Bueno impressed in the World Boxing U19 Future Cup in Thailand two months ago and he used the recent period to increase his tactical level of boxing. The 17-year-old Spanish had a tough battle against Armenia’s Vahram Dovlatbekyan but his stamina was the difference between them in the final round. Bueno’s final rival will be Romania’s Denis Alexandrescu who walked over to the title bout of the men’s 55kg.

Azerbaijan’s Ali Baghishov outpointed Kyrgyzstan’s Daniil Bulavkin in the semi-finals of the 60kg and he will be facing an experienced local athlete for the gold, Sandro Kapanadze. The next top Azerbaijan vs. Georgia final battle could be expected at the 65kg between Shahin Aslanov and Nika Papava.

Kyrgyzstan’s Asian Junior Champion Akhmadi Arvaz achieved a fantastic silver medal at the World Boxing U19 Future Cup in Bangkok earlier this year. The 17-year-old Kyrgyz is a big puncher and he showed that power to Armenia’s Alen Stepanyan in the semi-finals of the 75kg which is the new category of the Central Asian. Following his RSC triumph, Arvaz will now meet Lithuania’s Matas Naumcev for the title of the weight class.

Romania’s Denis Cucu is in top shape this year and the country found its best super heavyweight boxer for the future elite events. The powerful Romanian made a quick decision against Armenia’s Aram Tumanyan and the Lithuanian referee stopped their semi-final in the first round. Cucu joined the finals and his opponent for the gold medal will be Azerbaijan’s Safdar Mammadzada who had a tight success over his teammate, Mahammad Jafarov.

An Asian Schoolboys silver medallist, Muhammadali Istamov switched to Azerbaijan this year and he opened his campaign for his new nation with a gold medal at the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup which finished in the Baku Boxing Center.

Altogether 41 women and 144 men boxers competed for the 23 available titles during the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup.

Boxers from the 2010 and 2011 age groups were eligible to participate in the Heydar Aliyev Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan which is another traditional event and it was named after Mr. Heydar Aliyev who served Azerbaijan as President of the State between 1993 until his death in 2003.

The Heydar Aliyev Cup was a preparation event for the European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11.

The bout of the day

Muhammadali Istamov represented Uzbekistan in the recent international events and he earned several titles and medals during his U15 age. Istamov is a big talent and he decided to continue his career in Azerbaijan where he put himself into the spotlight with a gold medal at the Heydar Aliyev U17 Tournament. The ex-Uzbek boxer had a tight advantage on the judges’ scorecards against Ali Jamalzadeh after the first round but his opponent returned to the business in the second with better combinations. Istamov increased his rhythm in the third and his technical skills decided the best and the closest finals of the tournament.

The surprise of the day

Gardash Rakhimov was named as the favourite of the 52kg weight category before the start of the competition but finally he achieved only a silver medal in Baku. Azerbaijan’s successful boxer in the recent international competition was not enough shape to beat his teammate, Ismayil Nasirzadeh in the final contest.

The Round-Up

The first male title of the Heydar Aliyev U17 Tournament was achieved by Aydin Shakhbazov, a local boy, who had a clean success over Ilhan Mamiyev at the smallest 44kg. Hasrat Mammadov was energetic in the full competition and he had the speed advantage to beat another Azeri boxer, Sarkhan Aghazadeh at the 46kg final.

The 48kg is always a strong category in Azerbaijan, they have the tradition on that and their Nihad Mammadli advanced to the final. His opponent from Uzbekistan, Suvonbek Yuldoshev found the best fighting range in the first round earlier than Mammadli and he took the lead on the scorecards. The local boxer worked harder in the last round but Yuldoshev had the comfortable advantage to win the first title for Uzbekistan.

Azerbaijan’s Rustam Nasibov had an impressive start against his teammate, Vagif Mammadli in the first round of the 50kg final. After his amazing opener, almost all of the judges favoured him 10:8 due to the standing counts which showed the large margin between them after two minutes of fight. Mammadli made a superb comeback in the second round but Nasibov mobilized his last drop of energies well enough in the third to win their final.

The bantamweight (54kg) was the strongest division in this Heydar Aliyev U17 Tournament and champions of major events failed to reach the final in Baku. Two of the Uzbeks such as Iskandar Kadamboyev and Mirfayiz Fayzullayev joined the finals after their outstanding semi-final triumphs. The more experienced Kadamboyev needed a great third round to beat his compatriot, but he managed that tactical part effectively.

Uzbekistan’s next gold medal was captured by Azizbek Nurzullayev who had the full control over Azerbaijan’s Ali Abasli in the final of the lightweight. Georgia’s lone title in the Heydar Aliyev Cup was taken by Temur Pavliashvili who defeated such a strong boxer as Uzbekistan’s Fayoziddin Rakhmonaliyev at the 66kg.

Azerbaijan’s Shukar Aliyev claimed medals already in two editions of the European Boxing Championships despite his age of 16 and he had a fantastic job in the entire Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup. He became the strongest boxer in the men’s 80kg weight class once again after his powerful work against Salekh Farajov which final bout has finished in the first round with a stoppage.

Uzbekistan’s Elshod Oblakulov was one of the main favourites at the heavyweight (+80kg) in the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup but he had a surprise loss in the semi-finals. Two of the top Kazakhs marched to the finals of the heaviest weight class, Ramazan Kaznabay and Nursultan Kemelkhan. The first was more punctual in the exchanges during their meeting and Kaznabay celebrated the last title of the competition.

The nine women’s finals delighted the crowd at the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup at the Baku Boxing Center in Azerbaijan. Georgia, Azerbaijan, Estonia, Kazakhstan and the individual athletes shined in the session which showed the potential of several young hopes.

Boxers from the 2010 and 2011 age groups are eligible to participate in the Heydar Aliyev Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan which is another traditional event and it was named after Mr. Heydar Aliyev who served Azerbaijan as President of the State between 1993 until his death in 2003.

The Heydar Aliyev Cup is a preparation event for the European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11.

The bout of the day

Georgia’s new flag bearer in women’s boxing, Elena Karchava claimed a gold medal at the European U15 Boxing Championships in Budva and she joined the U17 age group this January. The 15-year-old boxer had the hardest battle in the female finals in Baku where she met an individual athlete, Arina Kmita. Karchava used her excellent footwork and technical skills to find the best angles and she won the hardest battle in the day of the women’s finals.

