The European Boxing Confederation’s first continental event in 2014, the EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships started its first competition day in the capital city of Romania in Bucharest.

Hungary’s AIBA Youth World Champion, the 18-year-old Petra Szatmari shocked Russia’s Maria Urakova on the first competition day, while other European female stars also opened with wins in the Championships.

Bout of the day
France’s Estelle Mossely joined the national team at the 2010 European Union Women’s Championships in 2010 at the age of 18 where she won the gold medal.

Since then she was a quarter-finalist in the last edition of the AIBA Women’s World Championships in Qinhuangdao, and her skills have raised up to the world class level in recent years.

The 22-year-old Lightweight class (60 kg) athlete was defeated by England’s new sensation Chantelle Cameron in the Feliks Stamm Memorial Tournament in Warsaw, Poland, but she avenged her defeat to the English girl with a change of tactics in Bucharest.

Mossely advanced to the last 16, winning the bout by unanimous decision, while Cameron can continue her preparation for the upcoming Commonwealth Games, scheduled for Glasgow in July.

Team of the day
Three Hungarian boxers had to fight on the first competition day, and all of them advanced to the next stage of the Championships.

Their current AIBA Youth World Champion Petra Szatmari is only 18 years old, but she was able to find the best fighting distance in the second part of her bout against Russia’s National Selection Tournament winner experienced Maria Urakova, in the preliminary stage of the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg).

European Union Women’s Champion Bianka Nagy continued the winning path of the Hungarian delegation, and turned back the battle against Ukraine’s Sportaccord World Combat Games competitor Nila Lipska, who moved down to the Light Welterweight class (64 kg) from the Middleweight class (75 kg) in the recent past.

National Champion Virginia Barankai also won her opening battle in Bucharest against Armenia’s EUBC European Women’s Youth Championships bronze medallist Kristine Sargsyan, in a narrow bout which was won via split decision by the 19-year-old Hungarian.

Surprises of the day
Poland’s National Champion Kinga Siwa moved up to the Light Welterweight class (64 kg) last year, and travelled to Bucharest to raise her experience at international level.

Siwa gained more than just experience in her first contest of the tournament, picking up the biggest surprise win of the first competition day.

She met with Turkey’s AIBA World Champion Gulsum Tatar who has been at the top level since 2004, and Siwa’s efforts were enough to beat her star opponent in Bucharest.

Sweden’s former AIBA World Champion and London 2012 Olympian Anna Laurell returned to the world of boxing this year, but she could not stop Netherlands’ EUBC European Women’s Continental Championships silver medallist Nouchka Fontijn’s attacks, and was eliminated by her tough Dutch opponent on the first preliminary day.

One to watch
Russia’s superstar boxer, the two-time AIBA World Champion and London 2012 Olympic Games silver medallist Sofya Ochigava is perhaps the only boxer who has got a realistic chance to beat Ireland’s Katie Taylor in Bucharest.

The 27-year-old Lightweight class (60 kg) boxer met with Netherlands’ newcomer Maria Janssen, who was proud of the fact that she managed to last the distance with Ochigava on their bout.

The Russian boxer won the contest by unanimous decision, and moves one step closer to her expected clash with Ireland’s Taylor.

Quote of the day
“I was not in enough shape in the opening round against my strong Russian opponent, but I raised my concentration in the second frame, and following that I felt good in the bout. I know I did my best performance in the final round, and tried to prevent her attacks with jabs so I am happy that finally my hand was raised. My next opponent will be Aynur Rzayeva who is unknown for me, and I have never met a boxer from Azerbaijan before, but I am trusting my my speed in the quarter-final,” commented Petra Szatmari of Hungary after her first win of the tournament.

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