2016 Chemistry Cup attracts a host of stars for five days of elite men’s boxing in Germany
March 8th, 2016 / IBA
The German Boxing Federation’s long-running Chemistry Cup tournament returns to Halle this week, with more than one hundred boxers going for glory between 7-12 March, including big names from the AOB, WSB and APB competitions. The likes of Kazakhstan’s legendary Vasiliy Zhirov and Cuba’s three-time Olympic Champions Felix Savon and Teofilo Stevenson have previously won golds at the event, while Germany’s Erik Pfeifer, Croatian Filip Hrgovic and England’s Pat McCormack are among the favourites this year.
Hasanboy Dusmatov led the line for Uzbekistan last year as his team took three golds, and they along with Russia, France, England, Moldova and hosts Germany have strong squads at the 2016 edition. China, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and Thailand have all registered boxers from the Asian continent, while Morocco will represent the African confederation in Halle, with their current AIBA World Champion Mohammed Rabii set for a possible all-star welterweight clash with London 2012 bronze medalist Andrey Zamkovoy.
Among the big names to contest the light welterweight category will be Germany’s APB Champion Artem Harutyunyan, Russia’s European Champion Armen Zakaryan, Thailand’s AIBA World Championship bronze medalist Wuttichai Masuk and England’s in-form Pat McCormack. Two confirmed Rio 2016 Olympians will be among the favourites in the super heavyweight category, Germany’s APB star Erik Pfeifer, Croatia’s WSB Team Champion Filip Hrgovic and Morocco Atlas Lions’ Peter Mullenberg.
The Russian team boasts several exciting new prospects including National Champion Georgiy Kushitashvili, under-22 National Champion Shakhriyor Akhmedov and Baku 2015 European Games bronze medalist Sadam Magomedov, while Mongolia’s defending champions Battarsukh Chinzorig and Byamba Tuvshinbat are joined by Summer Universiade winner Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu and 19-year-old Erdenebat Tsendbaatar.
Reigning Chemistry Cup champions
49 kg: Hasanboy Dusmatov, Uzbekistan
52 kg: Abrorjon Kodirov, Uzbekistan
56 kg: Raman Sharafa, Germany
60 kg: Enrico La Cruz, Netherlands
64 kg: Battarsukh Chinzorig, Mongolia
69 kg: Byamba Tuvshinbat, Mongolia
75 kg: Max Van der Pas, Netherlands
81 kg: Leon Bunn, Germany
91 kg: Paul Omba Biongolo, France
+91 kg: Bakhodir Jalolov, Uzbekistan
