Tag: Strandja Memorial Tournament

by Abhishek Shukla

Amit, Sachin clinch gold as India finish 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament with 8 medals

Sofia, (Bulgaria), February 11, 2024: Commonwealth Games gold medallist Amit Panghal and national champion Sachin delivered stellar performances to clinch gold medals at the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday.

Amit Panghal (51kg) pulled off a stunning 5-0 win over reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay. Much like his previous performances in the tournament, Amit dominated his opponent with pinpoint precision and speed in his attack. The national champion Amit was on target on most occasions with his trademark jab & left hook and didn’t let loose the grip of the bout even for a second.

As the bout progressed, the Indian pugilist became more and more dominant and stayed in attacking mode even in the third round. Sazakh kept looking for a way out during the whole bout but Amit stood his ground, securing his fourth consecutive unanimous decision win of the tournament to clinch the gold medal.

Contrary to the first match, Sachin (57kg) took some time to settle in against Uzbekistan’s Shakhzod Muzafarov. Both the boxers were equally dominant in the first round though Sachin managed to win it by a slight 3-2 advantage.

The boxer from Haryana grew in confidence as the bout progressed and used his height advantage while timing his punches to perfection in the second and third rounds to emerge victorious by a 5-0 margin.

Meanwhile, the reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen missed her third Strandja gold medal after going down 2-3 in a closely fought final against Uzbekistan’s Sabina Bobokulova. Nikhat did not have the best of starts as her Uzbeki counterpart went aggressive from the word go.

The Indian pugilist found it hard to settle in as she lost the first round 1-4. Nikhat did find her rhythm in the second round but the former Junio Asian champion Sabina was very solid defensively and her quick head movements made it difficult for Nikhat to connect the punches as she found herself behind 2-3 in the second round.

The momentum shifted in the third round as the 27-year-old boxer from Telangana went into a complete offensive mode winning the round 5-0. However, it wasn’t enough to win the bout as she settled for silver.

Arundhati Choudhary (66kg) nearly pulled off a historic win against China’s Yang Liu. The final went down to the wire with the reigning world champion Yang winning the bout 4-1. Both the boxers were hesitant at the start and did not engage in attack as they waited for each other’s move. Arundhati lost the first round 2-3.

The Asian Games gold medallist Yang relied on her experience, employing calculated moves and prioritizing her defence. She strategically scored points at regular intervals, ultimately winning the bout.
Barun Singh Shagolshem (48kg) lost 0-4 to Khodzhiev Anvarzhan of Kyrgyzstan in the final. The crowd witnessed an explosive start as both the boxers tried to earn points early in the match. Barun managed to make a mark in the initial minute but it was the boxer from Kyrgyzstan who was more aggressive among the two. Barun lost the first round 1-4. The Krygyz boxer took the challenge head-on in the second round and even forced a countdown against Barun to win it by 5-0.

The Indian boxer did manage to put up a solid fight in the third round winning it by 3-2 but the final verdict went against him.

Rajat (67kg) was the last pugilist in action for Team India against Kazakhstan’s Bekbauov Dulat. The bout was evenly poised throughout as it looked like it could go in anyone’s favour. Both the boxers used their strength and delivered multiple blows at regular intervals. The second and third rounds saw the Kazakh boxer making calculative moves as he scored points regularly which also helped him in the last round, giving him a 3-2 victory in the match.

The Strandja Memorial Tournament is one of Europe’s oldest international sports competitions which saw the participation of over 300 pugilists from 30 countries.

by Abhishek Shukla

Sachin, Sagar storm into quarters at 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament

Sofia, (Bulgaria), February 6, 2024: Former world youth champion Sachin and Commonwealth Games silver medalist Sagar entered the quarter-finals on day three of the ongoing 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Tuesday.

Sachin (57kg) was up against Uzbekistan’s Fayzov Khudoynazar in the pre-quarters and both the boxers came out with an attacking intent but it was Fayzov who took a slight advantage in the first round.

Sachin looked transformed in the second round and initiated a comeback by using his quick reflexes to dodge multiple attacks before landing some accurate jabs. In the third round, he was at his attacking best, leaving his opponent clueless with his sharp punches and quick movements, ultimately grabbing a phenomenal 3-2 win to enter the quarter-finals. He will now face Kapanadze Giorgi of Georgia on Friday to secure a place in the semifinals.

Sagar (92+kg) faced Lithuania’s Jazeviciius Jonas in the pre-quarters. The Indian pugilist looked completely in control of the game from the get-go as he put up a scintillating attacking display, making his way into the quarterfinals with a 5-0 unanimous decision win. Sagar will now take on Zokirov Jakhongir of Uzbekistan on Thursday.

Vanshaj (63.5kg) went down fighting in a close contest against Iran’s Habibinezhad Ali. Both the boxers were cautious in their approach and were looking to capitalize on counterattacks. Vanshaj had his moments of domination but eventually, the final verdict came against him as he lost the bout 2-3 to end his campaign.

