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.