The surprise of the day

Kazakhstan’s Akerke Dalabay earned a gold medal at the Asian U15 Boxing Championships and she is one of their high hopes at the U17 age group this year. The 15-year-old Kazakh managed her pathway to the finals of the women’s 66kg weight class but she suffered an unexpected and close defeat to Azerbaijan’s Sama Abbasova.

The Round-Up

Azerbaijan’s Aysel Farajova had a powerful start at the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup, her success over Kazakhstan’s Diana Aitbayeva was one of her career highlights which was a close bout in the second session. The 16-year-old local boxer not only advanced to the finals of the women’s 46kg weight class but she had the next peak performance against another Kazakh talent, Dana Orazbekkyzy.

Azerbaijan’s female boxing life turned to a new era in 2022 and in 2023 when the country had the potential to win medals in the level of the European Boxing Championships in several age groups. Their Aydan Ismayilly is not experienced yet but she worked hard in the final of the women’s 48kg to beat Yegana Rahimova in Baku.

Estonia’s best female boxer in this age group, the highly decorated Alisa Gerassimovitch, a European medallist talent, controlled all of her bouts with strong attacks in Baku. The Baltic boxer gained the control of her final over Azerbaijan’s Fatima Mammadli at the women’s 50kg weight class and she was able to beat her rival unanimously.

Another talented independent athlete at the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup, Anna Belenkova worked hard from the first seconds in her final to beat Georgia’s Melano Jakeli at the 54kg weight class. The final result was 3:2 split decision in the favour of Belenkova, while Kazakhstan’s Shugyla Slamzhan also had the same tough battle in her title bout at the 57kg. The Kazakh talent made a superb final round against Azerbaijan’s Jamila Muradli, which needed to win the gold medal in Baku.

Georgia’s Anastasia Chokoraia has elegant and beautiful technical skills and she prepared to show her current boxing knowledge so well to the public during the Heydar Aliyev U17 Tournament. The Georgian stopped most of her opponents before the final gong and she was also exceptional to beat Daria Astapchik, an individual athlete at the 63kg, controlling all of the three rounds.

Georgia’s next female gold medal was captured by Liza Lobjanidze, a super talented boxer at the 70kg weight category in Baku. Lobjanidze, who has strong family relations to boxing, won two out of the three rounds, therefore the entire final bout over Azerbaijan’s Ramziya Mirzoyeva. Lobjanidze had to just moved up from the U15 age group in the recent months but she could be a favourite at the European U17 Boxing Championships as well.

The Akaki Kakauridze U19 Boxing Tournament will open in the city of Kutaisi in Georgia and will be the highlight of the upcoming five competition days.

The new edition of the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament will start with 2 female and 32 male contests in the opening session today.

Altogether 26 female and 150 male boxers are participating in the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Youth Tournament in Georgia which will be a record-breaking edition.

The Georgians reached excellent results in the European U19 Boxing Championships and the European U17 Boxing Championships each last year.

Their next generation of boxers are skilled, technician and had the stamina until their last drop of energies which made the Georgians one of the bests in Europe.

Such strong countries as Kyrgyzstan, Spain, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Romania, Armenia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Moldova joined the host country therefore the quality will be high in the Kakauridze Tournament.

The boxers from the 2008 and 2009 born age groups are eligible to participate in the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Youth Tournament in Georgia.

The event will be a perfect preparation event for the upcoming U19 World Boxing Championships which is scheduled to take place in Budva, Montenegro on October 13-28.

The facts of the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament

Name: Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament

Competition Period: May 5-9

Venue: Kutaisi, Georgia

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: U19

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

The weight categories of the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament

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

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

The schedule of the Akaki Kakauridze U19 Tournament

May 3-4 – Arrivals of the delegations

May 4 – Technical Meeting

May 4 – Official Draw

May 5 – Day1 competition

May 6 – Day2 competition

May 7 – Day3 competition

May 8 – Day4 competition

May 9 – Day5 competition with the semi-finals

May 10 – Departures of the delegations

The Heydar Aliyev Cup for the U17 female and male boxers are underway at the Baku Boxing Center in Azerbaijan. Georgia’s duo as Hasan Akpinar and Zaza Mdinaridze, additionally Aysel Farajova and Moldova’s Egor Cherticovtsev all advanced to the next round.

Boxers from the 2010 and 2011 age groups are eligible to participate in the Heydar Aliyev Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan which is another traditional event and it was named after Mr. Heydar Aliyev who served Azerbaijan as President of the State between 1993 until his death in 2003.

The Heydar Aliyev Cup is a preparation event for the European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11.

The bout of the day

Georgia’s Hasan Akpinar claimed a bronze medal at the recent European U17 Boxing Championships and the 16-year-old boxer was named among the gold medal contenders at the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup. The Georgian was not enough shape against Azerbaijan’s Mahammad Mustafayev in the first round but he received the right instructions in the break. Akpinar maintained the best fighting distance in time and he won one of the top bouts at the +80kg weight category in Baku.

The surprise of the day

Georgia’s Zaza Mdinaridze is a decorated pugilist at the boys’ 54kg weight class but he had a well-experienced opponent in the Round of 16, Shynggys Akhmetov of Kazakhstan. This weight category was named as the strongest ones in the entire Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup and the duo proved elite level of boxing during the preliminaries. The Georgian was slightly better in the exchanges in the decisive last round and he celebrated an emotional success in Baku.

The Round-Up

The women’s boxing is in strong progress in Azerbaijan and their girls claimed already titles and medals in the level of the European Boxing Championships. Their U17 boxers at the pinweight (46kg), such as Aysel Farajova and Aysan Miriyeva both won their meetings in the session against opponents from Kazakhstan and Georgia. Farajova’s success over Kazakhstan’s Diana Aitbayeva is one of her career highlights which was a close bout in the session.

Kazakhstan’s next participant at the women’s 46kg weight category in Baku, Diana Orazbekkyzy proved one of the strongest performances in the session. She controlled the first round over an individual athlete, Milana Belyankina, and she was able to keep the same rhythm until the last gong of their meeting. 

Estonia’s Alissa Gerassimovits is their best female hope in this age group who walked over to the next stage of boxing against Azerbaijan’s Leyla Makhmudlu following her opponent was unable to box in the second session of the event. Tunja Murshudova, a local hope in the same 50kg weight class, eliminated Sevana Agali and she also joined to the next round, keeping her hopes alive.

