Nigeria’s UK-based boxers impressed in the first busy competition day at the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands, which is the next big milestone in Europe’s boxing map.
Boxers four out of the five continents are participating in the 9th edition of the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands.
The live scoring of the Eindhoven Box Cup is available at the Boxerbase website: www.boxerbase.com while the strong international event also will use live streaming from all of the sessions on its Facebook page.
The Eindhoven Box Cup is a preparation event for the Commonwealth Games, the European Elite Boxing Championships and the Asian Games.
The bout of the day
Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata, the All Africa Games winner, has just won their Commonwealth Games Trials and she decided to continue her preparation in Eindhoven. She was slightly better in the exchanges than her English opponent, Mary-Kate Smith in the first and second rounds and she had the advantages on the judges’ scorecards after six minutes. Smith had an exceptional last round but due to the first part of the bout Mbata’s won their 75kg meeting by 3:2 split decision in the opening session.
The surprises of the day
England’s Leo Wood was not the favourite against Thailand’s Asian Junior Champion Thanaphansakon Kalaseeram but surprisingly he has done enough to win their preliminary bout at the men’s 60kg.
Saudi Arabia’s Ziyad Majrashi competed in the Gulf Countries Championships last week but he is not enough experienced in the international stage yet. The Saudi Arabian boxer proved his stamina and progress against Germany’s Issayas Nebaye and he joined the last eight in the 60kg weight category.
The Round-Up
Canada’s Maxim Lessard competed in the level of the Panamerican Championships already but she had to keep the full focus to beat Slovakia’s Nicole Durikova in the opening bout of the entire Eindhoven Box Cup. The Slovakian was better in the second round and she had a great finish, but Lessard was able to won their meeting by 3:2 split decision.
The next Canadian female boxer, McKenzie Wright, the Olympic Qualification events competitor, also impressed in the first session in Eindhoven. The Canadian is a veteran pugilist but she has a big goal this summer, the Commonwealth Games where she plans to earn a medal. Wright controlled most of the exchanges against England’s Kelsey Oakley and she joined the quarter-finals at the women’s 51kg. The third Canadian female boxer, the World bronze medallist Viktoria Penney also started with a triumph against Germany’s Lerika Simon at the 75kg.
Spain’s Marta Lopez del Arbol had to miss the recent Belgrade Winner Tournament but she arrived to Eindhoven in top shape. The Spaniard, who won the annual Bocskai Memorial Tournament, moved up to the women’s 51kg but her performance in the first and second rounds was enough to eliminate Ukraine’s Alona Unkovska.
Netherlands’ Youth World bronze medallist Gabriella Weerheim moved back to the 54kg which is a better option for her physical conditions. The 21-year-old Dutch opened the season with a silver medal at the Boxam Tournament and she had was able to make a U-turn after the first round to beat Ukraine’s Viktoria Shkeul.
Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang was a gold medallist at the 2024 Asian Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai and she had a tough but successful start against England’s Ivy-Jane Smith in Eindhoven. Poland’s Angelika Krysztoforska and France’s World bronze medallist Wassila Lkhadiri also secured their places in the quarter-finals of the 54kg.
France’s Olympic Games silver medallist Billal Bennama returned to the national team in the recent weeks and he opened his campaign with a success against Thailand’s Kangpi Bokhunthod at the men’s 55kg. His teammate, another French Olympian, Davina Michel is also back on track and she eliminated Ukraine’s Olha Pylypchuk at the women’s 75kg.
Scotland’s Sonny Kerr has been preparing to the Commonwealth Games with full speed and he is near to his top form two months before the start of the event. The Scotsman dominated the first round against Seychelles’ Jovanie Darius Bouzin and he increased his rhythm in the second when the referee counted his African opponent. Kerr showed his excellent style of boxing in the third round as well and he won their 70kg preliminary bout by large margin of difference.
Another national team member from Seychelles, Jade Ethan Micock started relatively slow against Germany’s Kaidy Kadu and the first round was close between them. The boxer from the picturesque islands of Seychelles received the right instruction in the break and from the second round, he dominated their 80kg meeting.
Belgium’s Youth World bronze medallist Noa Hadjit had to meet with his teammate, Oussama El Moussaoui already in the first preliminary round, which was a selection bout between them in Eindhoven. The 22-year-old Hadjit gained the control in the first round and despite his warning in the third, he defeated his opponent in the 80kg.
Philippines’ Paul Julyfer Bascon was energetic in the recent Belgrade Winner Tournament last week and he had the great finish to beat Haiti’s Geronimo Saint-Louis Seide in the busy men’s 60kg weight category. Netherlands’ favourite in this division, Mahmoud Al Chabtoun, additionally Ukraine’s Oleksandr Vasko both impressed in the evening session.
Nigeria’s Kenneth Anigboro is a UK-based heavyweight boxer who claimed the gold medal at the National Trials and as Mbata, he is a high hope for the African country in the upcoming Commonwealth Games. He had to change his tactics after the first round against Germany’s Berat Korkmaz but his efforts were enough to turn back this 90kg preliminary bout.