Finally twelve Asian boxers celebrated gold medals at the 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament
The second part of the finals featured in the 73rd edition of the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Day8 which event finished with fantastic finals. The Asian boxers earned six gold medals on Saturday and added six more in the last competition day. The figure means that Asia won nearly 50% of all gold medals in the Strandja Memorial Tournament.
Uzbekistan bagged five titles in the first day of the finals but their Lazizbek Mullajonov added one more to their collection. Kazakhstan’s three top boxers took titles on Sunday which increased the number of their gold medals up to four. India collected two impressive female gold medals in Sofia, Nitu and Nikhat Zareen both dominated their finals.
Strong Asian teams as India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan attended at the upcoming Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, which is one of the most exciting competitions in the world. The new 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament is the first from the IBA World Boxing Tour’s Golden Gloves Series.
The Strandja Memorial is Europe’s oldest international boxing tournament and has a strong brand name therefore plenty of nations sent their teams from four Confederations. IBA arranged the money prizes and boxers could earn new world ranking points in the 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament.
India’s first champion in Sofia is Nitu
India’s AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Nitu Ghanghas defeated such experienced rivals as Italy’s Roberta Bonatti and Ukraine’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Hanna Okhota during her road to the finals in Sofia. The Indian minimumweight (48kg) boxer met with Italy’s EUBC European Youth Champion Erika Prisciandaro for the title in the Bulgarian capital. She used her longer reach in the first round and her jabs stopped the smaller and younger Italian in the battle of the southpaw boxers. Nitu jumped in to the best fighting distance and landed her shots demonstrating her strength in all of the three rounds which means India achieved its first gold medal.
Kazakhstan’s Makhmud Sabyrkhan walked over to the gold medal
Kazakhstan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist and two-time ASBC Asian Youth Champion Makhmud Sabyrkhan is one of their best boxers despite of his young age. He arrived to the Strandja Memorial Tournament as favourite of the men’s bantamweight (54kg) and bowed out Bulgaria’s two-time EUBC European Champion Daniel Asenov in the semi-finals. Sabyrkhan should have been meet with another host nation’s boxer, EUBC European Youth Champion 19-year-old Yasen Radev but the Bulgarian was unable to box in the eighth competition day.
India’s Nikhat Zareen won the strong women’s flyweight
India’s second finalist in the Strandja Memorial Tournament on Day8 was Nikhat Zareen who proved impressive developments in Sofia. The former AIBA Women’s Junior World Champion attends at the flyweight (52kg) in Sofia which is perfect category for the Indian. She eliminated a Tokyo Olympian boxer, England’s Charley Davison and Turkey’s Olympic Games silver medallist Busenaz Cakiroglu too. Zareen faced for the title with Ukraine’s 35-year-old Tetiana Kob and used her speed to keep the control in the first minute. The Ukrainian used her attacking style but Zareen was smarter today and bagged India’s second female gold medal in Sofia.
Kazakhstan’s Valentina Khalzova defeated her Russian rival
Kazakhstan won one gold medal in the first part of the finals when their Nazym Kyzaibay bagged the title of the women’s light flyweight (50kg). Kazakhstan’s new National Champion Dulat Bekbauov was near to win gold at the men’s welterweight (67kg) but their next boxer in action, Valentina Khalzova succeeded. She earned the title at the 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships but after that she had difficulties. She returned to the national team in the end of 2019 and Khalzova arrived to Sofia after a strong preparation. The experienced Kazakh had a tactical first round against Russia’s Galina Golovchenko but after that period, she overwhelmed her opponent, and bagged the title of the light middleweight (70kg).
Sagyndyk Togambay is Kazakhstan’s next gold medallist
Kazakhstan’s Sagyndyk Togambay won his first big title at the Puerto Princesa 2017 ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships, which followed two youth titles in Bangkok and in Ulaanbaatar. The 21-year-old Kazakh moved down to the new cruiserweight (86kg) and not only advanced to the final of the Strandja Memorial Tournament but he performed well enough to win the category. Ukraine’s Serhii Horskov was competitive in the first round but Togambay stepped into the gas and caught his rival with tough combinations in the second. He bagged Kazakhstan’s fourth gold medal at the Strandja Memorial Tournament winning the final by unanimous decision.
Lazizbek Mullojonov won the heaviest weight class in Sofia
Uzbekistan earned five gold medals in the first day of the finals at the 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament but they had also a success in the last competition day. Former ASBC Asian Youth Champion Lazizbek Mullojonov replaced their star Bakhodir Jalolov in the national team at the super heavyweight (+92kg) in the recent months. He had tournament titles, wins in military events but he performed even better in Sofia in this competition where he had a unanimous triumph over Germany’s No.1, Nelvie Tiafack who is also a young talent in this category and a boxer from the same 1999 born age group.
Don’t forget you can keep up with all of the action, news, results and photos by following ASBC on Facebook and Instagram.
ASBC website: www.asbcnews.org
ASBC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ASBC.Official/
ASBC Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/asbc_official/
ASBC Twitter page: https://www.twitter.com/BoxingAsian?s=0
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – Competition Schedule
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – Referees and Judges
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – Number of Entries by Team
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – Finals Results
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – Medal Standings
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – Top List
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 48KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 51KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 54KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 57KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 60KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 64KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 67KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 71KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 75KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 80KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 86KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – 92KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – MEN’s Draw Sheet – +92KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 48KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 50KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 52KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 54KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 57KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 60KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 63KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 66KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 70KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – 81KG
Boxing2022 – 73rd Boxing Tournament STRANDJA2022 – WOMEN’s Draw Sheet – +81KG