Vera Didenko, an individual and independent boxer, returned to the international stage of boxing after a break and she made a remarkable performance in the session. The 63kg boxer overcame Azerbaijan’s Zokhra Imanova in the attacks and she won this bout by unanimous decision.

Georgia has a powerful U17 team and their girls are also in developing stage besides to the male boxers. Anastasia Chokoraia had strong preparation in the recent months and following their national activities, she had the enthusiasm in the competition as well. Chokoraia not only felt the distance from the first seconds against Azerbaijan’s Gulshan Rustamzadeh but she stopped her opponent still in the opening round at the 63kg.

Moldova’s European Schoolboys Champion Egor Cherticovtsev is a native talent in our sport and he joined the U17 age group this year. The super talented Moldovan had a tough opponent in the boys’ 54kg weight class, Azerbaijan’s Ali Ozjan but he managed his pathway to the quarter-finals in this busy division.

Latvia also sent a promising team to the Heydar Aliyev U17 Cup and their Silvestrs Vasilevskis eliminated a local hopeful, Abbasali Mammadli at the 54kg. Another key boxers, in this weight class such as Uzbekistan’s Iskandar Kadamboyev, Kazakhstan’s Bakdaulet Kuralbay and Georgia’s sensation, the European U15 Champion Giorgi Akhlvediani all marched to the quarter-finals at the 54kg weight category.

The Heydar Aliyev Cup for the U17 boxers will start at the Baku Boxing Center with its first session on May 2 and Azerbaijan’s next international competition

Azerbaijan hosted the Great Silk Way Tournament one month ago and their National Federation is waiting for top teams to their U17 junior competition to Baku.

Boxers from the 2010 and 2011 age groups are eligible to participate in the Heydar Aliyev Cup in Baku, Azerbaijan which is another traditional event on the European Boxing Map.

This international boxing competition was named after Mr. Heydar Aliyev who served Azerbaijan as President of the State between 1993 until his death in 2003.

Uzbekistan is a powerhouse in our sport and the Central Asians will be there with a younger U17 team in Azerbaijan’s capital and all of their talents need to be watched.

Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are always on the top of the podium in many events and their squads are ready to do big things in the Heydar Aliyev Cup.

Georgia will send a strong team including several European U15 Champions on their line-ups but Estonia, Latvia, Belarus and Moldova all will have outstanding pugilists in Baku.

The Heydar Aliyev Cup is a preparation event for the European U17 Boxing Championships which will be held in Budva, Montenegro on October 1-11.

The facts of the Heydar Aliyev Cup

Name: Heydar Aliyev Cup

Competition Period: May 2-7

Venue: Baku, Azerbaijan

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: U17

Date of Birth of the boxers: 2010-2011 born boxers

The weight categories of the Heydar Aliyev Cup

Women’s: 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg and 80kg

Men’s: 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and +80kg

The schedule of the Heydar Aliyev Cup

May 1 – Arrivals of the delegations

May 1 – Sport Entries Check

May 1, 18:00 – Technical Meeting

May 1, 18:30 – Official Draw

May 2, 15:00 – Day1 competition

May 3, 15:00 – Day2 competition

May 4, 15:00 – Day3 competition

May 5, 15:00 – Day4 competition

May 6, 15:00 – Day5 competition with the semi-finals

May 7, 15:00 – Day6 competition with the finals

May 8 – Departures of the delegations

The boxers who need to be watched in the Heydar Aliyev Cup

- Dana Orazbekkyzy, Kazakhstan, women’s 46kg – Bronze medallist at the Asian U15 Boxing Championships

- Alisa Gerassimovits, Estonia, women’s 50kg – Bronze medallist at the European Schoolgirls Boxing Championships

- Elene Karchava, Georgia, women’s 52kg – European U15 Champion

- Medina Abylkasym, Kazakhstan, women’s 54kg – Silver medallist at the Asian U15 Boxing Championships

- Akerke Dalabay, Kazakhstan, women’s 66kg – Asian U15 Champion

- Onur Gurbanov, Azerbaijan, men’s 46kg – Bronze medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships

- Qardas Rahimov, Azerbaijan, men’s 52kg – European U17 Champion

- Eljan Musazada, Azerbaijan, men’s 52kg – Bronze medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships

- Egor Cherticovtsev, Moldova, men’s 54kg – European Schoolboys Champion

- Zaza Mdinaridze, Georgia, men’s 54kg – Bronze medallist at the European U17 Boxing Championships

- Giorgi Akhlvediani, Georgia, men’s 54kg – European U15 Champion

- Shynggys Akhmetov, Kazakhstan, men’s 54kg – Asian U15 Champion

- Nichita Slepoi, Moldova, men’s 57kg – Bronze medallist at the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships

- Davit Alikhanishvili, Georgia, men’s 57kg – European U15 Champion

- Aleksi Gunia, Georgia, men’s 60kg – Silver medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships

- Nurbakyt Toregeldi, Kazakhstan, men’s 63kg – Asian U15 Champion

- Jakhongirjon Usmankulov, Uzbekistan, men’s 63kg – Asian U15 Champion

- Temur Pavliashvili, Georgia, men’s 66kg – Bronze medallist at the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships

- Nurlan Museyibli, Azerbaijan, men’s 70kg – Silver medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships

- Yusif Aghakishiyev, Azerbaijan, men’s 75kg – Silver medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships

- Shukar Aliyev, Azerbaijan, men’s 80kg – Silver medallist at the European U17 Boxing Championships; Bronze medallist at the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships

- Mehran Rasulov, Azerbaijan, men’s +80kg – European U15 Champion

- Elshod Oblakulov, Uzbekistan, men’s +80kg – Silver medallist at the Asian U15 Boxing Championships

- Hasan Akpinar, Georgia, men’s +80kg – Bronze medallist at the European U17 Boxing Championships

- Erdem Tekin, Azerbaijan, men’s +80kg – Bronze medallist at the European U15 Boxing Championships

- Ugur Hasanov, Azerbaijan, men’s +80kg – Bronze medallist at the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships

World Boxing has confirmed the details of its new AIN procedure – ‘Athlètes Individuels Neutres’ (Individual Neutral Athletes) – which will be used to determine the basis on which athletes, coaches, support staff and officials from Russia and Belarus will be permitted to participate in international competitions organised by World Boxing, its Continental Confederation for Europe, European Boxing, or international competitions organised by World Boxing member National Federations.

