Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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Five more Azerbaijani boxers have reached the quarterfinals of the European Boxing U17 Championships in Budva, Montenegro.

The achievement came on the fourth day of the competition, with Hasrat Mammadov (46 kg), Qardash Rahimov (54 kg), Ali Abasli (60 kg), Yusif Hasanli (66 kg) and Hidayat Mammadov (70 kg) all securing victories.

Hasrat Mammadov defeated Russia's Jamal Dustiyev 5:0 (30:27, 29:28, 29:28, 29:28, 30:27). He will face Slovakia's Kristian Mezes in the quarterfinals.

Qardash Rahimov beat Ireland's Sean Kelly 3:2 (28:29, 28:29, 29:28, 29:28, 29:28). His next opponent will be Belarus' Mikita Beskaravay.

Ali Abasli secured a 5:0 victory over Turkiye's Zeki Ugur (30:27, 30:27, 30:27, 30:27, 29:28). He will meet Moldova's Alexandru-Ahile Buhanuyuk in the quarterfinals.

Yusif Hasanli defeated Croatia's Lukas Fulanovic 5:0 (30:27, 30:27, 30:27, 29:28, 30:27). He will next face Italy's Raul Barone.

Hidayat Mammadov completed the clean sweep with a 5:0 win over Switzerland's Joel Schutz (30:27, 30:27, 30:27, 30:27, 30:27). He will face Russia's Sandro Tsimtsba in the next round.

The five Azerbaijani boxers will compete in their quarterfinal bouts on October 8.

Six other members of the Azerbaijani team had previously reached the quarterfinals, while three more Azerbaijani boxers are set to compete in the Round of 16.

Boxing has a long history in Azerbaijan. The country's first national boxing championship was held in 1926, with Azerbaijani boxers taking top honours.

The Azerbaijan Boxing Federation has been a member of the international boxing governing body since 1992. Azerbaijani boxers have since achieved success at major international competitions, winning medals at world championships, European championships and the Olympic Games.

Aghasi Mammadov made history as the first Azerbaijani boxer to win a gold medal at a world championship. Another Azerbaijani boxer, Fuad Asadov, won a medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Azerbaijan has also established itself as a host of major international boxing events. Baku staged the AIBA World Boxing Championships in 2011, which also served as a qualification event for the 2012 London Olympic Games.

The capital later hosted the AOB World Olympic Qualification Event from June 16 to 25, 2016. The tournament brought together 469 boxers from 105 countries and offered 39 quota places for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

In March 2024, Baku hosted the Great Silk Way International Boxing Tournament after a five-year break. The elite men's and women's competition featured 121 boxers from 11 countries across 13 men's and five women's weight categories.

The same year, Baku also hosted the President Heydar Aliyev Cup for junior boxers. The tournament, held from May 12 to 19, brought together 116 boxers from Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.