Great Britain’s Abdul Burton advanced to the finals of the European Boxing Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, alongside teammates Chantelle Reid and Damar Thomas. The 20-year-old Burton secured a solid 4-1 victory over Turkey’s Semih Gumus in the men’s super-bantamweight semi-final.
In the final on Friday, Burton will compete against Russia’s Viacheslav Rogozin. At the same event, Reid and Thomas will fight for the women’s light-middleweight and men’s super-heavyweight titles, respectively. Reflecting on his performance, Burton said, “I’m happy, it was a good performance against a tricky kid. I had to stay disciplined. I’ve really enjoyed the week, it’s good to secure silver but I’m aiming for gold tomorrow. It would be huge to win in my first major tournament at such a young age, so all focus is there.”
Burton was the only British semi-finalist to advance, with Dimeji Shittu and Callum Makin both falling in their bouts and earning bronze medals. Commonwealth Games silver medallist Shittu lost 4-1 to Russia’s Cheerav Ashalaev in the light-heavyweight division, while Makin was defeated by the same score against Azerbaijan’s Saidjamshid Jafarov at middleweight.
Shittu commented, “He was a strong opponent, it was competitive but fair play to him. He’s a tough guy, big and scary – but I’ll definitely get him next time. I’m happy to come away with a medal. It wasn’t my day, but I’ll learn from this and come back stronger.”
With 15 boxers representing Team GB, the squad will return home with five medals and opportunities for more gold. Meanwhile, Team Ireland is also experiencing success, with Lisa O’Rourke capturing gold in the 80kg final after defeating Russia’s Anastasiia Demurchian.
Fan Take: This strong showing by young talents like Abdul Burton signals an exciting future for British boxing, showcasing the depth of emerging fighters ready to make their mark on the international stage. For fans, these performances hint at thrilling upcoming battles and the potential rise of new champions who will keep the sport vibrant and fiercely competitive.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
