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For the 68th time Debrecen hosts the István Bocskai István International Boxing Memorial Tournament. The contract was signed by Lajos Barcsa, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, and Attila Rácz, President of the Executive Board of the Hungarian Boxing Federation, at a public press event in Debrecen on 5th of December 2023.
As Attila Rácz said before the signing ceremony, the association thanks the city of Debrecen for its support to organise the 68th edition of the event, which will run from the 16th to the 20th of January 2024.
The event has grown over the decades to become one of the most important boxing events in Europe, and will be particularly important in 2024, the year of the Olympics. As in the past, a very high quality field is expected to be assembled and the organisers are very confident that this tournament will also feature competitors who will be seen in the Olympics or in major professional tournaments in a few years’ time.
According to Attila Rácz, every Bocskai Memorial Tournament is very important, but as the next one will be held in an Olympic year, it is a good opportunity for the competitors to show where they stand in their Olympic preparations.
He is sure that the Bocskai Memorial will have a reputation for bringing together a prestigious international field in Debrecen. He thanked the city of Debrecen for organising the event, for its support and especially for the fact that this support is not a one-off, as this is the 68th time that the event is being held.
According to Lajos Barcsa, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen, the 68th edition of this commemorative competition at the beginning of next year is of great significance.
It is a matter of pride that this is certainly the most patriotic tournament series in the city, which has been organised in cooperation with the Hungarian Boxing Federation for decades. As always, the organisers have signed a contract to ensure that the competition is of high quality and results.
The city of Debrecen will again provide the venue – the sports hall of Oláh Gábor Street – and a ring for the competition, accommodation, transport, medical supervision, security and smooth running of the event for 138 foreign participants, and the Hollóházi porcelain souvenirs and medals for the winners and runners-up of the men’s competitions.
The city welcomes boxing lovers from Debrecen, from all over the country and beyond its borders. The adult day ticket for each day of the tournament will cost HUF 1200, the student day ticket (over 14 years old with a student card) will cost HUF 600. The matches are free of charge for pensioners over 65 and children under 14.
Lajos Barcsa thanked Attila Rácz, the president of the executive body of the Hungarian Boxing Association, for his cooperation, mentioning that the president was born in Debrecen, so he now has official ties to the city. The deputy mayor also thanked Sándor Szabó, president of the DVSC Boxing Club, who was present at the signing ceremony, for having organised the Bocskai Memorial Tournaments for many years before the municipality took over the task, and for being a dedicated financier of the city’s boxing sport for decades.
Sándor Szabó thanked for the words of appreciation and said that it is 25 years since he founded his boxing club, and for the last 18 years his team has been among the top three in the national rankings, which is a unique achievement for a privately run club.
He expressed the hope that this will continue. Sándor Szabó also mentioned that in the 68th Bocskai István Bocskai International Boxing Memorial Tournament, the DVSC Boxing Club – and thus Debrecen – will be represented by two women and two men: Anna Győrfi, Nóra Komjáthy – a very successful youth athlete, and this will be her first adult competition – as well as László Bernáth and Attila Bernáth, who is expected to win.
Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu
