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Super-heavyweight contest between two of Europe’s leading boxers lights up first day of action at World Boxing Cup: GB Open – Sheffield 2024

Credit: Andy Chubb

A unanimous split decision (3:2) victory by Germany’s 2022 European champion, Nelvie Tiafack over 2023 European Games gold medallist, Delicious Orie, from England in the men’s super-heavyweight division was the stand-out contest in a top-class, first day of action at the ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open’ at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

Tiafack’s victory came in the final bout of the first session of the event which is a new addition to international boxing calendar and only the fourth Olympic-style boxing event to held in Great Britain since the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The German doubled-up his jab to take the fight to the home favourite and force him back during a high energy opening round which saw him secure it 10-9 on all five judges’ scorecards. It proved to be decisive and though Orie made rounds two and three more even, it was the 2022 European champion that had his hand raised at the end of the contest.

Speaking in the mixed zone straight after the bout, Tiafack said: “I am very happy about the result, against a home matador. We fought before at the European Championships 2022 and I got the win last time. I feel like he has made great improvements, so it was a great challenge for me.

“My strategy was to avoid his right hand, basically. I knew he was going to try his long jab from distance, so my strategy was to get close, try not to fall in and get my punches off.

“It is hard to fight the home favourite. It is his homeland, so you have to go the extra mile, and I think I did it, and deserved to win today.”

Orie, who has already secured qualification for Paris 2024 by virtue of his gold medal at last summer’s European Games, was gracious in defeat. 

He said “It was a good bout and just what I needed against a top opponent who I respect, and he beat me fair and square today. I needed that to get myself in gear ahead of the Olympics. There are no excuses. I was training very hard but it’s all about learning from this now.

“I have got a good few months to work and polish things off. Today I met a top opponent, I know I’ll meet him in the Olympics, and I’ll be more than ready then.” 

The super-heavyweight clash concluded an opening session that had begun with an all English clash in the women’s featherweight (57kg) division, which saw Elise Glynn score a split-decision victory over Sameenah Toussaint who is also part of the GB Boxing squad.

Other winners in the first session included: Germany’s Felicitas Gangbauer at lightweight (60kg) and Sweden’s Love Holgersson (75kg) in the women’s weights and Kelvin Soquessa from the Czech Republic in the men’s light-middleweight (71kg) class.

The second session saw the German team continue its run of success with victories for Maxi Klotzer at flyweight (50kg) and Hansen Ousainou in the men’s featherweight (57kg) category. Their only loss on the day came in the final bout which saw Nigeria’s Paris-bound Olympic qualifier, Adam Olaore secure a unanimous victory over Tyron Amo in their heavyweight contest.

Other winners in the later session included Finland’s Pihla Kaivo-Oja at flyweight, Welsh featherweight, Owain Harris, and Sweden’s Zehra Millin and Lauren Mackie of England in the women’s bantamweight (54kg) division.

All of today’s results and images from the bouts can be viewed at  https://www.englandboxing.org/world-boxing-cup-gb-open/.

The second day of competition tomorrow will feature two sessions of boxing, starting at 11:00 and 17:00 and is being streamed live on World Boxing’s YouTube page and the BBC.

World Boxing YouTube

BBC:

The ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open – Sheffield 2024’ is being delivered by England Boxing in association with World Boxing and GB Boxing and is supported by the National Lottery, UK Sport and Sheffield City Council.

World Boxing will be posting updates throughout the competition on its social media channels:

90 boxers from 16 countries to battle it out at the World Boxing Cup: GB Open – Sheffield 2024

Credit: Athlete 365

The countdown to Paris 2024 continues this week when the ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open, Sheffield 2024’ gets underway at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, England, 17-20 January 2024.

More than 90 boxers from 16 countries are registered to take-part in the tournament which is one of the last tune-up events before the upcoming Olympic qualifier in Italy (4-11 March 2024) and only the fourth elite, multi-nation, Olympic-style boxing competition to be held in Great Britain since London 2012. 14 of the countries are members of World Boxing. The two non-members, Gambia and Antigua and Barbuda, have been given permission to compete by the Executive Board of World Boxing.

The event is a new addition to the elite international boxing calendar and part of the World Boxing Cup series developed by World Boxing.  The World Boxing Cup is a new format in which male and female boxers accrue ranking points over several stages of competition throughout the calendar year and culminates in a year-end finals event when the stage winners and other top-ranked boxers compete for the World Boxing Cup trophy.

