The AIBA World Boxing Championships opened with 29 preliminary contests at the Stark Arena in Belgrade, Serbia. India’s 20-year-old Rohit Mor amazed in his opening contest and proved that he is a fantastic talent, recorded a clear success over a well-experienced Ecuadorian boxer. Ex-Javier Ibanez successfully opened his campaign for Bulgaria in the AIBA World Boxing Championships. 

Boxers in the featherweight (57kg) and welterweight (67kg) competed in the first preliminary session of the tournament.

Colombia’s Yilmar Gonzalez made a successful debut in Belgrade

Colombia’s Yilmar Leandro Gonzalez is a 28-year-old boxer from Valle. This is the first time when he had the opportunity to compete at the AIBA World Boxing Championships. The Colombian southpaw dictated the tempo in the first round against Cyprus’ Giorgos Stavrou and took the lead on each of the scorecards. The South American opened the second round with an impressive uppercut and felt his strength. The Colombian featherweight (57kg) boxer was too experienced for the younger Cyprian and advanced to the next round of 1/16.

Rohit Mor impressed his top opponent with long reach 

India’s Rohit Mor won the elite National Championships one month ago for the very first time. The 20-year-old talent defeated more experienced rivals including Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Mohammed Hussamuddin. He had to work hard in the first round against Ecuador’s Jean Caicedo and used his longer reach well enough. Mor landed nice counter-punches in the second round and stopped the Ecuadorian attacks. The Indian enjoyed the last round against the smaller South American and eliminated his tough rival in the first fight.

“It is the very first time when I compete in an international elite championships. Thank you for our coaches who selected me after the Nationals and I enjoyed so much my debut at the World Championships,” commented his success Rohit Mor. 

Javier Ibanez sterted with a success for Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s Javier Ibanez switched to Bulgaria and competes for his new country at the very first time at the major event. Ibanez landed more punches and felt the distance well against Fair Chance Team’s talent, Hasibullah Malikzadah. Ibanez is an amazing boxer who showed his skills in this opening contest. The 20-year-old opponent was competitive in the last round but Ibanez had the strong advantage to win his debuting contest in Belgrade. 

“I am ambitious to show the best of myself. I think the start was good, but the next fights will be more difficult”.

Javier Ibanez (Bulgaria)

Serik Temirzhanov eliminated strong Mongolian in the first fight

Kazakhstan’s Serik Temirzhanov won his first big youth event in 2016, and from the end of 2019 he started to represent the national team. The Pavlodar-based Kazakh boxer choose the best tactic against Mongolia’s defending ASBC Asian Champion Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu and took the lead after the first 3 minutes. The 29-year-old Mongolian was not able to catch the quick Kazakh and his fighting spirit was not enough today to overcome the progressed Temirzhanov. 

“The firght was not perfect but quite a good one. My opponent was very strong and experienced. We’ve analyzed his fights a lot before the start of this competition. I followed my coaches’ instructions and I believe it was the right strategy against the Mongolian. I will not look around to name the strongest opponents at this championships, I will go forward and prove everything in the ring. I hadn’t succeed in the previous major event, so here I will start from the scratch to prove.

Serik Temirzhanov (Kazakhstan)

Brazil’s Luiz Gabriel Oliveira eliminated his professional rival by unanimous decision

Luiz Gabriel Oliveira from Brazil impressed as a youth boxer in 2018 and 2019 when he claimed medals and titles at several international events. He was quickly involved to the elite national team in January 2020 and he had excellent preparations in the recent one and half year. The 20-year-old Oliveira met with Hong Kong’s lone boxer in Belgrade, Tso Sing Yu who had more than 20 successful professional contests but he was slow against the young Brazilian. The Asian veteran could not change his rhythm and tactic, therefore, the Brazilian marched to the 1/6 finals easily. 

“He has done a great start at the AIBA World Boxing Championships but I know he can do it even better. Luiz was better in the first and second rounds. We knew that we had the advantage and asked him just to control the third. Oliveira will be meeting an experienced Italian as next rival and we know that he needs to show more in the upcoming contest.” 

Oliveira’s coach Mateus Alves

Sewon Okazawa did his very best to overcome first rival

Japan’s Sewon Okazawa achieved silver medal at the Bangkok 2019 ASBC Asian Boxing Championships. Okazawa, who has strong Ghanaian roots, opened the first round with excellent punches against Ecuador’s Miguel Ferrin and looked confident in his debuting contest. The 25-year-old Ecuadorian found the best fighting distance against the Japanese boxer. Ferrin surprised Okazawa in the second round but the Japanese returned to the match in the third with tough punches and overturned the welterweight (67kg) contest. 

“I was crying seven days after my last defeat to Cuba’s Iglesias which I felt I won. I changed my mind and continued to train hard in the recent period. I know my physical condition is not the best yet and I had many difficulties today. The Ecuadorian caught me in the second round but I could manage the important third round to win this opening contest.” 

Sewon Okazawa (Japan)

The second competition day at the AIBA World Boxing Championships

Fifty-eight contests will be held on the second day of preliminaries in the flyweight (51kg), light welterweight (63.5kg), middleweight (75kg), light heavyweight (80kg), heavyweight (92kg) and super heavyweight (+92kg).

Results

Session 1A / Session 1B (October 25th)

Day 2 schedule: Sessions 2A/2B, 3A/3B (October 26th)

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