It means that delegations from Russia and Belarus will not be allowed to participate with national flags, uniforms or anthems and will have to pass a detailed vetting process to be able to take part in World Boxing events.

The AIN procedure was approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing at its most recent meeting in April 2026 and reflects the approach taken by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).  It has been developed following the decision by the Executive Board of World Boxing, at its previous meeting in March 2026, to endorse membership applications from the Belarussian Boxing Federation and the Russian Boxing Federation that will allow their boxers to compete in World Boxing events.

Key details of the AIN procedure are:

Flags:

• There will be no use of the country or National Federation flag during the competition
• If a boxer from an AIN country wins a gold medal, the national anthem will not be played
• If a boxer from an AIN country wins a medal, the AIN logo will be used on a flag in the medal ceremony
• The boxers will be represented on television graphics and all competition information as AIN
• This will be applied at all age category events directly organised by World Boxing or European Boxing

Uniforms:

• Boxers will appear with AIN on their vests and not RUS or BLR
• The logo of the National Federation or the country will not be permitted to appear anywhere on a boxer’s uniform
• Coaches, support staff and Team Officials will have to wear neutral uniforms which will have to be submitted to World Boxing prior to the competition for validation
• From arrival until departure, not a single member of the AIN delegation will be permitted to wear any item that features their country or National Federation’s flag or logo in any competition setting, including the entry check, draw, weigh-in or technical meeting
• This will be applied at all age category events organised by World Boxing, European Boxing or International Events organised by national federations where national teams participate.

Eligibility and Vetting:

• Athlete entries by Russia and Belarus must be made directly to the World Boxing Sport Department and not directly through the online entry system for the event, however the deadlines in the invitation package will still apply and will not be modified
• World Boxing will work with an expert, independent third party to conduct a series of checks on all athletes from Russia and Belarus that are entered into its competitions to ensure they do not have a history of supporting the war in Ukraine, are not paid by the military or security forces, are not members of clubs linked to the army or police force and have not participated in any events organised by The International Military Sports Council (CISM) since the start of the war in Ukraine
• The cost of the vetting process for each athlete will be covered by the National Federation for Russia or Belarus and must be paid in advance of their participation in the competition
• The vetting process will apply to all male and female athletes at Elite World Boxing competition, but will not apply to U19 or younger athletes
• The vetting process will also apply to coaches and support staff that will be assisting male and female boxers at Elite and U19 competitions and the costs of this will also be paid by the National Federations
• Technical Officials (TO) from the two countries will be treated as any other TO and vetted in line with World Boxing’s existing processes; additional checks may be conducted on TOs, but this will not be at the cost of the National Federation as the TO is not representing their country. Currently there are no Technical Officials accredited from the two countries.
• If the vetting process for any individual produces a result that is not clear or raises further questions, a commission appointed by World Boxing’s Executive Board will review the case
• The decision of the commission will be final and not open to appeal unless new information is provided 

The AIN procedure has been introduced with immediate effect following the decision of World Boxing’s Executive Board and the Secretary General has written to the Belarussian Boxing Federation and the Russian Boxing Federation to provide them with details of the procedure and how it will be implemented. 

The Vllaznia Memorial Tournament was held in the city of Shkoder in Albania which is the country’s main international competition. Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic, Albania’s Kristian Koco and Kosovo’s Bashkim Bajoku were all among the winners of the traditional Vllaznia Memorial Tournament.

Albania bagged some historic medals in this century since 2003 and the country’s boxing life is in developing stage. The Vllaznia Memorial Tournament supported the preparation of the participating boxers for the upcoming European Elite Boxing Championships. 

The bout of the finals

 Kristian Koco, the next Albanian, Emanuel’s brother was more successful in the finals of the Vllaznia Memorial Tournament. The national team member of the host nation had a hard job against Kosovo’s Lumturim Xhoxhaj and he had to increase his rhythm from the second round. Xhoxhaj, who came from also a real boxing family, was a competitive opponent for Kristian Koco, but the Albanian won this 60kg final by split decision.

The surprise of the finals

Montenegro’s Radisav Loncar competed at the 2025 edition of the European U19 Boxing Championships in Ostrava and despite his age of 19, the young boxer was the favourite against Albania’s Devi Doni at the 85kg final. The boxer from Montenegro used his strength to catch the local boxer but Doni was slightly better in this tight contest.

The Round-Up

Kosovo sent a few excellent boxers in the recent main international events and the Olympic Qualifiers in 2024 and one of them was Bashkim Bajoku, who moved down to the 55kg this year. This weight class is better for the experienced Kosovan who defeated Albania’s Emanuel Koco by split decision with solid performance.

Montenegro’s Milos Roganovic competed at the 2024 edition of the Youth World Boxing Championships and the European U23 Boxing Championships last November. Montenegro’s young sensation maintained the best fighting distance in the final of the 70kg well enough and the 20-year-old talent defeated Kristian Bejko of Albania unanimously.

Albania’s multiple Champion Arjon Kajoshi is a veteran boxer in the national team who tried to qualify already for the Rio Olympic Games ten years ago. The experienced boxer returned to the squad and he underlined in the final of the 75kg that he is still the better athlete than Kosovo’s Planet Berisha.

Kosovo’s Taulant Jakupi, the former European Youth bronze medallist, was too strong for Albania’s Muasom Toska and the 22-year-old boxer claimed the title of the 90kg weight category in Shkoder. Albania’s Emanuel Kalaj won the super heavyweight bout against his teammate, Ergis Aliaj in the title contest among the big boys.

The veteran boxers shined in the women’s finals at the 44^th Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki where Laura Myllymaeki, Wassila Lkhadiri, Zhaina Shekerbekova and Rosie Eccles all claimed gold medals.

Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales were the participating countries in Helsinki. Among them, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Scotland, Sweden, United States of America and Wales earned at least one title in the Gee Bee.

The bout of the day

Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn was near to qualify for the Paris Olympics but Los Angeles 2028 is in her full focus. The Dutch boxer had a very hard battle against her neighbour, Belgium’s Sarah Renders who exceeded all of the previous expectations. Van der Toorn used her jabs slightly better in the last decisive round and she won their 60kg semi-final by 3:2 split decision.

