13 amazing finals in the AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships produced tremendous entertainment in St. Petersburg, Russia, where the future stars of boxing showed their skills and excellent potential.

Hosts Russia had six finalists on home soil, and five of their talents managed to win gold in front of their supportive fans at ringside.

Ilia Popov won Russia’s first gold at Light Flyweight (48 kg) against Ireland’s James Eamer Coughlan, while Nikita Piskunov continued the winning path at Light Bantamweight (52 kg).

Edgard Tcambov (66 kg) and Artem Oganesian (70 kg) also impressed, before the speedy Magomedbek Makhmudov sealed Russia’s fifth success in the Middleweight (75 kg) division against Uzbekistan’s Kosimkhon Kosimov.

Two of Kosimov’s compatriots managed to win gold however, when Bilolbek Mirzarakhimov and Timur Merzhanov secured two gold medals for Uzbekistan, while Kazakhstan’s Daulet Nyssan (50 kg) also won an enthralling final.

Marc Castro earned the sole top podium finish for the  United States of America at Bantamweight (54 kg), and was delighted following his victory.

“It feels great for all those countless hours of training, those early morning training sessions. It is all worth it. The final was against a very good Cuban opponent, but I had the gold medal on my mind, and I was not going to stop until I got my hand raised. I knew I had to give it my all to win this medal. St. Petersburg is a beautiful place, and this was a great event and a great experience. I love it here,” he said.

Cuba did manage to win gold in the competitive Light Heavyweight (60 kg) class as four-time National Games winner Dainier Pero Justiz displayed his virtuoso style to considerable acclaim.

More gold medals were earned by Turkey’s Tugrulhan Erdemir at Lightweight (60 kg), and Romanian Pinweight (46 kg) Cosmin Petre Girleanu, who secured the first AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships medal for his country since 2005.

The last gold medal was achieved by Azerbaijan’s Mahammad Abdullayev in the Heavyweight (+80 kg) division.

A grand total of 20 nations managed to win medals in the event.

Gold medal winners in St. Petersburg

• 46 kg: Cosmin Petre Girleanu, Romania
• 48 kg: Ilia Popov, Russia
• 50 kg: Daulet Nyssan, Kazakhstan
• 52 kg: Nikita Piskunov, Russia
• 54 kg: Marc Castro, United States of America
• 57 kg: Bilolbek Mirzarakhimov, Uzbekistan
• 60 kg: Tugrulhan Erdemir, Turkey
• 63 kg: Timur Merzhanov, Uzbekistan
• 66 kg: Edgard Tcambov, Russia
• 70 kg: Artem Oganesian, Russia
• 75 kg: Magomedbek Makhmudov, Russia
• 80 kg: Dainier Pero Justiz, Cuba
• +80 kg: Mahammad Abdullayev, Azerbaijan

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