The World Boxing Cup in Sheffield will be first event of the 2024 series and features seven men’s weight categories and six for women, the same as those that will be used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The 16 countries taking part in the competition are: Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Finland, French Polynesia, Gambia, Germany, Mongolia, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Panama, Scotland, Sweden, Wales and Antigua and Barbuda. The IOC’s Refugee Team will also be represented by Cindy Ngamba who will participate in the women’s 75kg category.

Other names taking part in the competition include:

  • English super-heavyweight, Delicious Orie, who has already qualified for Paris 2024, after winning gold at the 2023 European Games
  • Germany’s Maxi Klotzer, who won gold and the award for Best Female Fighting Performance at the World Boxing Cup: Cologne 2023
  • Nikolai Terteryan from Denmark who also secured qualification for Paris 2024 when he won light-middleweight gold at the 2023 European Games
  • Nigeria’s English based heavyweight, Adam Olaore, who secured qualification for Paris 2024 at the recent Africa Qualification Tournament in Dakar
  • Panama’s two-time Olympian and two-time world championship medallist, Atheyna Bylon who will compete in the women’s middleweight division

The draw takes place at 20:00 (GMT) on Tuesday 16 January 2024.  Following this, details of the draw, all event documents and results can be viewed at  https://www.englandboxing.org/world-boxing-cup-gb-open/.

The event is being streamed live on World Boxing’s YouTube page and, for people in the UK, on the BBC. Details on how to view these over the four days of competition are below:

World Boxing YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@officialworldboxing/streams):

BBC:

The event will be delivered by England Boxing in association with World Boxing and GB Boxing and is supported by the National Lottery, UK Sport and Sheffield City Council.

World Boxing will be posting updates throughout the competition on its social media channels:

Sheffield to host new international World Boxing Cup event in January 2024

A new international boxing competition hosted by England Boxing and World Boxing in association with GB Boxing, will take place from 17-20 January 2024 at the English Institute of Sport Sheffield, England.

The event, known as the ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open, Sheffield 2024’, is a new addition to the elite international boxing calendar and will be part of the World Boxing Cup series developed by World Boxing, the new international federation which has been established to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement.

The World Boxing Cup is a new format in which male and female boxers accrue ranking points over several stages of competition throughout the calendar year. It culminates in a year-end Finals event when the stage winners and other top-ranked boxers compete for the World Boxing Cup trophy.

The World Boxing Cup event in Sheffield will be first event of the 2024 series and feature seven men’s weight categories and six for women, the same as those that will be used at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The event will be delivered by England Boxing in association with World Boxing and GB Boxing and is supported by the National Lottery, UK Sport and Sheffield City Council.

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, explained:  “World Boxing is committed to delivering a calendar of high quality competition opportunities that are designed in the interests of the boxers and it is fantastic that we will be bringing this event to England as part of the new World Boxing Cup series.  The timing of the event is great for all concerned, as it leads into the Olympic qualifier in Italy and shows that we are delivering a competition structure that works for the boxers and will benefit the sport.” 

GB Boxing’s Chief Executive, Matt Holt, said: “We have been aiming to have an international boxing competition in the UK for some time now, so it is great that we have been able to link-up with the new international federation and key local stakeholders to develop an event that can be part of next year’s World Boxing Cup series.  It is very good news for the boxers in our squad, who usually compete abroad, and means they will be able to box at home where their family and friends will be able to watch them. 

“This is a huge year for our boxers and being able to host this event at home, prior to the second Olympic qualifying event (in Italy from 29 February – 12 March 2024), is ideal preparation for the men and women in our squad as they look to secure their places at Paris 2024.”

Jerome Pels, Chief Executive, England Boxing, added: “We are very proud to be a part of the new World Boxing Cup series and are looking forward to being part of this event which will be a superb opportunity to showcase the popularity of boxing in England.  Our staff, officials, and volunteers all possess the skills and expertise necessary to deliver a top-class competition and are looking forward to collaborating with World Boxing and GB Boxing to bring this event to life.

“Having a World Boxing Cup event in England is fantastic for the sport at all levels.  It is a tremendous opportunity for Great Britain’s elite boxers to showcase their talent on home soil and, at the same, provides a platform for us to promote, develop and grow the sport at the grassroots.”

Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development Committee at Sheffield City Council said: “It’s great to see this event coming to Sheffield, the home of the Team GB boxing programme.  Events like this are really beneficial to the city and we look forward to working with World Boxing, England Boxing and GB Boxing to deliver a great competition.”

