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World boxing championship Milan 2009
The XV edition of the World Boxing Championship came to an end in Milan yesterday. Over the last 13 days, 554 boxers from round the globe fought it out against each other, each aiming for the top step of the podium. The final day of the event witnessed the very best in action. The first fight of the day saw history being made in the light flyweight (48 kg) final, as 2008 Olympic silver medallist Serdamba Purevdorj won Mongolia’s first ever World Championship gold medal beating David Ayrapetyan. With the score tied 3-3 after the first round, it was the Asian who went ahead to win 10-5 in the end.
In the flyweight (51 kg) final, Puerto Rican McWilliams Arroyo won the first gold medal for his country in amateur boxing since 1974, comfortably beating surprise finalist from Mongolia, Tugstsogt Nyambayar. Next followed the bantamweight (54 kg) final, where defensive specialist Detelin Dalakliev of Bulgaria got the better of former junior World Champion and World Cup winner Russian Eduard Abzalimov 5-3 in a tense affair. 21 year old Olympic and European champion Vasyl Lomachenko of Ukraine continued his domination of the featherweight (57 kg) category by beating Sergey Vodopyanov of Russia 12-1.
Italy’s Domenico Valentino won his first World Championship gold medal beating Jose Pedraza of Puerto Rico 9-4 in the light weight (60 kg) category. He was third in 2005 and second in 2007. Roniel Iglesias of Cuba then took on 17 year old Frankie Gomez of USA in the light welterweight (64 kg) final. The youngest finalist in the Milan event was no match for the World Cup winner and Olympic Bronze medallist, who won 8-2. The welterweight (69 kg) final witnessed a shock result when runaway favourite Andrey Zamkovoy of Russia came up short against his tactically superior German opponent Jack Culcay-Keth.
Abbos Atoev of Uzbekistan, World Champion in the last edition at the light weight category, easily beat his American opponent Andranik Hakobyan in the middleweight (75 kg) final. The Uzbek who defeated India’s Vijender Kumar in the semifinal, won by a 9-0 margin. In a thrilling light heavyweight (81 kg) final, Artur Beterbiev, the 2006 European Champion, outplayed Asian Champion Elshod Rasulov of Uzbekistan. The Uzbek lead most of the time, but Artur came from behind to snatch a 13-10 victory. The heavyweight (91 kg) title went to Egor Mekhontsev of Russia, who defeated top seed Osmai Acosta of Cuba by a decisive margin, 12-2.
Finally, World and Olympic Champion Roberto Cammarelle rounded off a perfect day for hosts Italy, beating Ukrainian Roman Kapitonenko 10-5 in the super heavyweight (91+ kg) final. Cammarelle was also voted by the media, as Best Boxer of the tournament.
