Finalists revealed at the AIBA Youth World Championships after a thrilling Semi-Finals day in Budapest
August 28th, 2018 / IBA
Tuesday action at Budapest’s Duna Arena saw the Women’s and Men’s Semi-Finals taking the ring on 39 breathtaking bouts and revealed the 14 nations who are still chasing the gold in what promises to be one of the most disputed Youth World Championships ever.
THREE ROUNDS FROM THE SEMI-FINALS
Rounds One: Puerto Rico’s boxing powerhouse back into a World Championships Final
It was 2012 when Jeyvier Cintron and Freddy Ortiz clinched the latest medals for Puerto Rico at a Youth World Championships. But Paul Rivera has changed the negative dynamic of the Boricua team today by defeating Kazakhstan’s hope Makhmud Sabyrkhan in an impressive Semi-Final. Rivera will have now the chance to add a World Title to the American Continental gold medal claimed early this year.
Round Two: Yermakhan Zhapekov heir of the Kazakh Welterweight supremacy
A look at the latest four editions of the Olympic Games shows the strength of Kazakhstan in the Men’s 69 kilograms division. The Kazakh team claimed all gold medals since Athens 2004 developing welterweight stars like Bakhtiyar Artayev, Bakhyt Sarsekbayev, Serik Sapiyev and Daniyar Yeleussinov. And it seems that this supremacy has a bright future in Yermakhan Zhapekov’s hands who has reached the Finals after some memorable performance in Budapest.
Round Three: USA’s Heaven Garcia avenge her last year World Championships Quarter-Finals defeat
Heaven Garcia missed the podium in last year’s Youth Women’s World Championships in Guwahati after losing against Kazakhstan’s Zhansaya Abdraimova in a closed quarter-finals bout. But the Women’s flyweight (51kg) draw brought an avenge chance for Garcia here in Budapest, and the USA boxer didn’t miss the opportunity. After a thrilling bout in front of a packed Duna Arena, Garcia defeated Abdraimova on points to reach her first Youth World Championships final.
