Palestine celebrated a great comeback to the international stage at the Portimao Box Cup
Palestine had a wonderful competition day and a great comeback to the international boxing family in the semi-finals of the Portimao Box Cup.
Palestine’s Nada Alkhawaja is a newcomer in their women’s national team but she looked highly confident against Portugal’s Denise Jamila Pereira Semedo and her dominance guaranteed the success at the women’s 48kg.
Slovakia’s European Youth medallist Tamara Kubalova moved up to the 65kg in this Olympic cycle and she used her longer reach and strength to control all of the exchanges against England’s Olivia Wilson in their semi-final meeting.
Ireland’s elite hope at the 65kg, Kai Griffin was unstoppable in the quarter-finals yesterday and he looked much stronger in the exchanges than Netherlands’ Dhuka Arnouts. The Irish boy finished the job in the second round and the referee stopped their unequal contest after the fourth standing counts.
England’s Anya Wilson is one of the most experienced female boxers in the entire Portimao Box Cup and she controlled the first and second rounds against Holly White from the Kirkby ABC. Wilson did not rest after six minutes of fight and she produced a superb third round, joining to the finals of the women’s 48kg.
Mafalda Silva started well in the quarter-finals yesterday but she had a more difficult opponent, Ireland’s Katie O’Keefe as second. The young Irish took the lead on the scorecards after the first round but Silva found the best distance in the second and she turned back their 51kg semi-final.
Switzerland’s Mika Reichen and Michael Faulkner had a real manly fight in the men’s elite 70kg which bout was controlled by the Irish in the first round. The Swiss came back to the business in the second but Faulkner’s great moments in the last round decided their tight bout in Portimao.
Portugal’s Sofia Almeida shocked France’s Enora Sauteraud with her multiple combinations in the semi-finals of the women’s 54kg and she stopped her opponent while France’s Aya Hamdi won another key female contest over Ireland’s Esther Lambe at the 57kg.
Ireland sent strong female boxers to the Portimao Box Cup and their Amber Byrne was their next sensation in the event. The experienced boxer used her safest distance effectively to beat Portugal’s Ariana Arantes from the Boavista FC in the 51kg.
Portugal’s Giovana Guedes surprised France’s Aya Kandil in the first round but her opponent overcame the local girl in the later actions. The French controlled also the last round in their 57kg battle while England’s Lexi Phillips was too experienced for Portugal’s Beatriz Almeida at the 60kg.
The big names of the men’s elite competition, Palestine’s Paris Olympian Wasim Abusal, France’s Youth World bronze medallist Djamel Djemmal and Switzerland’s Diego Mazzarelli all advanced to the finals today.
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