The surprise of the day

Scotland’s European Junior Champion Niamh Mitchell robbed into the level of the elite boxers only this year when she claimed the gold medal at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament. She eliminated a European Youth Champion, Italy’s Ginevra Muzzi in the semi-finals and she looked also unstoppable in the final of the 60kg against Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn. The Dutch boxer is more experienced in the elite competitions but Mitchell found the best weapon against her in the first minute to earn the title in Helsinki.

The Round-Up

Finland’s Laura Myllymaeki eliminated Norway’s Francine Lukungu Ahadi on their re-match in the semi-finals of the women’s 48kg weight category. The 34-year-old Finnish boxer was not enough shape in the first round against Italy’s new surprise at the Gee Bee, Chiara Mosetti but she turned up the heat in the second. Myllymaeki was more effective after the first break and she bagged the gold medal of the first final in Helsinki.

France’s World Championships bronze medallist and the Paris Olympian Wassila Lkhadiri is another experienced female boxer at the Gee Bee Tournament who eliminated Scotland’s young Neely Brooke in confidence and she used the same tactics in the final of the 51kg. The French boxer delivered a top performance with perfect timing in the final women’s against Kazakhstan’s Anita Adisheva and she won their meeting unanimously.

Kazakhstan’s World silver medallist Zhaina Shekerbekova had hard job in the preliminary and the quarter-final stages at the Gee Bee Tournament but she was better and stronger rounds by rounds. The 37-year-old veteran had a hard tactical job in the final of the 54kg against United States’ development team member, Jayshannet Ramos Zapata and she earned the third title in Helsinki.

United States’ Deborah Grant stopped several of her opponents in the recent national competitions but the Gee Bee is her first ever competition in Europe. The six-times US National Champion not only controlled the first round of the final of the 57kg against Denmark’s Alice Bennedbaek but she counted her opponent twice. After the third count, the referee confirmed Grant’s RSC triumph and she will celebrate her 25^th birthday with a gold medal in Helsinki.

The Dutch boxers are amazing in this Gee Bee Tournament and their Mahmoud Al Chabtoun was still fresh enough to use his attacking style of boxing against Scotland’s returning Nicholas Devlin in the final of the men’s 60kg. Al Chabtoun’s strong pressure paid off in the first and second rounds which guaranteed his gold medal in Helsinki which is his top achievement this year.

Netherlands’ next finalist, the U19 World Champion Aaliyah Hoppema was born in 2007 therefore this is her first elite year. She is relatively small at the women’s 65kg weight class but she has the fighting spirit and the powerful rhythm to beat Norway’s Madeleine Angelsen today. Hoppema bagged a bronze medal at the Bocskai Memorial last month which she switched into a valuable gold in Finland. Netherlands’ third gold medal was achieved by Finn Bos at the men’s 70kg weight class following his tactical success over Germany’s Randy Botikali.

France’s Mohamed Ounai achieved a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament earlier this year which he upgraded into a gold at the Gee Bee after beating Denmark’s Qalid Osman in the final of the men’s 65kg. The next French boxer, the European Youth Champion Maelys Richol enjoyed her return to the events but Wales’ Commonwealth Games winner veteran Rosie Eccles was slightly better at the women’s 70kg final today.

Nicolo Vettore was too smart for Switzerland’s Gabriel Huber in the men’s 75kg final bout which controlled by the Italian from the first seconds. The next Italian finalist, a next generation member, Christian Sarsilli achieved a silver medal at the 80kg following his loss to Germany’s Ramil Schafer.

France’s European U23 Champion Junior Tadah counted his Italian opponent, Marvin Ghilarducci in the first round of the 85kg final and the ringside doctor stopped their contest in the second. Sweden’s European U23 bronze medallist Elwin Belezika captured his nation’s lone gold medal in the Gee Bee where he landed the stronger punches than Scotland’s Robert McNulty at the 90kg.

United States’ Nnajai Wright is only 19-year-old but he is one of the most talented boxers at the super heavyweight and he opened the year with a gold medal at the Gee Bee Tournament. The US talent eliminated Denmark’s David Farah Bakhsh in the semi-finals and he outpointed Germany’s new National Champion Dilvan Yazgan in the last bout of the entire tournament.

Netherlands’ Maud Van der Toorn, Italy’s Chiara Mosetti and Germany’s Randy Botikali were the heroes of the semi-finals at the 44^th Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki. The Dutch and the German boxers proved perfect performance in the third competition day.

The Gee Bee Tournament is a great international competition with excellent possibilities to prepare for the big championships this year, including the European Elite Boxing Championships.

Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are the participating countries in the upcoming edition in Helsinki.

The bout of the day

Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn was near to qualify for the Paris Olympics but Los Angeles 2028 is in her full focus. The Dutch boxer had a very hard battle against her neighbour, Belgium’s Sarah Renders who exceeded all of the previous expectations. Van der Toorn used her jabs slightly better in the last decisive round and she won their 60kg semi-final by 3:2 split decision.

The surprise of the day

Italy’s Rome-based Chiara Mosetti won the last edition of their National Championships a few months ago and the Gee Bee Tournament is her debut in the international stage. Despite her lack of experience, the Italian surprised France’s Gloria D’Almeida in the first round and she had the great finish to beat her opponent in the semi-finals of the women’s 48kg.

The Round-Up

Finland’s Laura Myllymaeki started the year with a fantastic gold medal at the Golden Girl in Sweden and she was also on the top of the Nordic Boxing Championships. The 34-year-old Finnish boxer defeated Norway’s Francine Lukungu Ahadi twice this year and she repeated at the same performance at the Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki on their re-match.

Kazakhstan’s Asian Champion and former Olympian Zhaina Shekerbekova has a strict personal schedule at the Gee Bee Tournament where she has to box in all of the competition days. After two tough and tight successes in Helsinki, the 37-year-old veteran met Finland’s European bronze medallist Emma Jokiaho as next. Following the first tactical round, Shekerbekova had the speed and the effective attacks to beat the local opponent in the semi-finals of the women’s 54kg.

Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell claimed a European junior title, while her semi-final opponent, Ginevra Muzzi was a European Youth Champion. Both boxers are members of the next generation and will have strong impacts on the world of boxing in the upcoming years. Mitchell proved that her presence is also strong and she controlled most of the exchanges to win this 60kg semi-final.

