Kamenova, Surmeneli, O’Rourke and Bennama are finalists in Belgrade

The line-ups of the finals were confirmed in the eighth competition day at the EUBC European Elite Boxing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

Ireland’s Shannon Sweeney is the main surprise of the women’s light flyweight (50kg) in the European Women’s Boxing Championships and she continued her winning path against Armenia’s Anush Grigoryan.

Turkey’s Busenaz Cakiroglu, the Olympic Games silver medallist, dominated her semi-final against Bulgaria’s returning Venelina Poptoleva and she uses the European Championships well to her preparations for Paris.

Bulgaria’s Svetlana Kamenova is a fantastic exemplar for all of the boxers in the younger generation to never give up in any of the situations. The Bulgarian European Games silver medallist was untouchable for Romania’s strong Claudia Nechita therefore Kamenova remained her chance alive to win the women’s featherweight (57kg) title.

Turkey’s Olympic Games winner Busenaz Surmeneli did not deliver her very best in the semi-finals of the women’s welterweight (66kg) but she had still enough clear punches to beat Slovakia’s Jessica Triebelova.

Ireland’s Aoife O’Rourke eliminated a young rival in the quarter-finals of the women’s middleweight (75kg) and she continued her winning path against Turkey’s Busra Isildar therefore she has the chance to take her next European gold.

France’s Billal Bennama is a European Champion, European Games winner star who eliminated Hungary’s Gabor Virban therefore he will meet for the title of the bantamweight (54kg) Russia’s Dmitriy Dvali.

Russia’s Gabil Mamedov had a strong performance against Hungary’s European Games Richard Kovacs and his pressure paid off today while another confident boxer, Lasha Guruli of Georgia eliminated Serbia’s Vakhid Abbasov.

Bulgaria’s Rami Kiwan moved up to the middleweight (75kg) following his Olympic quota to take some rest but his relaxed performance delivered for him a place in the finals at the middleweight (75kg) where his opponent will be Russia’s Dzhambulat Bizhamov.