The Tammer Tournament is one of Europe’s most prestigious international competitions, and was once again held in Tampere, Finland.

Finland’s second grand event of 2014 after the Gee Bee Tournament was a great success due the high number of spectacular fights, with the 35th edition taking place at the Pyynikkin Sports Hall, where boxers fought for the medals from three different continents.

Athlete of the tournament
Gee Bee Tournament silver medallist and Finnish National Champion Antti Hietala competed at the 2012 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Yerevan, Armenia, and though only 20 he is one of the best hopes of his Nordic country, and he demonstrated this fact in Tampere.

Hietala had to meet with Brazil’s rising hope, and AIBA World Boxing Championships competitor Roberto Queiroz Custodio in the semi-final and surprisingly the local boxer knocked out the South American fighter.

The young Finnish boxer advanced to the final where his punches reached the target well in the opening round which determined the battle against Turkey’s Huseyin Karslioglu, with the final scoring of the Welterweight class (69 kg) final a unanimous decision win for Antti Hietala, which was the host nation’s second gold medal.

Team of the tournament
Brazil’s top athlete, AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist and two-time Olympian Robinelson De Jesus Vieira advanced to the final of the Lightweight class (60 kg) following his triumph over Russia’s EUBC European Youth Continental Championships silver medallist Gabil Mamedov.

The South American boxer had another tough opponent in the final, but he was able to find the best fighting distance just in time against Scotland’s talented young Mark McKeown.

Everton Lopes was the gold medallist at the 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Baku, and following his unsuccessful London 2012 Olympic Games he was able to return to the world of boxing with a bronze at the 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships.

After an unexpected loss to Mongolia’s Battarsukh Chinzorig in the quarter-final of the Military World Championships in May, he was dominant in Finland and in the gold medal bout Lopes defeated Hungary’s National Champion Georgian Nyeki by unanimous decision.

Surprise of the tournament
England’s Super Heavyweight class (+91 kg) star Frazer Clarke advanced to the final where he had to meet with United States’ top boxer Lenroy “Cam Awesome” Thompson, who has won several European events this year.

The English boxer has had some excellent triumphs over the recent months, and continued his great form by defeating his American opponent to win the gold medal.

Ones to watch
Scotland’s National Champion 19-year-old Reece McFadden shocked Welsh star and two-time EUBC European Continental Champion Andrew Selby in the first preliminary round of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow where he eventually took home a bronze medal.

The Scottish teenager advanced to the final of the Flyweight class (52 kg) in Finland following his triumph over Russia’s Sergei Ozanayev, and McFadden was able to beat England’s EUBC European Continental Championships bronze medallist Jack Bateson in the final as well.

Hungary’s former EUBC European Youth Continental Champion Balazs Bacskai moved up to the Middleweight class (75 kg) one year ago after the 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships, and the 26-year-old boxer, whose first daughter was born some months ago, defeated all of his rivals in Tampere including Brazil’s two-time Olympian veteran Myke Carvalho, Estonia’s WSB boxer Kaupo Arro and Russia’s Andrey Kovalchuk in the gold medal bout.

Stat/facts of the tournament
Brazil, hosts Finland, the Netherlands and Russia all secured two gold medals in Tampere while England, Hungary and Scotland also bagged a title in the 35th edition of the Tammer Tournament.

Among the titleholders of the event, only Finland’s veteran women’s boxer, and three-time EU Women’s Championships bronze medallist Mira Potkonen was able to defend her throne in Tampere.

List of the winners in the Tammer Tournament
Women’s 60 kg: Mira Potkonen, Finland
Men’s 49 kg: Bator Sagaluyev, Russia
Men’s 52 kg: Reece McFadden, Scotland
Men’s 56 kg: Enrico Le Cruz, Netherlands
Men’s 60 kg: Robinelson De Jesus Vieira, Brazil
Men’s 64 kg: Everton Dos Santos Lopes, Brazil
Men’s 69 kg: Antti Hietala, Finland
Men’s 75 kg: Balazs Bacskai, Hungary
Men’s 81 kg: Peter Mullenberg, Netherlands
Men’s 91 kg: Sadam Magomedov, Russia
Men’s +91 kg: Frazer Clarke, England

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