All of the National Federations that have joined World Boxing have been invited to take part in the ‘World Boxing Cup: GB Open, Sheffield 2024’.  National Federations that are not currently members will be able to participate provided their request is approved by the Executive Board of World Boxing.

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement.  It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.

27 National Federations, covering every continent that participates in Olympic-style boxing are members of World Boxing.  The first cohort was made-up of USA Boxing, New Zealand Boxing, Boxing Australia, GB Boxing, England Boxing and the Dutch Boxing Federation.  They were joined in August 2023 by the National Federations for boxing in Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Honduras and Sweden.  The next two groups to join included Denmark, Mongolia, Panama, French Polynesia, Finland, Iceland, Jamaica, Nigeria, Norway and the Czech Republic.  The most recent cohort of members in October 2023 was comprised of Philippines, Scotland, Wales, Suriname and the US Virgin Islands.

Follow World Boxing on social media at:       

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialworldboxing/

X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/RealWorldBoxing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialWorldBoxing

Australian boxers dominate the Oceania Qualification Tournament at Pacific Games to secure 12 of 13 Olympic places on offer

Credit: Athlete 365

Australia has dominated the boxing action in the Oceania Qualification Tournament at The Pacific Games in the Soloman Islands to win 12 of the 13 Olympic qualification that were on offer at the tournament.

Seven nations were represented in the finals of the boxing tournament which saw Australia almost complete a clean sweep of the Olympic quota places.

The only weight class where it did not win the gold medal was the men’s heavyweight (92kg) division where Samoa’s Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali defeated Adrian Paoletti from Australia to book his place at Paris 2024.

The twelve Australian qualifiers include 2020 bronze medallist, Harry Garside, and middleweight, Caitlin Parker, who will both be competing in their second Olympic Games next year in Paris, having represented the green and gold in Tokyo.

In the women’s 66kg category, Marissa Williamson will be the first Aboriginal women to represent Australia in boxing at the Olympic Games after she defeated New Zealand’s Cara Simone Wharerau.

The full list of winners from the quota bouts at the Oceania Qualification Tournament is:

WeightBoxerCountry
Women’s 50kgMonique SuraciAustralia
Women’s 54kgTiana EchegarayAustralia
Women’s 57kgTina RahimiAustralia
Women’s 60kgTyla McdonaldAustralia
Women’s 66kgMarissa WilliamsonAustralia
Women’s 75kgCaitlin ParkerAustralia
Men’s 51kgYusuf ChothiaAustralia
Men’s 57kgCharlie SeniorAustralia
Men’s 63.5kgHarry GarsideAustralia
Men’s 71kgShannan DaveyAustralia
Men’s 80kgCallum PetersAustralia
Men’s 92kgAto Plodzicki-FaoagaliSamoa
Men’s +92kgTeremoana TeremoanaAustralia

Details of all results from the Oceania Qualification Tournament can be found at https://boxing.athlete365.org/boxing-road-to-paris-2024/2023-oceania-qualification-tournament/.

The Oceania Qualification Tournament was the final continental qualifier for next year’s Olympics as part of the boxing Pathway to Paris.

The only remaining way to secure a place in Paris is via the two world qualifying events in 2024. The first of these is in Busto Arsizio, on the outskirts of Milan, Italy, (29 February – 12 March 2024). The second and last boxing qualification tournament will be held in Bangkok, Thailand (23 May – 3 June 2024).

To keep up to date with World Boxing, follow our social channels:

Boxers compete for Olympic quota places in final stages of Oceania Qualification Tournament

Credit: Athlete 365

With the boxing action starting earlier this week, 140 boxers from 17 countries have been whittled down to a remaining 26 male and female boxers. The finalists will compete for 13 Olympic places in the final two days of the Oceania Qualification Tournament at the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands.

