Day-2 of the Boxing Tournament at the III European Games kicked off in full swing with 25 thrilling bouts at the Nowy Targ Arena, today. Athletes from various weight categories, including Women’s 54kg and 57kg, as well as Men’s 51kg, 80kg, and 92kg, showcased their skills and determination to advance further in the tournament.
With a total of 319 athletes competing for the European Games titles and 44 Olympic quota places, this event serves as a continental Boxing Road to Paris qualifier along the Olympic qualification pathway managed by the IOC Paris 2024 Boxing Unit (PBU).
In the Women’s 57kg category, Michaela Walsh from Ireland, the reigning Commonwealth champion, dominated her bout against Olga Pavlina Papadatou from Greece, securing a unanimous decision victory. Walsh, who had previously won silver at the 2019 European Games, is now focused on securing a qualification slot for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, following her participation in the Tokyo 2020 Games.
Maria Claudia Nechita from Romania claimed a hard-fought victory by split decision (3:2) over Asya Ari from Germany in another intense Women’s 57kg matchup. Meanwhile, Marianna Basanets from Ukraine emerged victorious in her match against Ajla Vojic from Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the referee stopped the contest during the first round.
Amina Zidani from France delivered an impressive performance, securing a unanimous decision win against Ana Marija Milisic from Switzerland in the Women’s 57kg category. Elise Jacquelin Glynn from Great Britain also secured a unanimous decision victory, eliminating Serbia’s Andela Brankovic and advancing further in the tournament’s brackets.
In the Women’s 54kg division, Ireland’s Jennifer Lehane claimed a closely contested match, defeating Sara Cirkovic from Serbia by a narrow margin of 3:2 points, as she impressed the judges with a strong third round. Spain’s Maria Del Carme Romero Molina secured a split decision victory (4:1) against Bojana Gojkovic from Montenegro in another thrilling Women’s 54kg bout.
While Anastasiia Kovalchuk from Ukraine advanced to the next round by walk-over, Mayssen Lambot from Belgium showcased her skills and claimed a unanimous decision win in her bout against Iulia Coroli from Moldova.
In the Men’s 51kg category, Attila Bernath from Hungary outscored David Alaverdian from Israel with a score of 4:1, dominating the first two rounds and leaving few opportunities for his opponent to mount a comeback. Martin Molina Salvador from Spain secured victory as the referee stopped the contest during the second round of his match against Dumitru Vieru from Moldova. Salah Ibrahim Omar from Germany emerged triumphant with a unanimous decision win against Allan Morozov from Estonia. In the same event, Tokyo 2020 Olympian Billal Bennama from France showcased his prowess, securing a comprehensive 5:0 victory against Sakhil Alakhverdovi from Georgia.
The Men’s 80kg category witnessed some intense matchups. Oleksandr Khyzhniak from Ukraine, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic silver medalist, emerged victorious in a closely contested match against Georgii Kushitashvili from Georgia. The Ukrainian athlete displayed exceptional skills in the first two rounds of the match. With strategic maneuvering, he consistently pushed his opponent to the ropes, effectively neutralizing his longer-reach advantage. In an impressive display of power, Khyzhniak dominated the third round, delivering powerful blows that resulted in his opponents being counted by the referee multiple times. Eventually, the referee had no choice but to stop the bout, declaring Khyzhniak the victor.
In the same weight category, Gradus Kraus from the Netherlands secured the quickest victory of the day, as the referee stopped the contest some 30 seconds into the first round of his match against Jindrich Janecka from the Czechia. Lithuania’s Robertas Liorancas claimed a unanimous decision win against Andrei Chiriacov from Moldova, showcasing his dominance in the first two rounds while fending off Chiriacov’s comeback attempts in the third round.
Gazimagomed Sch Jalidov Gafurova from Spain, a bronze medalist at this year’s Mediterranean Games, secured a unanimous decision victory against the home athlete Klemens Szczepaniak from Poland. Kelyn Cassidy from Ireland delivered an impressive performance, defeating Mindaugas Gedminas from Norway in the Men’s 80kg category. Cassidy’s strategic defense and precise counter-blows helped him secure victory in all three rounds.
Michail Tsamalidis from Greece claimed a unanimous decision win over Arjan Iseni from North Macedonia in another thrilling Men’s 80kg bout. Salvatore Cavallaro from Italy led the match against Redis Karaj from Albania, ultimately winning by unanimous decision.
In a captivating matchup between Southpaw Mathieu-Albert Bauderlique from France and Taylor Jay Bevan from Great Britain in the Men’s 80kg event, Bevan’s exceptional footwork and ring control proved decisive. Bevan secured the first two rounds with a scorecard full of 10/9s in his favor and dominated the third round, forcing Bauderlique into a standing countdown. Bevan emerged victorious by unanimous decision.
In the Men’s 92kg category, Enmanuel Reyes Pla from Spain, a 2022 European Championship silver medalist, claimed a split decision victory (4:1) over Soheb-Youcef Bouafia from France. Marko Calic from Croatia emerged triumphant in a thrilling Balkan derby against Dzemal Bosnjak from Bosnia and Herzegovina, securing a unanimous decision win. Alexander Chris Okafor from Germany displayed his skills and secured a unanimous decision victory against Gelian Rojku from Albania. Vagkan Nanitzanian from Greece advanced to the next round as he overwhelmed Michel Erpelding from Luxembourg, prompting the referee to stop the bout during the third round.
The Boxing Tournament of the III European Games will continue with the second session of the day, scheduled to start at 18:00 CET.
Stay updated with the latest competition information, results, schedules, and additional content by visiting the official website of the III European Games at https://results.european-games.org/EG2023/ENG/schedule/BOX/all-days/all-event
Additionally, live action can be followed on European Games TV at: https://europeangames.tv/sports/boxing](https://europeangames.tv/sports/boxing
Stay tuned for more action as the III European Games Boxing Tournament unfolds at the Nowy Targ Arena.
