(JULY 14)
(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – A
squad of the United States’ youth boxers faced off with
international foes this past week in Subotica, Serbia at the
2014 Golden Glove of Vovjodina. Bantamweight
Hector Tanajara
(San Antonio, Texas) led Team USA
with a gold medal finish in the international tournament with
three wins in Serbia. Light flyweight
Thomas Blumenfeld
(Albany, N.Y.) and female
middleweight
Martha Fabela
(Oakland, Calif.) each took home
silver medals while flyweight
Antonio Vargas
(Kissimmee, Fla.) and
welterweight
John Williams
(Baton Rouge, La.) claimed
bronze.
Tanajara, a silver medalist from
the 2014 Junior and Youth Open, took on opponents from France,
Serbia and India in his run to bantamweight gold. Following a
first round bye, he opened tournament action in a bout with host
nation boxer
Nikola Buklica
of Serbia. Tanajara won a 2-1
victory over Buklica in the quarterfinal bout to set up a
match-up with France’s
Jordan Rodriguez.
He took a second straight 2-1 win
over Rodriguez in semifinal round competition to earn a berth in
the finals with India’s
Singh Rampal.
Tanajara continued his winning streak, claiming a 2-0 win over
Rampal to earn the gold medal for Team USA.
Blumenfeld enjoyed a strong week
of boxing in Serbia as well. The light flyweight kicked off
competition with a 2-1 victory over Poland’s
Jakub Solminski
in the quarterfinal round. He
faced off with boxing powerhouse Russia in semifinal round
competition, but he wasn’t intimidated by his opponent, earning
a unanimous decision over
Ivan Abramov
to move on to the light flyweight
final. Blumenfeld fell to India’s
Chand Bhim
by a 2-1 margin to claim a silver
medal in the international competition.
Youth Olympic Games bronze
medalist Fabela competed in her second international event of
the year in Serbia, and she added a silver medal to her trophy
case in 2014 Golden Glove of Vovjodina action. Fabela took a 2-1
decision over India’s
Lovlina Borgohain
in the semifinal round to advance
to the women’s middleweight final. Fabela dropped a 3-0 decision
to familiar foe
Caitlin Parker
of Australia in the championship
bout to earn a silver medal in the international event.
2014 Youth Continental Champion
Vargas won a unanimous decision over Lithuania’s
Sigitas Stoncius
in quarterfinal competition
before dropping a contested, split decision to Russia’s
Levan Khasaia
in the semifinal round.
Welterweight Williams opened
competition with a 2-1 decision over Bosnia and Herzegovina’s
Ivan Guzina
in his quarterfinal bout to move
on to the medal round and a bout with Russia’s
Radzhab Radzhabov.
Williams lost a split decision to Radzhabov to claim his first
international medal.
Light welterweight
Mark Dawson
(Philadelphia, Pa.) fell by a 3-0
score to Armenia’s
Amen Mikhtar
in the quarterfinal contest,
eliminating him from the tournament. Female lightweight
Ariel Arismendez
(Tolleson, Ariz.) dropped her
tournament opener to Youth Olympic Games qualifier bronze
medalist
Anges Alexiusson
of Sweden, 3-0 in her
international debut.
The 2014 Golden Glove of
Vovjodina provided a preview of many of the international
athletes who will compete for gold at the 2014 Youth Olympic
Games in Nanjing, China in August.
USA Boxing Resident Coach
Edward Rivas
(Colorado Springs, Colo.) and
Daniel Soto
(Kissimmee, Fla.) led the U.S.
team in Serbia with
Dr. Robin Goodfellow
(Albion, Mich.) and AIBA official
Shawn Reese
(Harrison, Tenn.) rounding out
the United States staff at the event.
United States
Tournament Finishes
108 lbs/male:
Thomas Blumenfeld, Albany, N.Y. – silver medal
114 lbs/male: Antonio Vargas, Kissimmee, Fla. – bronze
medal
123 lbs/male: Hector Tanajara, San Antonio, Texas – gold
medal
132 lbs/female: Ariel Arismendez, Tolleson, Ariz. –
eliminated in quarterfinals
141 lbs/male: Mark Dawson, Philadelphia, Pa. – eliminated
in quarterfinals
152 lbs/male: John Williams, Baton Rouge, La. – bronze
medal
165 lbs/female: Martha Fabela, Oakland, Calif. – silver
medal
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