Australia has dominated so far in the competition, seeing every one of the nation’s boxers progress to the 13 Olympic qualification finals, which will take place across Friday 1 – Saturday 2 December. The action will also see boxers from:

  • New Zealand (4)
  • Samoa (3)
  • Tonga (3)
  • Papa New Guinea (2)
  • Solomon Islands (1)
  • Fiji (1)

The full list of upcoming Olympic qualification final bouts at the Oceania Qualification Tournament are:

ClassFinalist 1 / NationFinalist 2 / Nation
Women’s
49-50kg		Tasmyn Benny / NZLMonique Suraci / AUS
Women’s
53-54kg		Tiana Echegaray / AUSHainite Kayla Tuitupou / TON
Women’s
55-57kg		Tina Rahimi / AUSFeofaaki Epenisa /
TON
Women’s
60kg		Tyla McDonald / AUSErin Walsh / NZL
Women’s
64-66kg		Sheila Yama / PNGMarissa Williamson /
AUS
Women’s
71-75kg		Deanne Read / NZLCaitlin Parker / AUS
Men’s
49-51kg		Yusuf Chothia / AUSClinton Tetekana / SLB
Men’s
55-57kg		Allan Oaike / PNGCharlie Senior / AUS
Men’s
61-63.5kg		Harry Garside / AUSElia Rokobuli / FJI
Men’s
68-71kg		Wendell Stanley / NZLShannan Davey / AUS
Men’s
76-80kg		Callum Peters / AUSRoman Viney / TON
Men’s
87-92kg		Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali /
WSM		Adrian Paoletti / AUS
Men’s
92kg+		Elijah Mercury-Leafa /
WSM		Teremoana Teremoana / AUS

World Boxing will be posting images and results on social media channels:

For more information, visit:

Eleven boxers claim gold in first World Boxing Challenge event at Tampere in Finland

Eleven boxers from five countries won gold medals at the first ever World Boxing Challenge event that took place in Tampere, Finland last weekend (24-26 November 2023).

The event, widely known as The Tammer Tournament, was hosted by the Finnish Boxing Federation in collaboration with World Boxing as part of its new World Boxing Challenge series. 

The World Boxing Challenge is designed to provide a structure to the existing calendar of competitions delivered by National Federations and awards ranking points to boxers based on their performances at these events which count towards their eligibility to compete in the World Boxing Cup and other major tournaments.

The action in Finland, which included five female weight classes and six for men, saw a strong performance from the home nation with Pihla Kaivo-oja (50kg) and Vilma Viitanen (57kg) winning gold in the women’s categories and Ismail Umar (63.5kg) matching them in the men’s.

It was a feat equalled by England and Germany, whose team’s also won three golds each.  The other nations that finished with a boxer on top of the podium were Norway and Wales who saw Sunniva Hofstad (75kg) and Rosie Eccles (66kg) respectively, triumph in their weight classes.

The full list of winners is:

WeightBoxerCountry
Women’s 50kgPihla Kaivo-oja,Finland
Women’s 54kgCharley DavidsonEngland
Women’s 57kgVilma ViitanenFinland
Women’s 66kgRosie EcclesWales
Women’s 75kgSunniva HofstadNorway
Men’s 51kgSalah IbrahimGermany
Men’s 63.5kg:Ismail UmarFinland
Men’s 71kgMagomed SchachidovGermany
Men’s 80kgRamtin MusahEngland
Men’s 92kgPatrick BrownEngland
Men’s 92+kgNelvie TiafackGermany

All of the results from the tournament can be viewed at

https://tammerturnaus.com/tulokset/.

Follow World Boxing’s social channels for updates on future World Boxing Challenge events:

Boris van der Vorst elected first President of World Boxing at inaugural Congress

Boris van der Vorst has been elected as the first President of World Boxing at its inaugural Congress in Frankfurt.

The Dutchman secured 63 per cent of the vote against Elise Seignolle from USA Boxing and will serve an initial two-year term.

In his inaugural Presidential speech following the election, Boris van der Vorst, said: “I am humbled and honoured to have been elected President of World Boxing and I would like to thank everyone that has supported me in recent weeks and over the last few years. My campaign was based on the principles integrity, honesty and trust and I will continue to promote these values within our growing boxing family.

“Making sure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic Movement is our number one priority and I look forward to working together with the newly elected board and all of our member National Federations to help us deliver this.”

The Presidential election was one of a series of votes at the Congress which covered a range of positions including three Vice Presidents (VP), four places on World Boxing’s Executive Board and the Chairs of the Sport and Competition Committee, the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee.

Three women and five men took part in the Vice Presidential elections which saw Canada’s Ryan O’Shea, Matt Holt from GB Boxing and the CEO of Boxing Australia, Dinah Glykidis emerge with the most votes to secure the three places.

The four candidates elected to the Executive Board were: Michael Muller from Germany, Victorico Vargas from the Philippines, Sweden’s Susanne Karrlander and Marcos Candido de Brito of Brazil.

