All of the winners in the third day boxing marched to the semi-finals at the 34th 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.