France’s Mohamed Ounai is not the most experienced in their national team yet but his silver medal at the Boxam Tournament showed his great potential. The French had the world-class footwork in the first and second rounds to beat a US development team opponent, Dustin Jimenez today. Ounai’s final opponent at the men’s 65kg weight class will be Denmark’s new sensation, Qalid Osman on Sunday.

The dream final of the women’s 70kg weight category has accomplished at the Gee Bee Tournament, after the two favourites both marched to the title contest. Firstly, the European Youth Champion Maelys Richol of France defeated Finland’s Zabrina Holmstrom, secondly the Commonwealth Games winner Rosie Eccles of Wales triumphed over Kazakhstan’s Zhasmin Kizatova.

United States’ Richmond-based Nnajai Wright turned to 19 only last month but the super heavyweight boxer is one of the big names at the Gee Bee Tournament. The Brandenburg U19 Cup winner athlete controlled all of the three rounds against Denmark’s David Farah Bakhsh and he will now meet Germany’s new National Champion Dilvan Yazgan for the title of the super heavyweight.

France’s Wassila Lkhadiri claimed her first medal in the international stage of boxing in 2014 and after twelve years of routine, she had the skills to handle the first round against Scotland’s young Neely Brooke. The Olympian French boxer had an impressive third round as well which means that she will be boxing for the title of the women’s 51kg with Kazakhstan’s Anita Adisheva.

Denmark’s Alice Bennedbaek robbed into the world of European Boxing only last year and she claimed a gold medal at the Golden Girl in Sweden two months ago. She used her aggressive style of boxing to beat Scotland’s Lara Brown today and she can test her current skills against United States’ Deborah Grant in the final of the women’s 57kg.

Netherlands’ Mahmoud Al Chabtoun met against some amazing rivals during his career but he had to do his very best against United States’ Yahir Diaz Martinez today. The Dutch boxer landed the stronger punches and his start resulted an advantage for him on the judges’ scorecards. The US boy gave in everything in the third but Al Chabtoun managed this 60kg semi-final effectively to meet Scotland’s Nicholas Devlin for the gold medal.

Norway’s Madeleine Angelsen had a difficult start this year despite she invested a lot of work to increase her skills. The former Golden Girl made a strong comeback after the first round and she was able to outbox her US opponent, Alexis Proctor, in one of the top contests of the semi-finals. The experienced Norwegian will now meet Netherlands’ U19 World silver medallist Aaliyah Hoppema for the title of the 65kg.

Wales’ experienced Orlando Holley-Sotomi competed in several previous editions at the Gee Bee Tournament and he uses the event as preparation for the Commonwealth Games. The Welsh boy, who moved down to the 70kg, opened the first round strongly against Randy Botikali but his German opponent found the fighting range in time to turn back their semi-final. Botikali, who has a busy schedule this year, will be boxing for the gold medal of the weight class with Netherlands’ Finn Bos.

Finland’s European bronze medallist Emma Jokiaho delighted the local fans with her great finish during the quarter-finals of the 44^th Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki today.

The Gee Bee Tournament is a great international competition with excellent possibilities to prepare for the big championships this year, including the European Elite Boxing Championships.

Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are the participating countries in the upcoming edition in Helsinki.

The bout of the day

Finland’s best female boxer, Pihla Kaivo-Oja is focusing to the major championships therefore Emma Jokiaho, their European bronze medallist is the flag bearer of the local team. The experienced boxer was not able to maintain the best fighting range in the first round therefore Jokiaho needed strong advices in the break. Finland’s pride worked better in the second and she made turned back their quarter-final bout with an exceptional third round.

The surprise of the day

Scotland developed women’s boxing in the recent years and their girls had a few strong international results in the 2020s. Their female boxers are keeping their eyes on the next Commonwealth Games which will be held in Glasgow, Scotland this July. Their Lara Brown does not have enough international experience yet but she had the stamina and the strong will to beat Kazakhstan’s Aidana Zabynbekova today.

The Round-Up

Kazakhstan’s 37-year-old Zhaina Shekerbekova had a tight success over Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim which was one of the best contests of the first day of boxing. The Kazakh veteran expected another hard battle in the opening bout of the second day against Italy’s Sirine Charaabi which was an exciting battle between the two Olympians. Charaabi bagged a bronze medal at the recent World Championships but she was competitive only in the second round this time therefore the Asian Champion Shekerbekova advanced to the semi-finals at the 54kg.

Wales has a small female team but the quality of their boxers are world-class which their Helen Jones proved once again in an international event. The Welsh girl controlled the first round with punctual punches against Germany’s Tatiana Obermeier who switched back to boxing from another martial art. Jones ruled the exchanges from her safest distance and she defeated the German national team member in the quarter-final at the 54kg.

Netherlands’ Tara Vogels is a big puncher and she received the right to compete at the women’s 57kg weight class in Helsinki following her teammate, Gabriella Weerheim moved down to the 54kg. The Dutch talent worked well in the first round against Finland’s Anna Tyni but her opponent, as Jokiaho in the 54kg, turned back their hectic quarter-final bout.

Ana Khunjua represented Georgia in the 2010s and she decided to switch to Belgium and she earned already tournament titles for her new nation. Khunjua had a powerful opponent from the US Development team, Deborah Grant who had impressive attacks especially in the second and third rounds to win this 57kg bout.

Denmark’s Alice Bennedbaek claimed the title at the annual Golden Girl in Sweden and despite her low number of bouts, she became a medallist also at the Gee Bee Tournament. The Danish boxer was never stopped attacking against Italy’s Madalina Grabucea and her great finish guaranteed a spot for Bennedbaek in the last four at the 57kg.

Scotland’s Nicholas Devlin returned to the national team due to the Commonwealth Games and he was a member of their delegation at the recent World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. The Scottish had the confidence against Italy’s Tiziano Alciati and he had the strong control in all of the three rounds today. Another excellent 60kg boxer in the Gee Bee, the US Yahir Diaz-Martinez eliminated Belgium’s Nadir Boulaiz unanimously.

Netherlands’ Mahmoud Al Chabtoun, one of the King of the Rings, is one of their most experienced male boxers in the squad and he had a strong start against Finland’s Konsta Junttila at the men’s 60kg. He saved some fuels in the third round for the upcoming bouts but he won their quarter-final bout with solid performance.

