India’s Amit Panghal defended his title in the Strandja Memorial Tournament where six Asians won the gold medals
Europe’s biggest boxing event the Strandja Memorial Tournament finished with its finals in the Bulgarian capital in Sofia where 18 champions have been named in the last competition day. Six of the new champions are from our continent and celebrated their titles in Sofia including India’s Amit Panghal who defended his throne.
Altogether 16 women and 38 men boxers attended from our Asian continent in the 70th edition of the Strandja Memorial Tournament which saw athletes from all of the five continents. 22 strong Asians advanced to the semi-finals of the Strandja Memorial Tournament and among them 17 were finalists in Sofia.
China, India, Kazakhstan, Philippines, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan sent boxers to the 70th edition of the Strandja Memorial Tournament which was one of their preparation events before the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships. Altogether 37 nations attended in the Strandja Memorial Tournament which made the Bulgarian event one of the biggest ones in the whole world.
Philippines had three woman finalists and among them Josie Gabuco won the title of the light flyweight (48kg)
Philippines sent three women boxers to the Strandja Memorial Tournament and in spite of the fact the event is one of the strongest ones in the whole world, all of them are advanced to the finals. Their AIBA Women’s World Champion Josie Gabuco, who eliminated Russia’s current EUBC European Women’s Champion Ekaterina Paltseva in the quarter-finals and Bulgaria’s 2016 EUBC European Women’s Champion Sevda Asenova, triumphed over India’s Manju Rani in the final winning the gold medal in Sofia. Her teammates Irish Magno and Aira Villegas both claimed silver medals in the Strandja Memorial Tournament.
India’s Amit Panghal defended his throne in Sofia
India’s Jakarta 2018 Asian Games winner Amit Panghal impressed in the whole Strandja Memorial Tournament and his skills were enough to win the gold medal at the light flyweight (49kg) where he was too quick for Kazakhstan’s Amman 2013 ASBC Asian Champion Temirtas Zhussupov. Amit’s success meant the Indian boxer was the lone man athlete who could defend his throne in the strong Strandja Memorial Tournament.
India claimed two gold medals in the women’s finals
Nikhat Zareen is a former AIBA Women’s Junior World Champion and she is trying to regain her place in the national team therefore her successes at the Strandja Memorial Tournament were important during her road to the main events in 2019. Zareen defeated a powerful European rival Poland’s Sandra Drabik in the semi-final of the flyweight (51kg) and she was better also than Philippines’ Irish Magno in the final. Following her success veteran Maisnam Meena Kumari Devi was slightly better than Philippines’ Aira Villegas and won the title of the women’s bantamweight (54kg).
Mirzakhalilov won the Uzbek battle in the final of the men’s bantamweight (56kg)
Uzbekistan’s Asian Games winner Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov and his strong teammate Islamic Solidarity Games winner Abdulkhay Sharakhmatov advanced to the final of the bantamweight (56kg) in Sofia where their fight was one of the best ones in the whole program. The final verdict was split decision in the favour of Mirzakhalilov who has been preparing to the upcoming ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships and his victory was revenge due his previous loss. Uzbekistan’s second gold medal was claimed by Jakarta 2018 Asian Games winner Bobo-Usmon Baturov (69kg) who walked over to the title in Sofia.
Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien Chin secured silver medal in her third competition within three weeks
Chinese Taipei’s AIBA Women’s World Champion and Rio 2016 Olympian Chen Nien Chin arrived to a European tour three weeks ago and she won the Golden Girl Box Championships in Sweden first and the Bocskai Memorial Tournament in Hungary as second. The 21-year-old Chen was the main favourite of the women’s welterweight (69kg) in the Strandja Memorial Tournament as well but she was not enough fresh in the final of the competition and lost to Russia’s Elmira Azizova which was her eighth bout within three weeks against strong European rivals.
Kazakhstan claimed five silver medals in the Strandja Memorial Tournament
Amman 2013 ASBC Asian Champion Temirtas Zhussupov (49kg), WSB Team Champion veteran Zakir Safiullin (60kg), 19-year-old Sanatali Toltayev (64kg), Youth Olympic Games winner Ablaikhan Zhussupov (69kg), Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver medallist Vassiliy Levit (91kg) all advanced to the finals of the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia with top performance. All of the five Kazakh finalists achieved silver medals in the Bulgarian capital which was their preparation event before the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships.
Don’t forget you can keep up with all of the action, news, results and photos by following ASBC on Facebook and Instagram.
ASBC website: www.asbcnews.org
ASBC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ASBC.Boxing/
ASBC Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/asbc_official/