A Huntingdonshire boxer has been selected to represent England at the European Junior Championships.
Tobias Taylor, from Somersham, attended the tournament in Bosnia which took place between June 23-30 following his fourth successive national championship win in May.
The 16-year-old, who trains at the New Saints Boxing Club in St Neots, drew the Italian champion Francesco Foglia in the round of 16.
After a cautious opening round, Tobias put the pressure on Foglia in the second and third rounds to secure a unanimous 5-0 victory.
This set up a clash with Irish champion John Mongans, and the much-anticipated contest didn’t disappoint, with Tobias reverting to his excellent counterpunching style, frustrating Mongans to take another 5-0 decision win.
In a third contest, Tobias took part in the semi-finals, where he met former foe Zurab Oboladze of Georgia.
In 2022, Tobias beat Oboladze in the European Schools Championships on route to winning the gold medal, and from the start it was clear the Georgian was determined for revenge.
Oboladze turned the contest into a brawl, and although Tobias stood toe-to-toe throughout, he was edged out in an agonisingly close 3-2 split decision.
Despite his disappointment, Tobias earned a bronze medal, along with Moldovan champion Ilia Hornet, who lost his semi-final to the eventual gold medallist Vladislav Lavrinenko of Russia.
In a tournament between champions representing 27 countries, Tobias has done fantastically well to secure a medal that will be proudly displayed alongside his 2022 gold medal and national belts at the family home in Somersham.
It’s been another fantastic season for Tobias, with the Barum Box Cup win last September, a fourth national title in May, and now a European medal.
It’s time for him to take a well-earned rest, and when he returns in the autumn, we’ll start preparing him for the transition to Youth category (17-18 year old) in January, where he will box three minute rounds rather than two minutes.
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