Sunday saw a further two sessions of first-class boxing at the AIBA Youth World Championships in Saint Petersburg, featuring the second preliminary bouts at Lightweight (60kg), Welterweight (69kg) and Middleweight (75kg). The winners all advance to the last 16, including Scotland’s William Hutchison and Kazakhstan’s Sadriddin Akhmedov after the pair put in two of the best performances of the day.
Lightweights get Day Four up and running
Ireland’s Patrick Donovan displayed great maturity and patience as he eliminated Philippines’ Ranjo Gil Napoles before two of the early favourites for gold came together as Uzbekistan’s AIBA Junior World Champion Bilolbek Mirzarakhimov and Kazakhstan’s ASBC Asian Junior Champion Sanatali Toltayev took to the ring. Both boxers showed their enormous potential in an engaging encounter, but it was the Uzbek’s greater efficiency that proved decisive.
Russia’s current EUBC European Youth Champion Beslan Khamzaev came through a testing bout against Lithuania’s Gilvinas Lukosiunas to set up a last 16 encounter with Kyrgyzstan’s Nursultan Mamataly, before India’s Ankush Dahiya defeated Germany’s Nick Bier with a brilliant comeback in one of the bouts of the day. The Dominican Republic’s top southpaw Euri Cedeno registered a deserved TKO win against the Moldovan Alexandru Paraschiv, before a superb bout saw United States’ Delante Johnson eliminate Cuba’s Youth National Champion Raidel Rodriguez and Italy’s Francesco Iozia dominated Algeria’s Toufik Messaoudi to progress.
Hutchison delivers Middleweight result of the day
Dmytro Rybalko continued his excellent recent form with a huge win over Russia’s Nikita Voronov at Middleweight, before Ireland’s European Confederation Youth Champion Michael Nevin set up a last 16 bout with France’s Moreno Fendero thanks to a fleet-footed victory over Croatian Matej Uremovic.
In one of the day’s most engaging battles, Scotland’s European Junior Champion William Hutchison came back strongly from a slow start against Cuba’s Lenar Perez, finding his rhythm in the second round before delivering a big final three minutes to edge past his rival and keep his medal dreams alive.
Welterweight magic entertains the crowds
Slovakia’s Andrej Csemez boxed intelligently to defeat Ireland’s Brett McGinty, before one of the big pre-tournament medal hopes, Cuba’s Isamy Mesa came through a nervy tie against Serbia’s Djordje Bujisic. Kazakhstan’s Sadriddin Akhmedov looks like a man on a mission after a powerful first-round TKO win over Lithuania’s Saimonas Banys set up a big last-16 encounter with Uzbekistan’s ASBC Asian Youth Champion Ulugbek Sobirov.
Hungary’s Laszlo Kozak looked comfortable as he out-boxed Egypt’s Arab Youth Champion Karim Tharwat Moustafa Mohamed Bakry, and will meet Germany’s Artur Mamberger, winner against Czech Republic’s David Kotrc. England’s Commonwealth Youth Games champion Mohammed Harris Akbar then showed his medal potential with a comprehensive win over Turkey’s Bulutcan Sahin.
