Poland’s Marczykowska and USA’s Citlalli Ortiz deliver the standout performances on Day Two in Guwahati
November 20th, 2017 / IBA
The 2017 AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships continued on Monday with 30 bouts across six weight categories taking place in India’s north-east city of Guwahati. Bulgaria’s Emi-Mari Todorova, India’s Shashi Chopra and France’s Fatia Benmessahel were among the names to progress, but it was to be Poland’s Natalia Marczykowska and United States’ Citlalli Ortiz who made the Day two headlines.
Bulgaria’s Youth number one and three-time European Champion Emi-Mari Todorova dominated her contest against Australian newcomer Danielle Clayton in the first preliminary round at Light Flyweight (48kg), but will now meet India’s formidable Nitu in the last 16, winner of the pair’s last encounter one month ago. Mongolia’s Namuun Monkhor worked well to produce a fine win over France’s Victoire Piteau at Featherweight (57kg), before the first Indian boxer to enter the ring in Guwahati, Shashi Chopra, recovered from a slow start to defeat Uzbekistan’s two-time Youth National Champion Durdonakhon Rakhmatova.
At Middleweight (75kg), Hungary’s EUBC European Women’s Junior Champion Gabriella Petrovics also looked second-best in the opening stages against Turkey’s Selma Karakoyun but was able to find her rhythm, controlling the centre of the ring from the second round to secure a memorable win. England’s Commonwealth Youth Games winner Georgia O’Connor also progressed, digging deep to overcome a tiring Yu Xueting of China, as did Chinese Taipei’s Yang Ya Chu, convincing winner over Ireland’s Lauren Kelly. Chu will now meet Uzbekistan’s Mavluda Mavlonova in the quarter-finals.
In the last of the day’s Middleweight action, Poland’s Natalia Marczykowska showed she has clearly learned much from defeat at the hands of Ukraine’s Karolina Makhno earlier in the year. Marczykowska looked unstoppable on Monday against her old rival, producing one of the biggest results of the afternoon session to record a unanimous points win.
France’s defending EUBC Lightweight (60kg) Youth Champion Fatia Benmessahel was able to out-box England’s Sian O’Toole to set up what looks like being a thrilling encounter against US star Diana Estrada in the next round, before rising Russian Welterweight (69kg) talent Natalia Sychugova impressed in her win over Uzbekistan’s Shakhnoza Yunusova. Rounding off Day Two in emphatic fashion, United States’ Youth National Champion Citlalli Ortiz got off to a strong start in her first major international tournament, the 17-year-old Welterweight (69kg) talent looking confident against one of the favourites in the category, Kazakhstan’s Junior World Champion Nadezhda Ryabets, to edge a first-class contest.
