The schoolboys and the junior girls had strong semi-finals in the third competition day at the Gheorgheni Open Tournament in Romania. Record number of girls are attending in the international event from Azerbaijan and all of their junior talents won their contests in the third day of boxing.
Altogether 212 boxers are attending in the Gheorgheni Open Tournament in the two age groups. 81 junior male, 32 junior female, 82 schoolboys and 17 schoolgirls are competing for the medals and titles in the Open. The Technical Delegate of the Gheorgheni Open Tournament is Mr. Henrik Tavio of Finland.
This is the Romanian Boxing Federation’s third international event in 2022 after the Brasov Open and the Golden Belt. The first edition of the Gheorgheni Open is being held for the junior girls and boys, furthermore the schoolgirls and schoolboys. The new international tournament is a preparation event for the upcoming EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships and the EUBC Junior European Boxing Championships.
The bout of the day
The Romanian schoolboys are in top shape at the Gheorgheni Open and their Boxing Federation’s management started the developments from the grassroots in the previous months to build up their bright future. Mihai Flavius Musat and Andrei Iulian Jgheban both stopped their semi-final opponents but Darius Sorin Stegari had a more difficult challenge in the third competition day. Stegari had to meet with Israel’s Amin Wahbi and after the first round, he had to increase his tempo to find the best angles in their semi-final. The Romanian had an excellent finish in the third round and eliminated the Israeli opponent in Gheorgheni.
The Round-Up
Among the junior boxers, the girls were in the ring on the third day of boxing at the Gheorgheni Open. Romania’s Luciana Maria Petrache won the Bornemissza Memorial Tournament earlier this month and she prepared well to her next competition. The Romanian light flyweight (50kg) talent had a well-talented rival in the third competition day, Greece’s Lanprini Giannakopoulou whose elder sister is also a boxer. The Greek girl was unable to stop her Romanian rival in the attacks and Petrache won their contest by unanimous decision in Gheorgheni.
Azerbaijan sent their best junior boxers and record number of girls to the Gheorgheni Open and all of them worked well in the third day of boxing. Aysu Ismailova walked over to the next stage but Narmin Alizada amazed against Romania’s Cristina Caldarariu and advanced to the next stage at the light flyweight (50kg). Their flyweight (52kg) talent Aynur Mikayilova also defeated a Romanian boxer, Iulia Angelica Cojocaru and remained her chance alive to win the entire Open. The most experienced Azeri junior girl, Emili Rzayeva used up all of her experiences to keep the control against Bulgaria’s Tatiana Lyubenova and eliminated her rival at the light middleweight (70kg).
Hungary’s Sara Varga is very busy this year, the 15-year-old talent competed in various international events in Serbia, Romania and her homeland and got medals on these competitions. She was still fresh enough after the Bornemissza Memorial Tournament and she controlled the first round against Romania’s Geanina Banica. Varga landed stronger shots in the second round and her punches were decisive against the Romanian and marched to the final of the featherweight (57kg). Her teammate, Livia Kozma had the same pathway in the third day of boxing, she won her contest over Greece’s Marieta Ntasionaki by RSC in the second round.
Greece’s Nearchos Petros Konstantinodios achieved a bronze medal at the 2021 EUBC Schoolboys European Boxing Championships and he is still in this age group with plenty of experiences during his career. The 14-year-old boxer moved up to the 42kg weight class and Romania’s Roman Spak was not able to stop his energetic attacks on Day3. His teammates such as Angelos Karaitis, Petros Topalos and Ioannis Pounpouridis all advanced to the finals among the schoolboy boxers. Topalos had a tough Hungarian opponent, Roland Bango but his attacking style was uncomfortable for his rival.
