IBA World Junior Championships. Russia takes five gold medals on the first day of the finals © IBA

2023 IBA World Junior Championships are close to the end, as the first 13 final fights took place today in Mika sport complex in Yerevan. And most of the gold medals will go to Russia as their five finalists out of six took the gold medals. 

Anastasia Tiunina won the competition in the women's 46 kg weight category by defeating Uzbekistan’s Maftuna Musurmonova by split decision. In the women’s 50 kg weight category Snezhana Kuznetsova was stronger than Maria Georgopoulou (Greece). The second Russia - Uzbekistan duel of the day was won by Ekaterina Frolova (women’s 75 kg) who defeated Maftuna Yangieva by unanimous decision. 

Platon Kozlov had a very dominant world championship. In the final of the men's 57 kg weight category he defeated Albania’s Adam Maca by unanimous decision. Bairamkhan Ahsurov became the strongest in men’s 80 kg weight category by defeating India’s Hardik Panwar in a narrow battle (3-2) though the Indian boxer didn’t agree with the judges’ decision.

Russia's Bairamkhan Ahsurov © IBA
Russia's Bairamkhan Ahsurov © IBA

Kira Leonova (women’s 60 kg) was the only Russian boxer who lost her final fight on day one of the finals. She had a close fight with Kazakhstan’s Tolganay Kassymkhan, but it was the Kazakh boxer who received the votes of three judges at the end of the fight.

Home crowd was loud today during three fights, as their favourite athletes came to the ring. But only Vagharshak Keyan (men’s 48 kg) was able to win the gold medal. He defeated Germany’s Emal Hamdam in the final. The other two Armenian boxers lost their fights. Aren Kharatyan (men’s 52 kg) was outboxed by Kyrgyzstan Amantur Dzhumaev who was looking much stronger in the ring. Samver Siramargyan (men’s 70 kg) and Pawel Urbanski (Poland) had a very close fight, and all the judges had 29:28 on their scoresheets, but it was Urbanski who received the victory from 4 judges.

Irish boxer John Maher (men’s 63 kg) continued his dominant participation in Yerevan by beating Uzbekistan’s Khikmatillo Ulmasov and claiming the deserved gold medal. 

Kazakhstan had three finalists today, and all of them won their fights. Besides Kassymkhan, it was Sydyk Ayazhan (women’s 54 kg) and Aisulu Mukhit (women’s 66 kg) who claimed the gold medals. Ayazhan defeated Amisha Kerketta from India by unanimous decision, and Mukhit was better then Romania’s Amalia Tugui, as three of the five judges gave the victory to Kazakhstan’s boxer.

Sobirakhon Shakhobiddinova © IBA
Sobirakhon Shakhobiddinova © IBA

Uzbekistan lost its first three final fights of the day, but was able finally to claim the gold medal in the last fight of the day. In the women's super heavyweight category Sobirakhon Shakhobiddinova defeated Prachi Tokas from India by unanimous decision.

The other 13 final fights will take on Monday, December 4.