Following the EUBC U22 European Boxing Championships, the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships and the EUBC European Men’s Elite Boxing Championships, the European Boxing Confederation’s fourth event is underway in Erzurum, Turkey.

Turkey hosted the recent IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul this May and after three months later, a new huge competition returned to the country. The President of the Turkish Boxing Confederation Mr. Eyup Gozgec worked hard in the recent period to arrange these big championships in Turkey. Erzurum is located in the Eastern part of the country and this is the very first time when the city can host an international championship.

Boxers who were born in 2008 and in 2009 are eligible to participate in the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships. The 13 and 14-year-old boxers are mostly newcomers in the international stage but many of them already have three, four or five years of experience in the gyms, clubs and national events.

The schoolgirls can fight in the 36kg, 38kg, 40kg, 42kg, 44kg, 46kg, 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 64kg and 70kg weight categories. Official schoolboy categories are 40kg, 42kg, 44kg, 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and 90kg.

The following 28 nations registered to attend at the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships in Erzurum: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey and Ukraine.

The first edition of the European Schoolboys Boxing Championships was held in 2003 and schoolgirls joined them in Albena in 2018. Bosnia & Herzegovina capital city, Sarajevo was the host of the last edition in 2021.

Seven countries earned the first male medals in Erzurum. Italy, Armenia, Hungary, Ukraine, Greece, Azerbaijan and England secured the first medals at the male part of the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships. 

Twelve nations shared  29 gold medals at the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships in Erzurum

The 29 finals delighted the last competition day at the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships in Erzurum, Turkey. England, Turkey, Ireland and Ukraine were the best nations in the championships and 12 countries shared the 29 gold medals.

Turkey achieved four titles among the schoolgirls while Enland earned three and Ukraine earned two gold medals. The English boxers were the best in the male part of the competition with their four gold medals, Ukraine bagged three, and the Irish boxers managed to win two gold medals. Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Greece, Scotland, Turkey and Germany also have their schoolboys winners.

The number of the participating boxers was 338 including 100 girls from 28 countries. Boxers who were born in 2008 and in 2009 were eligible to participate in the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships.

The schoolgirls could fight in the 36kg, 38kg, 40kg, 42kg, 44kg, 46kg, 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 64kg and 70kg weight categories in Erzurum. The European Boxing Confederation’s official schoolboy categories were the 40kg, 42kg, 44kg, 46kg, 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 80kg and 90kg.

England’s Leah Paylor was the first winner in Erzurum

England and Ireland returned to the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships after three years of break and both nations were impressing. The first winner of the entire championship was English Leah Paylor who used her longer reach well enough to win the 36 kg weight class and defeated Irish Ellen Winnie Joyce. The first Irish gold medal was taken by Elma Barry at the schoolgirls’ 40 kg weight class who succeeded over  Layla Straughan from England.

Semeniv and Ovsepian earned the first Ukrainian female titles

Khrystyna Semeniv started the first round better than Ireland’s Lauren Doherty Crinnion and took the lead on the judges’ scorecards. The Ukrainian 44 kg boxer had the height advantage against the smaller Irish and she used her strong jabs to stop Doherty in the first and second rounds. The Irish girl found her best rhythm in the third, caught the Ukrainian, but her final round was not good enough to turn back the title contest. Uliana Ovsepian took Ukraine’s second female gold medal at the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships after beating Ireland’s Alana Louise O’Brien at the 46 kg.

Walker, Scorrano and Horvat won the heaviest female categories

Lexi Walker from England is a fantastic talent and she used her speed to catch Ukrainian Sofia Movchan with quick shots. The 14-year-old English talent followed Amanda Coulson’s instructions and dominated all of the three rounds at the 60kg. Italy’s Sara Scorrano was highly motivated in her first European finals and defeated Turkey’s Sudenaz Dokgoz at the 64kg. Croatia’s only finalist, Lorena Horvat had a disadvantage after the first round against Sofia Novikova from Ukraine but turned back her 70kg final bout.

Babayev was Azerbaijan’s only winner in Erzurum

Azerbaijan had two male finalists in the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships and one of them was their best boxer in this age group, Subhan Babayev. The 14-year-old boxer ruled the middle of the ring against the fast Italian talent, Anthony El Moeti in the final bout of the male 44 kg weight class. Babayev was smaller than his opponent but he had the right tactics and reduced the fighting distance effectively. He controlled most of the actions and got a gold medal for his country.

The participating nations at the EUBC Schoolboys & Schoolgirls European Boxing Championships

Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, England, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, host Turkey and Ukraine.

The list of the winners

Schoolgirls 36kg: Leah Paylor, England

Schoolgirls 38kg: Asli Donmezoglu, Turkey

Schoolgirls 40kg: Elma Barry, Ireland

Schoolgirls 42kg: Hamest Afrikyan, Armenia

Schoolgirls 44kg: Khrystyna Semeniv, Ukraine

Schoolgirls 46kg: Uliana Ovsepian, Ukraine

Schoolgirls 48kg: Eda Nur Ilhan, Turkey

Schoolgirls 51kg: Rosanna Bycroft, England

Schoolgirls 54kg: Sila Ozkan, Turkey

Schoolgirls 57kg: Busenur Yazan, Turkey

Schoolgirls 60kg: Lexi Walker, England

Schoolgirls 64kg: Sara Scorrano, Italy

Schoolgirls 70kg: Lorena Horvat, Croatia

 

Schoolboys 40kg: Harry Scadeng, England

Schoolboys 42kg: Nearchos Petros Konstanioudis, Greece

Schoolboys 44kg: Subhan Babayev, Azerbaijan

Schoolboys 46kg: Jacob Naismith, Scotland

Schoolboys 48kg: Christian Alan Doyle, Ireland

Schoolboys 50kg: Brandon Geoghegan, Ireland

Schoolboys 52kg: Tom Connors, England

Schoolboys 54kg: Isaac Huczmann, England

Schoolboys 57kg: Vladyslav Zheleznyov, Ukraine

Schoolboys 60kg: Ivan Bezuhlyi, Ukraine

Schoolboys 63kg: Demeter Fedir, Ukraine

Schoolboys 66kg: Samvel Siramargyan, Armenia

Schoolboys 70kg: Giorgi Bigvava, Georgia

Schoolboys 75kg: Colin Lottner, Germany

Schoolboys 80kg: Tobias Taylor, England

Schoolboys 90kg: Dogukan Demirceylan, Turkey