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For several Hungarian competitors, the Olympic qualification tournament is at stake at the 68th István Bocskai International Boxing Memorial Tournament. The competition starts on the 16th of January and lasts until the 20th of January. It will also feature Olympic competitors and world and European champion boxers.
According to the official data of the Hungarian Boxing Association, a total of 125 boxers from 11 nations, Bulgaria, Croatia, North Macedonia, Mongolia, Poland, Kazakhstan, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine and Hungary will compete at this year’s Bocskai Memorial Tournament. The competition started almost a month earlier than usual, as the European Olympic qualification tournament will take place at the end of February.
The first day started with the match of the Vecsési Box Club boxer Kata Pap, who lost to her Mongolian opponent.
‘I felt terrific in the ring. It should be known that I really like such competitive matches. My opponent was the Mongolian Olympian in the 50 kilos category, so she has already made it to Paris. I knew she would be a tough opponent, but I think I held my own in the ring. I gave everything I could, I feel, ’ Pap Kata assessed.
From a domestic point of view, the men’s 51 and 57-kilogram category promises exciting battles. Attila Bernáth from Debrecen will also be interested in the former group. In several weight groups, Bocskai can decide on the Hungarian candidate for the Olympic qualification competition. The roster of the quota-earning tournament will be selected by the association after the commemorative competition.
‘Every single competition is very important for every Hungarian competitor, especially in the year of the Olympics. There are still two qualifications left, two international qualifications, and I think that Bocskai can be a great preparation for these,’ Attila Rácz, the President of the Hungarian Boxing Association’s executive board, stated.
Due to the qualifying tournament in February, fewer boxers than usual came to Debrecen this time, but the competitors are still strong. The Ukrainian team includes, for example, the world champion and Bocskai champion Yuriy Zakharjeev and the Olympic silver medalist and world and European champion Oleksandr Hiznyak. Alongside them, the Kazakhs also arrived with age group Asian and youth world champions.
‘These days, the city organises small Olympics, European Championships, or Small World Championships in boxing for sports lovers. The fact that so many people accepted our invitation also indicates the quality of the tournament, ’ Deputy Mayor Lajos Barcsa said.
The finals of the memorial tournament will be held on Friday, on the 19th of January and Saturday, on the 20th of January. The qualifier program on Wednesday, the 17th of January and Thursday, the 18th of January, will start later than the preliminary announcement at 3:00 p.m. The program of the following competition days is unchanged compared to the previously announced one.
After several months of absence, the multiple-time Hungarian champion Szabina Szűcs returned with a points win on the opening day of the 68th István Bocskai István International Boxing Memorial Tournament in Debrecen, where twenty matches were held.
Of these, perhaps the most attention was focused on the match between the 57 kg National Team of Vecchia and Rebeka Dobos.
Szabina Szűcs had not yet been able to defend her title at the national championships in December, but she was ready for her Bocskai start and won her first match with a unanimous score. Perhaps the biggest surprise of the day came in the men’s 71 kg category, when Oroyowve Isaac, silver medallist of the National Championship, lost to bronze medallist at the championships a month ago, Rómeo Búza.
Source: debrecen.hu, Dehir
