Forty-four boxers from 20 countries will battle on Friday for a place in the finals of the 1st AIBA Youth World Championships Guadalajara 2008, Mexico.

With Cuba and Russia predictably boasting the most number of athletes with six boxers apiece, four continents are represented in the semifinals featuring the best promising boxers in the world.

Europe is the strongest contender with its 11 countries still in the race, followed by America (5), Asia (3), and Oceania (1).

Friday's semifinals start at 15,00, with just one session to be conducted.

Here's what's in store by each weight category, in another action-packed day.

Light Fly (48kg): Russian Grigoriy Nikolaychuk is the lone survivor among those that were considered medal contenders. The other semifinal features the only French and Indian boxer left, Jeremy Beccu vs Nanao Singh Thokchom.

Fly (51kg): Uzbekistan's Bunyodbek Mashrapov knocked out in a row Russia's Alexander Kuznetsov and Romania's Ciprian Apodaresei,
show casing himself as the most reliable candidate for the gold medal. Cuba's Yuniel Robles will have the chance to avenge Russian Kuznetsov, fellow partner in the preparatory phase of the 1st AIBA Youth World Championships

Bantam (54kg): Magomed Kurbanov (RUS) is the biggest name in the field. To the experienced Matti Koota (FIN) the difficult task to reverse all predictions.

Feather (57kg): Likely final in sight between Oscar Valdez  (MEX) and Maxim Dadashev (RUS). However, attention is mostly focused also on the Ukrainian National Youth Champion Oleg Sheffer.

Light (60kg): Kazakh Daniyar Yeleussinov in the top half of the draw sheet, and Irish Raymond Moylett in the bottom one, are safe bets. An impressive run from Moylett, in which he has accounted for two big names such as Welsh Fred Evans and Cuban Juan Garcia.

Light Welter (64kg): The division where the most predictions have proven to be right: Czech Republic's Zdenek Chladek, Uzbekistan's Uktamjon Rahmonov, and Cuba's Frank Izla were expected to be on the podium and are here to contend with each other for the gold. Irish Jamie Kavannagh is the outsider.

Welter (69kg): Mexico's Oscar Molina compete with home advantage added to his vast experience. Uzbekistan's Boturjon Mahmudov seems to be the lone challenger to his throne.

Middle (75kg): Cuba vs Russia (Rey Eduardo Recio against Dimitry Bivol) is tipped to be a classic semifinal. The winner of this bout will be a hot gold medal contender.

Light Heavy (81kg): To the only Italian still in the competition, Gianluca Rosciglione, has the hard task of taking on Cuban José Angel Larduet, bronze medalist at the Cuban Senior National Champs and a hot favorite to win gold.

Heavy (91kg): Erislandy Savon (CUB) has the burden of a mythical name to take. But he has also the capacity to lead him to the final victory.

Super Heavy (+91kg): German Erik Brechlin is still the man to beat, but attention also shifts to the United States U19 National Champion Joseph Dawejko.

Pic: Russian Marten Magomedov (blue) semifinalist of the 81kgs weight division