Taipei, May 16, 2015: The first competition day of the AIBA Women’s Junior/Youth World Championships Taipei 2015 took place from the Xinzhuang Stadium, where 16 matches from the Youth section of the event delighted the watching audience.
Bout of the day
Jajaira Gonzalez is a highly decorated American boxer who has already won many gold medals in her young career, and she began her journey in Taipei with an excellent victory over China’s four-time National Champion Gao Meiq.
Gonzalez is the main gold medal favourite of the Youth Lightweight class (60 kg), and lived up to her sterling reputation when she knocked down her Chinese opponent in the opening round.
The US boxer gained confidence from the opening three minutes, with great combinations further damaging her rival throughout the rest of the rounds.
Romania’s AIBA Women’s Junior World Championships bronze medallist Dana Maria Borzei meets Gonzalez in the last 16, and their contest is a highly anticipated one.
Team of the day
England has sent a small, but very competitive team to Taipei, and they began the Championships with several impressive performances.
EUBC European Women’s Junior Continental Champion Ebonie Jones recently joined the youth age group in January, having not lost in the ring since September 2013.
Jones had her 17th birthday just before this tournament, and celebrated by winning her opening Youth Flyweight class (51 kg) match against Thailand’s Pattanaporn Lattipromma.
The Portsmouth-based boxer worked hard in her bout against the Thai fighter, eventually securing victory in the the contest by unanimous decision.
Shona Whitwell began boxing at the age of 7, and the 17-year-old Lightweight class (60 kg) boxer displayed her experience with a victory over Vietnam’s Women’s Junior National Champion Do Thi Mai.
Whitwell constantly moved forward in their battle, and she delivered the second success for England on the opening competition day.
Surprise of the day
Wang Ssu Ting became the first boxer from Chinese Taipei to compete in front of her home fans, but she was surprisingly eliminated by Ukraine’s Anastasiia Biloshytska.
The Ukrainian was a late replacement for AIBA Women’s Junior World Champion Anhelina Bondarenko in the Lightweight class (60 kg), and she took control of the contest in the middle stages en route to a deserved victory.
One to watch
Romania’s Andreea Seni has won five national titles in various age groups, and her expectations for success are high in Taipei.
The 18-year-old began her competition by defeating Sweden’s Queen’s Youth Cup silver medallist Katrin Noren, which makes her a boxer to look out for in the latter stages of this event.
Stat/Fact of the day
The number of Junior boxers competing in Taipei is 133 from 29 nations, and 164 youth athletes from 36 countries are fighting for the medals.
Kazakhstan and Russia have both sent the maximum number of 23 Youth and Junior boxers, while Chinese Taipei began the day with 15 competitors.
Canada, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, DPR Korea, Guatemala, Haiti, Kosovo, Nepal, Switzerland, Thailand and Tajikistan are all making their debut in the competition.
Tomorrow’s program
The Junior boxers will make their debut in the Championships tomorrow across 17 bouts, with 18 Youth contests also scheduled.
Ukraine’s Karolina Makhno and US Junior National Champion Amanda Bermudezmeet in what should be a keenly contested Junior clash, while China’s Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games winner Chang Yuan and Italy’s AIBA Women’s Junior World Champion Irma Testa begin their mission for gold in the Youth section of the tournament. —- AIBA
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