The boxing tournament of the EUBC European Youth Continental Championships has begun in the capital city of Croatia in Zagreb, with the Moldovan team achieving a perfect start in the competition as all four of their athletes won their preliminary bouts, while England, Hungary, Ireland and Russia also demonstrated the power of their boxers.

Bout of the day
England’s 17-year-old Patrick McDonagh competed in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Sofia, but he was not able to qualify for the Nanjing 2014 Olympic Games following his loss to Vincenzo Arecchia of Italy in the third preliminary round.

Despite losing, the Walcot-based Light Welterweight class (64 kg) boxer proved his skills in that match, and arrived as a secret medal contender in Zagreb.

The English youngster had to meet with an experienced and successful older boxer, Turkey’s Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist and EUBC European Junior Continental Champion Furkan Adem Avci, and McDonagh controlled their contest from the first seconds, which was enough for him to beat his top opponent in the first preliminary round of the EUBC European Youth Continental Championships.

Team of the day
Moldova have sent the maximum number of ten talented boxers to the Championships, and all of their four competing athletes advanced to the next preliminary round in Zagreb.

EUBC European Junior Continental Championships silver medallist Dorin Bucsa has won three international youth tournaments recently, and has had only one defeat over the past year.

He has now decided to move down to the Bantamweight class (56 kg), and did not give any chances to Poland’s Norbert Borzecki in their bout, where he won all of the rounds 10:9.

Moldova’s AIBA Junior World Championships bronze medallist Mihail Cvasiuc has regained his place in the Moldovan national team, and proved his technique against Armenia’s Youth National Champion Zhora Hamazaryan in a bout in the Lightweight class (60 kg).

AIBA Junior World Championships silver medallist and EUBC European Junior Continental Champion Vladislav Tugui is one of their best athletes, and dominated his bout against Lithuania’s Deividas Mikalauskas in the Light Welterweight class (64 kg).

Their fourth triumph was delivered by Cristian Constantinov who subdued Kosovo’s Ardit Delijaj at the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg).

Surprise of the day
Turkey’s Youth National Champion Volkan Gokcek was a quarter-finalist in the last edition of the EUBC European Youth Continental Championships in Rotterdam, but he had to face with Ukraine’s AIBA Junior World Championships bronze medallist 17-year-old Artur Prygoda in the Lightweight class (60 kg) in Croatia.

The younger Ukrainian boxer arrived to Zagreb as one of the favourite athletes to win, but surprisingly he was eliminated by Gokcek in a contest which ended as split decision in favour of the Turkish hope.

Ones to watch
Hungary’s Richard Kovacs replaced their top athlete, Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Richard Konnyu just before these Championships started, but their young hope was able to start well enough in Zagreb.

He has been a member of the national team since 2012, and had enough experience to beat Lithuania’s Eduardas Strelciunas in a Lightweight class (60 kg) contest which was a spectacular one.

England’s Youth National Champion Dalton Smith was defeated by Hungary’s above mentioned Richard Konnyu in the third preliminary round of the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Sofia, but since then he was able to raise the level of his training sessions and arrived to the capital city of Croatia in top form.

The strong English Lightweight class (60 kg) boxer combined different punches well, and defeated Croatia’s 17-year-old Luka Hunic by unanimous decision.

Stat/Fact of the day
Thirty boxers were there at the official weigh-in of the Lightweight class (60 kg) which became the most popular category in Zagreb.

The head coach of the host nation decided to include eight boxers in his team which means there is not any Croatian competitors in the Light Flyweight class (49 kg) and at the Flyweight class (52 kg).

Tomorrow’s program
Further preliminary bouts are to be scheduled on the third competition day in Zagreb, Croatia where athletes of the Light Flyweight class (49 kg), Lightweight class (60 kg), Middleweight class (75 kg), Light Heavyweight class (81 kg) and Heavyweight class (91 kg) will be in action on Day 3.

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