Great Britain has secured a minimum of three medals at the European Boxing Championships in Bulgaria, as Chantelle Reid, Damar Thomas, and Abdul Burton all advanced to the semi-finals. Reid delivered a commanding 5-0 victory over Ireland’s Evelyn Igharo in the women’s light-middleweight category at Sofia’s Asics Arena Sports Hall and will face Serbia’s Milena Matovic in the semifinals on Wednesday.
Similarly, 21-year-old Damar Thomas triumphed 5-0 against Georgia’s Nikoloz Begadze in the men’s super-heavyweight division and is set to compete against Azerbaijan’s Mahammad Abdullayev in the next round. Meanwhile, 20-year-old Abdul Burton edged out Olympic bronze medalist Javier Ibanez from the host nation in a close 3-2 decision, earning a semi-final bout with Turkey’s Semih Gumus. Reflecting on his win, Burton said, “Sometimes you have got to dig in and when things went against me I had to get stuck in and show who I was. I am young, hungry and here to take over.”
Other British hopefuls Lauren Mackie, Amy Broadhurst, Callum Makin, and Oladimeji Shittu are slated to compete in quarter-final matches on Wednesday, although more than half of the 15-member British squad has already been eliminated. Tuesday saw flyweight Ruby White narrowly lose 3-2 to Turkey’s Olympic silver medalist Hatice Akbas, while Emily Asquith suffered a 5-0 defeat against Ireland’s Lisa O’Rourke in the light-heavyweight category. Additionally, Commonwealth Games heavyweight champion Isaac Okoh exited the competition after a 3-0 loss to Germany’s Kevin Lebowski.
Fan Take: This strong showing from Britain highlights the rising talent and depth within their boxing ranks, promising an exciting future for fans of the sport. The success of these young fighters not only boosts national pride but also signals a new generation ready to make a major impact on the European and global stage.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
