News

Best split for AIBA Junior WCH finals

29.05.2009

AIBA World Junior Championships Yerevan 2009 Official Page
Live Scoring for the AIBA World Junior Championships Yerevan 2009 on www.aiba.org
AIBA World Junior Championships Yerevan 2009 medal history
Semifinal Results
Finals Schedule

A record 15 countries will be represented in the finals of the AIBA World Junior Championships Yerevan 2009 on Saturday after the semifinals were completed in the Sport Concert Complex in Armenia on Friday.

In a further illustration of AIBA's new consistency in competition scoring, the representation of countries in the finals outdoes the 2007 edition, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, when 13 countries were represented in the finals.

Russia leads the way with five finalists, followed by Armenia, Kazakhstan and Cuba with three apiece, while the Ukraine has two finalists followed by India, Germany, Belarus, Georgia, Lithuania, Israel, Ireland, Ecuador, Uzbekistan and Moldova which have one each in AIBA's premier tournament for boxers aged 15 and 16 years of age.

Pic: Georgia's Aleko Chadashvili, in blue, on his way to victory against Joseph Nicholls (AUS) in the 57kg semifinals

The first semifinals in the 46kg saw the 2009 Armenian Junior National Champion and 2008 European Schoolboy Championships quarterfinalist Korun Soghomonyan complete an impressive 10:4 win over another favourite for the title Magomedrashid Dzhabrailov, the 2008 European Schoolboy champion and 2009 Russian Junior National champion. Soghomonyan will face India's Sandeep, who performed superbly to complete an 8:4 win over Javlonbek Eshmatov (UZB).

Sandeep's compatriot Namit Bahadur couldn't repeat the same success in the 50kg semifinals when he lost 7:3 to Talgat Bertleuov (KAZ) before 2008 European Schoolboy Championships champion Sergey Sobylinski (RUS) completed an impressive 0:5 win over Uzbekistan's two-time national junior champion Burgut Hodjiboyev.

2009 Panamerican Junior champion Yunior Ernesto Valdes Boleri became the first Cuban to reach the finals with another outstanding performance in the 54kg semifinals, claiming the honours against Vikas Khatri (IND). Valdes Boleri will take on 2007 European Schoolboy Championships bronze medallist Jonik Tonoyan in the final after the Armenian national champ beat the surprise of the division Tautvydas Statkevicius (LTU) 15:7.

In one of the bouts of the day Oleh Neklyudov (UKR) beat Armenia's Artur Kajoyan +5:5 in the second 60kg semifinal. "It was an extremely tough bout," Neklyudov said. "Both of us were very strong and the judges obviously tied the contest. Though I celebrated a victory, I'm to say that Kajoyan was an unbeaten contender, both technically and physically."

Pic: Cuba's 63kg star Samuel Saul Rodriguez Orgaz

Neklyudov will now face Ricardas Kuncaitis (LTU) who kept Barhayotjon Obidov (UZB) scoreless 4:0 in the other semifinal.

Meanwhile, the two favourites in the 66kg welterweight class Dan Aharono (ISR) and Andrey Egorov (RUS) advanced through to the finals with 7:1 win over Deividas Cekanauskas (LTU) and a 12:2 win over Petru Ceban (MDA) respectively.

In the evening session, Theo Krechlok (GER) pulled off a sensational 48kg win over the hot favourite Housein Baisanghorow (RUS). Krechlok, a Carpatian Junior Cup winner and 46kg quarterfinalist in the 2008 European Junior Championships, managed to score with seconds remaining on the clock for a memorable victory. Krechlok will now meet Bagdet Uaidayev (KAZ), who beat 2009 Carpatian Junior Cup silver medallist Mikhail Charchikob (UKR) 10:5, in the final.

In other exhilarating contests, Russia's Magomed Abdulamagomedov beat local favourite Volodya Hayrapetyan (ARM) 12:11 in the 63kg semifinals, while Ecuador's Italo Perea Castillo pipped 80kg favourite Mark Martyshkin (RUS) +7:7 in an epic encounter.

Saturday's finals start at 14:00 local time (09:00 GMT).