Lawless upgrades her title with panache at IBA Youth World Boxing Championships
November 2nd, 2024 / IBA Youth World Boxing Championships
Siofra Lawless of Ireland was among 13 winners on the first day of finals, upgrading from her Junior World title at the Budva Sports Centre in Montenegro at the IBA Youth World Boxing Championships.
The junior champion from 2023, Lawless was stunned from the first bell of her women’s 63kg final, with her opponent Pak Sin A of DPR Korea surprising her opponent with relentless striking. Pak Sin A was fast, but once Lawless gained her composure, she was able to keep her distance, picking her jabs with precision. The energy expended by Pak early on made it an easier third round for the Irish boxer who continued her great rise.
Valeria Amparan Pizarro from Mexico was the first winner of the day, defeating Uzbekistan’s Jasmin Tokhirova in the women’s 48kg final. A strong start from the Mexican would set the standard, hitting Tokhirova with fast flashes and heading into the final round Amparan Pizarro held a lead with two judges. A consistent final round secured the split decision verdict in her favour.
Sayfiddin Sabirov made that disappointment for Uzbekistan short-lived, defeating Bilalhabasi Nazarov from Azerbaijan in the men’s 48kg final. Sabirov was in control during a well-managed contest with the European champion.
Russian Snezhana Kuznetsova on the women’s 52kg gold medal after a ferocious battle with Yanfen Chen of China. The pace throughout the bout was intense for both athletes, but Kuznetsova found more luck in the early stages, eventually winning by unanimous decision.
Another Sino-Russian contest followed as Zhang Hanrui met Viacheslav Rogozin in the men’s 52kg final. A great left hand in the first round from Rogozin was followed by a flurry of strikes that left Zhang unbalanced. A referee’s count would follow in the second and another in the third. With the 2023 European youth champion Rogozin returning with more punishment, the referee called the match off, 40 seconds from the end of the bout.
Wang Miqi of China claimed the women’s 57kg gold medal after a close-fought battle with Pinar Benek from Türkiye. Wang had caused stoppages in previous rounds, but Benek was resolute. A close second round would go the way of the Chinese boxer which proved to be pivotal in her victory, making it third time lucky for China after the previous two defeats.
Russia’s Platon Kozlov was the comfortable winner in his men’s 60kg contest over Puerto Rico Yandiel Lozano. Three unanimous rounds saw the IBA Junior World champion Kozlov become a Youth World champion, never looking in doubt for the win.
Asian champion Torekhan Sabyrkhan from Kazakhstan became the Youth World champion in the men’s 67kg weight category, beating David Espinosa from Cuba after a narrow battle. A tight opening round was deemed just in the favour of Sabyrkhan, which lit a fire under Espinosa. The Cuban was more active, with the boxers putting in a display worthy of a final. Despite this, the Kazakh continued to curry favour with the judges. Sabyrkhan, after the last bell, climbed up to the neutral corner to celebrate a glorious win. While a 4-1 split decision could have easily gone the other way, Sabyrkhan was a worthy winner in a great contest.
Alimire Abudureyimu of China was a comfortable winner in the women’s 70kg final against Yonca Yilmaz of Türkiye, to claim the second gold of the night for her country. The Western Chinese boxer was flawless in her hunt for the gold medal, with Yilmaz unable to stamp her authority on the bout. It was followed by a magnificent performance from Sanzhar-Ali Begaliyev from Kazakhstan, the Asian champion, in the men’s 75kg contest, winning by a unanimous decision against Djafarbek Shakhbazov of Uzbekistan.
Another Kazakhstan victory followed with Aruzhan Zeinollayeva beating Rukhshona Parpieva of Uzbekistan in the women’s 81kg category. Asian champion Akmaljon Isroilov would gain another world title for Uzbekistan after coming strong in the final round of his men’s 86kg bout with Kamil Dzhamaev from Russia.
In the final bout of the night, European champion Adam Olaniyan from Ireland was victorious in the men’s +92kg final, beating Shakhzod Polvonov from Uzbekistan. A particularly great second round would seal it for him with the judges. Upon hearing the verdict, he dropped to his knees, overcome with emotion.
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Media contacts:
Elena Sobol, Head of Communications and PR, International Boxing Association: elena.sobol@iba.sport
