The hectic quarter-finals at the AIBA Junior World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan qualified 52 boxers from 22 different nations for the semi-finals and guaranteed a bronze medal for all the winners.
Australia's 15-year-old Clay Waterman eliminated the pinweight division's top favourite, Kazakhstan's Olzhas Kalaubek, in his opening contest and followed that yesterday with a win over Russian Junior National Championships silver medalist Denis Chmykhin by 10:6 and secured "Down Under's" first medal in Astana.
Ukraine's Dmitro Zamotayev moved down from flyweight into the lowest weight class and it was a great decision because he will be travelling home with at least a bronze medal from Astana after defeating Tajikistan's Behruz Umarkulov by 14:10 in the quarter-final.
Pinweight's Karrar Kadhim Al-Sahm caused a huge surprise because he triumphed over Azerbaijan's European Schoolboys Championships silver medalist Elnur Shafizada by 13:9 and secured an historic first medal in any AIBA event for Iraq.
Russia's Vladislav Krasnosheyn lost out in his quarter-final at the European Junior Championships in Keszthely but won his bout in the same stage of the championships in Astana by defeating Mongolia's Ochir-Erdene Ganbold by 16:10 in the light flyweight division.
At the same weight class Tajikistan's new surprise Asror Vokhidov secured his third victory in Astana and advanced to the semi-final after beating India's Lalitha Prasad Polipalli by 16:13 to claim the only medal for the strong Central Asian nation.
European Junior Champion and European Schoolboys gold medalist 15-year-old Viktor Petrov, who is one of the Ukraine's best boxers in this age group, eliminated Germany's Murat Yildirim by 12:4 in the flyweight quarter-final as expected and has a good chance of securing the gold medal as well.
England's defending European Junior Champion 16-year-old Pat McCormack continued his excellent winning series in the quarter-final and beat Romania's newcomer Gheorghe Jugan by 10:3 to advance to the flyweight semi-final.
Germany's great hope 15-year-old Wladislaw Bartyshnik from KSC Backnang was the first boxer at the AIBA Junior World Championships to eliminate a Russian opponent in Astana but despite his great victory he was defeated by Turkey's Cengiz Onat by 10:5 in the light bantamweight class, while Eumir Felix Marcial bagged the Philippines' first medal in an AIBA event among junior boxers.
Hungary's reigning European Junior Champion Kecskemet-based Norbert Herczeg, who is coached by Istvan Konkoly, was too strong for Belarus's Yevgeniy Shabelnik in their bantamweight bout, which ended with Herczeg's victory with a commanding 17:5 lead.
In the featherweight class Ukraine's European Junior Championships silver medalist Arsen Ablayev triumphed over Russian Junior National Championships silver medalist Ilyas Isayev while Uzbekistan's Aliyor Noraliyev eliminated Hassan Mahmood of Pakistan in the same weight class.
Lightweight Adilet Batyraliyev performed well in the quarter-final and eliminated Israel's European Schoolboys Champion Tomer Yadgarov by 17:10 to achieve the only Kyrgyz medal in Astana.
Russia's lightweight athlete European Schoolboys Champion Shamil Malsagov had a great winning battle against Badar-Uugan Armarsanaa, meaning that the Mongolian boxers will be returning home without any medals.
Kazakhstan's Eurasian Junior Games winner Kayirgeldi Dauitbek won each of his international tournaments this year and is undoubtedly the top favourite in the light welterweight class. He had a close fight against Turkey's Hasan Ozan in front of the home crowd and won by a close 21:18.
Russia's European Schoolboys Champion and National Junior Champion Aleksandr Agafonov from Moscow and Kazakhstan's Heydar Aliyev Junior Cup winner Akylbek Adilgaliyev put on one of the shows of the day. Agafonov led by 6:3 after the first round and despite Adilgaliyev's efforts the Russian boxer won the bout by 19:10.
Italy's powerful Salvatore Cavallaro got lucky against Kazakhstan's Daulet Baygabatov in their quarter-final because the young light middleweight fighter won the bout by accepted scores. Salvatore Cavallaro secured the first Italian medal in an AIBA Junior World Championships since 2002.
In the middleweight class Kazakhstan's National Junior Champion Askar Duisaly surprisingly defeated Hungary's reigning European Junior Champion Adam Hamori, who had eliminated Russia's Zelim Imadayev in the preliminary round. Germany's Uman Liberation Junior Cup winner Dimitar Tilev triumphed over Ireland's European Junior Championships bronze medalist Martin Conroy by a close 6:5.
In the heavyweight class Australia's Jai Opetaia from New South Wales secured the second medal for his country by beating the local favourite Tilek Kozbakov by 12:3, while top favourite Russian Junior National Champion Ruslan Yurchenko eliminated Ukraine's Heydar Aliyev Junior Cup winner Zaur Mutallimov by 15:9.
The most anticipated fight of the day was between Uzbekistan's Heydar Aliyev Junior Cup winner Oybek Sharipov and Russia's European Schoolboys Champion Khadzhiakbar Mamakov in the super heavyweight class. Sharipov had previously beaten the Uzbek but Mamakov exacted revenge in Astana, winning by 18:11.
In the super heavyweight class 15-year-old Tarona Daniel Taiarii from Hititoa won his historic bout against Turkey's Yaman Carik and claimed the first ever French Polynesian medal in an AIBA event.
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