Romanian boxers Fabian Stroe, Ciprian Iofciu and Iosif Bandula on Thursday secured medals for themselves at the EUBC Youth Men and Women European Boxing Championships in Porec, Croatia, by advancing to the semi-finals.
In the men’s bantamweight (M54 kg) category, Stroe defeated Poland’s Oskar Grodzicki in the quarter-finals on points (5-0), and in the semis he will meet Ukrainian Maksym Chekin on April 12.
In the men’s featherweight (M57 kg) quarter-finals, Iofciu prevailed over Cypriot Spyros Velios (5-0), and in the semi-finals he will face Albanian Adam Maca on April 12.
Iosif Bandula also progressed to the semis, in the light welterweight (M63.5 kg) category, after a victory over Croatia’s Mate Jukic. His next opponent will be Latvian Emmanuils Sidorenko on April 12.
George Edmond Maradin lost on points (0-5) in the flyweight (M51 kg) quarter-finals to Poland’s Mateusz Szczoczarz.
Romania has secured five medals, as Amalia Nita (W75 kg) and Amalia Tugui (W66 kg) also progressed to the semis.
The Romanian women’s team, coached by Constantin Galbenuse and Luminita Turcin, is composed of Ramona Manea (W48 kg), Lucica Petrache (W52 kg), Gabriela Cioroba (W57 kg), Amalia Tugui (W66 kg), Eliza Sopterean (W70 kg), Amalia Nita (W75 kg), Denisa Manu (W81 kg) and Elena Platon (W+81 kg).
Amalia Nita, a double junior champion, won gold, in the W70 kg category, at the 2023 EUBC Youth Men and Women European Boxing Championships in Yerevan, Armenia, and Denisa Manu was the junior continental vice-champion in 2023, in Ploiesti.
The men’s team, coached by Dorel Simion, Ionut Gheorghe, and Doru Neamtu, consists of George Edmond Maradin (M51 kg), Fabian Stroe (M54 kg), Ciprian Iofciu (M57 kg), Vasile Scalco (M60 kg), Iosif Bandula (M 63.5 kg), Arun Tudoroiu (M67 kg), Istvan Szucs (M75 kg) and Matei Nastasiuc (M86 kg).
Arun Nicu Tudoroiu is a M63.5 kg silver medallist of the 2023 EUBC Youth Men and Women European Boxing Championships in Yerevan and Stroe and Nastasiuc were European junior champions in 2023 in Ploiesti.
The objective set by the Romanian Boxing Federation is 1-2 medals for each team.
In Yerevan in 2023, Romania lined up 23 boxers, of which 13 men and 10 women, and won 9 medals, including three gold – Mihaela Badescu (W48 kg), Amalia Nita (W70 kg) and Florin Ionita (M92 kg); two silver – Diana Maria Tanasescu (W66 kg) and Arun Nicu Tudoroiu (M63.5 kg), and four bronze – Crinuta Andra Nicole Sebe (W63 kg), Maria Gheorghita Cimpoeru (W75 kg), David-Angelo Teodosescu (M80 kg) and Dumitrel Badea (M86 kg).
