Volosenko, Cholov and Hadjit are quarter-finalist in Sofia

Kazakhstan’s Rimma Volosenko, Bulgaria’s William Cholov and Belgium’s Noa Hadjit secured their places in the last eight at the 77th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia today.

Ukraine’s Alona Unkovska is not an experienced team member yet but she worked hard in all of the three rounds to win her opener in Sofia. The Ukrainian faced Czechia’s European Youth silver medallist Claudia Totova and she gained back the control from the beginning of the second round to eliminate a technician opponent.

Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kazakova won her first Asian title as a junior still back in 2019 and since then she earned several big titles. Kazakova will turn 23 this year but she had all of the routine and technical skills to win the three rounds against Kazakhstan’s Zhazira Urakbayeva at the women’s 51kg weight.

Mongolia’s Nomin-Erdene Tugsjargal returned to the national team after a break and she received the right to compete in the Strandja Memorial Tournament. The 23-year-old Mongolian is back on track but United States’ Alyssa Mendoza was in different level today on their 57kg meeting.

Kazakhstan’s Ulzhan Sarsenbek bowed out her teammate, Aidana Zabynbekova in the women’s 57kg, which was followed their veteran, Rimma Volosenko at the 60kg. The Asian Champion Volosenko had a physically strong US opponent on Day3, Alisha Crockett, but she found the best angles in the attacks to win their meeting.

Kazakhstan’s reigning Asian Champion at the women’s 60kg weight class, Viktoriya Grafeyeva developed rapidly in the recent three years and she had a strong win over Turkey’s Paris Olympian Gizem Ozer on Day3. The tall Grafeyeva had to do still her very best in the last round to beat the Turkish boxer in Sofia.

Belgium’s Youth World bronze medallist Noa Hadjit had a superb second round against Germany’s Valerij Walter which caused the difference between them. Bulgaria’s European U23 silver medallist William Cholov delivered smart boxing in the next 80kg bout when he met Algeria’s Mustapha Abdou.