Late on Monday, Arundhati Choudhary (66kg) made her way into the quarterfinals with a 4-1 win over France’s Sonvico Emilie. She will now face Matovic Milena of Serbia on Thursday. Manisha (60kg), on the other hand, went down 2-3 against Zidani Amina of France in the pre-quarters.

On Wednesday, five Indian pugilists will kick off their campaign in their respective pre-quarter bouts. Amit Panghal (51kg) will be in action against Rudyk Maksym of Ukraine, Akash (71kg) will take on Traore Makan of France and Deepak (75kg) will face Asankul Uulu Sultan of Kyrgyzstan,

Abhimanyu Loura (80kg) and Naveen Kumar (92kg) will go up against France’s Monny Raphael and Voisnarovic Darius of Lithuania, respectively.

The Strandja Memorial Tournament is one of Europe’s oldest international sports competitions and is witnessing the participation of over 300 pugilists from 30 countries.

by Abhishek Shukla

Nikhat, Sakshi begin campaign with victories at 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament

Sofia, (Bulgaria), February 5, 2024:  Nikhat Zareen and Sakshi Chaudhary began their campaign with contrasting wins at the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Monday.

Nikhat was up against Mongolia’s Oyuntsetseg Yesugen in the 50kg bout. Both the boxers came with an attacking intent as they delivered powerful blows at every opportunity.

The boxers were at their attacking best and didn’t give any breathing space to each other. However, it was the reigning World Champion Nikhat who eventually triumphed with a 3-2 split decision verdict. Nikhat will now face Lkhadiri Wassila of France in her quarterfinal bout on Thursday.

Sakshi (57kg), on the other hand, outclassed Selmouni Chahira of Algeria with her swift moments and surprise attacks. She dominated the match throughout to clinch an easy 5-0 unanimous decision win to enter the quarter-finals. She will now take on Mamajonova Khumorabonu of Uzbekistan in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Preeti (54kg) fought a tough battle against Fay Niamh of Ireland. Both the pugilists had their moments in the first two rounds with Fay taking the lead early on. Preeti did make a remarkable comeback in the third round with all five judges tilting in her favour, but it wasn’t enough as she bowed out of the tournament with a 2-3 loss.

In a surprising turn of events Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) got disqualified in the third round of her pre-quarterfinal match after three warnings of excessive grappling against Ireland’s O’Rourke Aoife.

Manisha (60kg) and Arundhati Choudhary (66kg) will be in action later tonight against France’s Zidani Amina and Sonvico Emilie, respectively.  

Late on Sunday, Jugnoo (86kg) secured a hard-fought 3-2 win over Kocharian Ashot of Ukraine in the round of 16 clash. He will now face Djalolov Samandar of Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals on Thursday.

On Tuesday, three men boxers will kick start their campaign in their respective round of 16 matches. Sachin (57kg) will take on Uzbekistan’s Fayzov Khudoynazar, Vanshaj (63.5kg) will face Iran’s Habibinezhad Ali and Sagar (92+kg) will square off against Jazeviciius Jonas of Lithuania

The Strandja Memorial Tournament is one of Europe’s oldest international sports competitions and is witnessing the participation of over 300 pugilists from 30 countries.

by Abhishek Shukla

Akash goes down fighting on opening day of 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament

Sofia, (Bulgaria), February 4, 2024: Akash Gorkha (60kg) went down fighting against Dilshod Abdumurodov of Uzbekistan on day one of the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Sunday.

In an intense three-round battle to secure a place in the quarterfinals, Akash began the bout aggressively, testing his opponent in the initial minutes. Dilshod showed patience throughout the bout and used counterattacks by capitalizing on Akash’s shortcomings.

The Indian pugilist came with positive intent in the second and third rounds, forcing a few decisions in his favour but it wasn’t enough as Dilshod won the bout with a 4-1 split decision.  

The national champion, Jugnoo (86kg) will be in action later tonight as he will go up against Kocharian Ashot of Ukraine in his round of 16 clash.

On Monday, all six women boxers will start the campaign with their respective round of 16 clash.

Reigning world champions Nikhat Zareen (50kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) will square off against Mongolia’s Oyuntsetseg Yesugen and Ireland’s O’Rourke Aoife, respectively. The Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti (54kg) will face Fay Niamh of Ireland.

Sakshi (57kg) will be up against Selmouni Chahira of Algeria while Manisha (60kg) will go head-to-head against Zidani Amina of France. Arundhati Choudhary (66kg), on the other hand, will commence her campaign against France’s Sonvico Emilie.  

Commonwealth Games gold medallist Amit Panghal (51kg) will kick off his campaign in a round of 16 clash against Ukraine’s Rudyk Maksym on Wednesday.

Barun Singh Shagolshem (48kg) qualified for the semis after getting a bye in the quarterfinals. He will take on Khenoussi Kamel of Algeria on Saturday to secure a place in the finals.

The Strandja Memorial Tournament is one of Europe’s oldest international sports competitions and is witnessing the participation of over 300 pugilists from 27 countries.