His teammate, the World Championships competitor Finn Bos used his strength to beat Scotland’s Taylor MacMahon in the quarter-finals of the 70kg. Germany’s Randy Botikali has a very busy schedule with events this year and he had the energetic attacks and the tempo to beat Italy’s Fabio Smedile.

The women’s 70kg is another strong category at the Gee Bee Tournament in Finland where Kazakhstan’s Asian U22 Champion Zhasmin Kizatova controlled her quarter-final against Sweden’s Alexandra Zhurzhenko. France’s returning European U23 Champion Maelys Richol eliminated Finland’s Vilma Kuusikko using her longer reach effectively in the next bout of this weight class.

Wales’ Rosie Eccles was very disappointed with her results in the Paris Olympics and she needed one and half year to recover and return to the sport. She had a strong debut at the Boxam Tournament earlier this year and she demonstrated her progress against Denmark’s veteran Ditte Frostholm in the quarter-finals of the 70kg.

The European Boxing’s first international educational program for the coaches will be held in Pajulahti, Finland in order to develop the knowledge of the trainers based on the modern standards.

The Finnish Boxing Federation will arrange all of the preparations for the course and the country has selected as the host due to their world-class training facilities.

The Finnish Boxing Federation hosts the Nordic Boxing Championships in the city of Vantaa, which will follow the education program for the coaches.

The historic course will take place in the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Pajulahti during the preparation camp for the upcoming Gee Bee Tournament.

The Gee Bee Tournament will feature in Helsinki on April 9-12 and the four-days long competition is one of the top international events next month.

Such strong nations as Belgium, Denmark, host Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are all planning to participate in the upcoming Gee Bee Tournament.

One of the most experienced European coaches, the Italian Mr. Raffaele Bergamasco will lead the education program for the continental-level trainers. Mr. Bergamasco worked as head coach in the Italian national team, in the Indian women’s squad and the Belgian national team in the recent one decade.

“Traditionally, continental federations have not organised their own coaches’ education programmes. However, discussions have highlighted the importance of bringing education closer to coaches, both logistically and economically. Europe is now taking the lead in this development,” said Finland’s head coach of the national team, Mr. Ervin Kade.

Alongside the new educational program, the European Boxing is introducing a clearer certification pathway for international coaching activities. The coaches will be required to complete a continental-level education programme in order to work in the corner at international competitions in the future.

The exciting 44^th Gee Bee Tournament opened with its first competition day in Helsinki, Finland where 19 bouts were on the schedule of the session. Kazakhstan’s 37-year-old veteran Zhaina Shekerbekova won the bout of the day against the young Dutch talent, Gabriella Weerheim.

The Gee Bee Tournament is a great international competition with excellent possibilities to prepare for the big championships this year, including the European Elite Boxing Championships.

Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are the participating countries in the upcoming edition in Helsinki.

The bout of the day

Netherlands’ Gabriella Weerheim achieved a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament in Spain where she began the busy year. The young Dutch moved down to the 54kg weight class and she had an opponent from Kazakhstan, the Olympian Zhaina Shekerbekova with the similar physical skills. Both boxers landed punches from closer range and the final verdict was depended only on their performance in the last round. The Asian Champion Kazakh is 16-years-older than Weerheim and only her routine was the difference between them today.

The surprise of the day

France’s Djamel Djemmal bagged a bronze medal at the 2024 Youth World Boxing Championships and he was named as one of the favourites in the men’s 70kg weight class. The 20-year-old French did not find the best fighting distance in the first round against Scotland’s Taylor McMahon and his opponent took the lead after three busy minutes. The Scottish boxer was in shape and his stylish boxing delivered a surprise success over one of the favourites.

The Round-Up

Italy’s Paris Olympian Sirine Charaabi bagged a bronze medal at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool and she used the recent months to develop herself in terms of speed and accuracy. The Italian dominated the first round against Sweden’s Lia Tissell and she was still able to increase her intense of footwork in the second. Charaabi used this contest as a warm-up in Helsinki and she won this 54kg female bout by large margin of difference on the scorecards.

United States’ Jayshannet Ramos Zapata opened the first round better than Scotland’s Stephanie Kernachan and she had the better punches after the tactical start. Ramos controlled also the second round with her punctual combinations but the Scottish girl was a type of never give up. Kernachan, who has been preparing for the upcoming Commonwealth Games with full speed, made brilliant efforts in the last three minutes but Ramos had still the advantage to win their 54kg meeting.

Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell, the former European Junior Champion, earned a gold medal at the Bocskai Memorial Tournament in Hungary last month and she arrived to Helsinki with high hopes. The Scottish is not an experienced elite yet but she used her long reach with confidence in the first and third rounds to beat Kazakhstan’s Anar Tursynbek at the 60kg.

Netherlands’ Youth World Champion Maud Van der Toorn was born in 2005 while her first opponent in Helsinki, Sweden’ Lili Arman is member of the 2007 age group and she is a new elite in the team. Despite Arman’s lack of experience in the elite events, she was highly competitive for the 60kg Dutch girl therefore Van der Toorn needed to keep the focus until the last seconds today.

Belgium’s new female national team member, Sarah Renders made strong first and third rounds against Switzerland’s Noemi Iuva to win their 60kg meeting in Helsinki. The next Dutch boxer in action after Maud Van der Toorn, the U19 World silver medallist Aaliyah Hoppema controlled all of the three rounds against Denmark’s Golden Girl winner Caroline Lauenborg at the 65kg.

Denmark’s Qalid Osman is a new elite team member but he proved his strong progress in the first day of boxing when he eliminated Scotland’s Leo Church. United States’ Dustin Jimenez and France’s Boxam silver medallist Mohamed Ounai both were unstoppable in this 65kg today.

Wales’ U19 World Champion Dan Pitt eliminated Germany’s Jason Zeller in the opening bout of the tough men’s 80kg weight class. Sweden’s Divine Ejesum was too strong for Switzerland’s Diego Mazzarelli while Italy’s Christian Sarsilli had a tight success over Scotland’s Alan Perrie in this division.

Finland’s capital, Helsinki will be the host of the 44^th edition of the Gee Bee Tournament as the next highlight among the European competitions.

