Doha, January 31 (QNA) - Amid an incredible attendance of spectators marked by epic success, the curtain fell on the 8th Katara Boxing Championship in Doha on Saturday.
The three-day competition, organized by the Qatar Boxing and Wrestling Federation (QBWF), was held in both the amateur and professional categories. The amateur bouts took place over the first two days, featuring around 65 boxers across the three age groups (open, youth, and juniors), representing 15 clubs from Qatar and a team from Lebanon, competing across 10 weight divisions.
As for the professional category bouts, which took place in the evening on the final day of the championship, they showcased six intense matches on both the technical and tactical levels, with world champions competing for 5 Asian and World titles under the WBC, as well as the Diamond Belt.
In the first match, Russian Kerim Khan Kerimkhanov claimed victory on points over Lebanese Abdulwahab Mashareqi after a balanced contest between the two sides.
In the second match, another Russian, Ruslan Satiev, secured a quick win by defeating his Azerbaijani opponent, Bairam Shammadov, in the second round by knockout.
The third bout, featuring Philippine boxer Jadalie Carolina Medeiros and her Iranian opponent, Shirin Shabani, was fierce and lasted eight rounds, before Medeiros claimed victory on points.
In the fourth match, Algerian Idriss Labidi won decisively over his Indonesian opponent, Rivo Rengkung, finishing the bout in the second round by knockout.
In the fifth bout, Iranian Sajad Sattari defeated his Thai opponent, Kaonar, in the second round by knockout.
Finally, in the sixth and concluding bout, Russian Ali Aliev triumphed on points over American Chip Moraza-Pollard after a strong contest from both fighters.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency, HE President of QBWF Sheikh Fahad bin Khalid Al-Thani said that throughout the three-day saga, the event featured participation from all age categories -Prep, Junior, Youth, and Elite/Professional -with the first and second days dedicated to amateur competitions in the men’s, youth, and junior divisions, featuring 15 clubs from Qatar and a team from Lebanon, competing across 10 weight divisions for 26 gold medals.
The final day was reserved for professional bouts in various combat sports, featuring world-ranked fighters competing for 4 Asian and World WBC titles, as well as the Diamond Belt, Sheikh Fahad highlighted.
He added that the event is one of the key tournaments in QBWF's calendar, affirming that the federation is committed to holding it annually to discover new boxing talent for the different age-group national teams, while also giving clubs and centers across the nation the opportunity to participate, gain experience, and develop their competitive level.
This was a record-breaking participation and stronger than previous editions, with the number of participants increasing to encompass multiple clubs and academies in the nation, as well as Lebanon's team, Sheikh Fahad noted.
Sheikh Fahad emphasized that QBWF's plan is based on organizing a substantial number of events to promote the level of boxers and their talent.
He stressed that QBWF's strategy underpins the development of all elements -boxers, trainers, clubs, academies, and special centers -with the objective of enlarging the base and attracting younger people and emerging talent to represent Qatar on all stages. (QNA)