In the election to chair World Boxing Committees, Hernan Salvo or Argentina secured the role as Chair of Sport and Competition Committee; Dr Armando Sanchez from the USA got the most to Chair the Medical and Anti-Doping Committee and Julia Felton from Australia will Chair the Finance and Audit Committee.

The 11 winners in today’s elections will form a 14-person Executive Board, along with the two Athlete Representatives, Lauren Price and Richard Torrez Jr, and the Secretary General, Simon Toulson.

The Vice Presidents and Executive Board members will serve terms of two or four years. The difference in the length of terms is designed to enhance democratic accountability and means that World Boxing will hold elections every two years.

The Congress was attended by 26 of World Boxing’s 27 member countries. Delegates had one or two votes in line with the policies set out in the World Boxing statutes.

The Secretary General of World Boxing, Simon Toulson, said: “The inaugural Congress is a very significant milestone in the development of World Boxing and to have so many members attend in person, is a sign of people’s commitment to the organisation and everything we are trying to achieve for the sport.

“Hosting open, fair and transparent elections is a central element of World Boxing’s commitment to operating to the highest standards of governance and today’s events today have shown that the organisation is delivering on this commitment and I look forward to working with the newly appointed Executive Board and to help create a better future for the sport.”

A full list of the people elected to office is below:

OfficeNameLength of term
PresidentBoris van der Vorst (NED)Two years
Vice PresidentRyan O’Shea (CAN)Two years
Vice PresidentMatt Holt (GB)Four years
Vice PresidentDinah Glykidis (AUS)Four years
Executive BoardMichael Muller (GER)Two years
Executive BoardVictorico Vargas (PHI)Four years
Executive BoardSuzanne Karrlander (SWE)Two years
Executive BoardMarcos Candido de Brito (BRA)Two years
Chair Sport and Competition CommitteeHernan Salvo (ARG)Four years
Chair, Chair Medical and Anti-DopingDr Armando Sanchez (USA)Four years
Chair Finance and Audit CommitteeJulia Felton (AUS)Four years

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.

First commerical partnership for World Boxing sees it agree a four-year sponsorship deal for Sting to become its Official Competition Equipment Supplier

World Boxing, the new international federation established to keep boxing at the heart of the Olympic Movement, has agreed its first commercial partnership with Sting, one of the world’s leading manufacturers and suppliers of premium boxing kit and equipment.

The exclusive, four-year sponsorship deal means Sting will become World Boxing’s Official Competition Equipment Supplier and provide all the gloves, protective clothing, handwraps and training equipment used by boxers during tournaments including the World Boxing Cup series and the U19 and elite World Boxing Championships.

The agreement, which was formally signed at World Boxing’s inaugural Congress in Frankfurt (24-25 November 2023), will also see Sting provide expertise and advice on the development of competition equipment and contribite to the work of World Boxing’s Sport and Competition Committee. As part of this, both parties have also committed to explore the use of Artificial Intellgience (AI) in the development of intelligent kit for fitness.

World Boxing’s Secretary General, Simon Toulson, said: “Signing our first commerical partnership with one of the world’s top suppliers of premium boxing equipment is extremely positive for World Boxing. It shows that leading boxing brands like Sting share our values and principles and want to be associated with World Boxing as they believe in what we are trying to achieve for the sport and everyone connected with it.

“This will significantly enhance the quality and prestige of our competitions and is great news for all of the boxers using Sting equipment in World Boxing tournaments in the coming years, as they know they will be competing with top quality products and equipment.”

Amir Anis, Managing Director, Sting International, added: “It is great for Sting to be World Boxing’s first commercial partner and we are very excited to agree this four-year sponsorship deal that will ensure boxers competing at World Boxing events will have access to the safest and best equipment which will enable them to perform at their best and achieve their full potential.”

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. It will seek recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and plans to work constructively and collaboratively to develop a pathway that will preserve boxing’s ongoing place on the Olympic competition programme at Los Angeles 2028 and beyond. It currently has 27 members representing all of the continents that compete in international boxing.

Sting is a supplier of premium boxing equipment for Olympic boxers, professionals and fitness participants. Products include gloves, protective equipment, coaching products, accessories and punch bags which use the best materials, the latest design techniques and the most skilled craftsmen to create items of unrivalled quality. Sting was the official kit supplier for boxing to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games and has supply agreements with numerous leading National Federations including Australia, England, Germany, Scotland, USA and GB Boxing.