The Gee Bee Tournament is a great international competition with excellent possibilities to prepare for the big championships this year, including the European Elite Boxing Championships.

Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, United States of America and Wales are the participating countries in the upcoming edition in Helsinki.

The competition venue will be the Helsinki Sport Hall where altogether 17 winners to be crowned in the new edition. The accommodation and the meals will be at the Hotel Scandic Kallio as in the previous years.

The women boxers can participate in seven different weight categories in Helsinki at the 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 65kg, and 70kg divisions. The 10 men’s elite weight categories are in the event as follows: 50kg, 55kg, 60kg, 65kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg, 85kg, 90kg and +90kg.

The first edition of the Gee Bee Tournament was held in 1982 and the competition has the tradition with high quality of standard. The competition was named after Gunnar Baerlund, Finland’s heavyweight European Champion from 1934.

Sweden’s best male boxer, Kevin Scott, Netherlands’ Kian Terwint and Finland’s Ismail Umar won the awards at the 43^rdedition of the Gee Bee Tournament in Helsinki one year ago.

Altogether 84 bouts were held in the last edition of the Gee Bee Tournament and representatives from Australia, Belgium, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Wales participated in 2025.

The facts of the Gee Bee Tournament

Name: Gee Bee Tournament

Competition Period: April 9-12

Venue: Helsinki, Finland

Gender: Women & Men

Age Group: Elite

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

The schedule of the Gee Bee Tournament

April 8 – Arrivals of the delegations

April 8 – Sport Entries Check

April 8, 20:00 – Technical Meeting

April 8, 21:00 – Official Draw

April 9, 18:00 – Day1 competition

April 10, 12:00 & 18:00 – Day2 competition

April 11, 12:00 & 18:00 – Day3 competition

April 12, 13:00 – Day4 competition with the finals

April 13 – Departures of the delegations

The boxers who need to be watched in the Gee Bee Tournament

- Wassila Lkhadiri, France, women’s 51kg – Olympian; World Championships bronze medallist

- Jennifer Lozano, United States of America, women’s 51kg – Olympian; Panamerican Champion

- Zhaina Shekerbekova, Kazakhstan, women’s 54kg – Olympian; World Championships silver medallist; Asian Champion

- Sirine Charaabi, Italy, women’s 54kg – Olympian; World Championships bronze medallist

- Emma Jokiaho, Finland, women’s 54kg – European Championships bronze medallist

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

- Ginevra Muzzi, Italy, women’s 60kg – European Youth Champion

- Niamh Mitchell, Scotland, women’s 60kg – European Junior Champion; Bocskai Memorial Tournament winner

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

- Zhasmin Kizatova, Kazakhstan, women’s 65kg – Asian U22 Champion

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

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

- Mohamed Ounai, France, men’s 65kg – Boxam Tournament silver medallist

- Djamel Djemmal, France, men’s 70kg – Youth World Championships bronze medallist

- Christian Sarsilli, Italy, men’s 80kg – European Youth Champion

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

- Victor Schelstraete, Belgium, men’s 90kg – Olympian; World Championships bronze medallist

- Elwin Belezika, Sweden, men’s 90kg – European U23 Championships bronze medallist

Subhan Mamedov won the most anticipated final of the Great Silk Way Tournament in Baku, where he defeated a European Youth Champion, Bilalkhabashi Nazarov.

Altogether 29 female and 97 male boxers competed in the annual Great Silk Way Tournament in the heart of Azerbaijan.

The bout of the day

The first male final bout was the most anticipated contest of the Great Silk Way Tournament and it has served as a selection between two Azeri stars. The European U23 Champion Subhan Mamedov eliminated Georgia’s Goga Topuria in the semi-finals of the men’s 50kg and he faced the 18-year-old super talented teammate, Bilalkhabashi Nazarov for the gold. The European Youth Champion Nazarov also has excellent technical skills and he showed not only strong resistance in the final but hard moments for the older Mamedov who had to do his very best to win this tough contest.

The surprise of the day

Turkey’s Refik Kartal caused a surprise in the semi-finals of the men’s 70kg when he eliminated Azerbaijan’s World Championships bronze medallist Sarkhan Aliyev. The Turkish boxer continued the winning path against Darkhan Duisebay of Kazakhstan which was another surprise victory for Kartal. The former Asian Youth Champion Kazakh was not enough punctual today therefore Kartal won their final by 3:2 split decision.

The Round-Up

After the top final at the 50kg, another two Azeri boxers competed for the title of the men’s 55kg which delivered another sensational battle. Amin Mammadzadeh is very busy this year, he claimed a silver medal at the recent Bocskai Memorial Tournament and he eliminated the favourite Zidan Hunbatov in the semi-finals. Mammadzadeh felt the distance once again and he had the best strategy to beat his teammate, Zalimkhan Suleymanov for the gold medal.

Georgia’s Georgi Natroshvili had a serious disadvantage after two rounds in the semi-finals of the 75kg when he faced the top favourite, the World bronze medallist Saidjamshid Jafarov of Azerbaijan but he had strong punches in the third to stop the No.1 of this weight class. Natroshvili focused more in the opening round of his final bout and he had the performance to beat Uzbekistan’s Sherbek Shokirov to take the title in Baku.

Kazakhstan’s Bakbergen Aliaskarov, the Asian U22 Champion, marched into the finals of the 80kg weight class using his powerful jabs. The Kazakh boxer had a local opponent in the final, Seyid Seyidov, and he controlled two out of the three rounds to win the final of this weight category at the Great Silk Way.

Turkey’s Bedirhan Kalkan achieved a bronze medal at the 2025 European U23 Boxing Championships in Budapest last November and he received the right to continue his international pathway at the Great Silk Way Tournament. The Turkish boxer felt the distance well against Kazakhstan’s Beknur Batyrbek and he earned the title of the 85kg.

Azerbaijan’s Surat Garayev had a tight success over Australia’s Joshua Heske in the final of the men’s 90kg which was another hectic bout in the sixth competition day. The Olympian and European Games silver medallist Mahammad Abdullayev had also an opponent for Australia, the National Selection winner Alexander Shaw. The Aussie boxer was highly competitive in the final against such strong opponent as Abdullayev but the local athlete celebrated the title after the last gong.

Two of the experienced Azeri boxers as the Olympian Tayfur Aliyev and Malik Hasanov both walked over to their titles at the 60kg and the 65kg.