Weaver and Yafai lead medal charge at Euros in Moscow

[The_budweiser]

Championships on Tuesday, guaranteeing themselves a medal.

 

Featherweight Weaver beat Oualid Belaoura of France 12-7, while flyweight Yafai romped home against Derenik Gizhlaryan of Armenia 9-1.

 

Light-heavyweight Obed Mbwakongo lost to Frenchman Abdelkader Bouhenia, with four more Brits competing on Wednesday.

 

Britain's best post-War showing in the event was four medals in 1961.

 

Bournemouth's Weaver, 20, is experiencing a stellar year, having already won silver at the prestigious Prime Ministry tournament in Turkey in April and gold at the Commonwealth Federation tournament in Delhi in March.

 

It is Weaver's first year with the elite 'podium' squad, but performance director Robert McCracken has been vindicated in picking him ahead of Luke Campbell in the 57kg category, despite Campbell winning gold as a bantamweight in 2008.

 

Birmingham's Yafai, who competed for Great Britain at the Beijing Games, gave a disciplined and controlled display in his quarter-final.

 

He will now fight for a final place on his 21st birthday on Friday against German Ronny Beblik, who controversially denied him a World Championship medal in Milan last year.

 

"I have been dying to get my revenge against Beblik ever since and now I am going to get my chance," said Yafai.

 

"I feel like a much more mature fighter these days and I'm so happy with my form.

 

"The whole team has been doing brilliantly out here and a lot of that is due to Robert McCracken who has done so well for us as coach."

 

London's Mbwakongo, 21, was level at 7-7 going into the last round but was narrowly defeated 11-9.

 

There will be high hopes for Liverpool lightweight Tom Stalker when he fights Latvian southpaw Artjoms Ramlavs on Wednesday. Stalker, 25, beat Italy's world champion Domenico Valentino on Monday to reach the quarter-finals.

 

Khalid's younger brother Gamal, Tommy Stubbs and Andrew Selby are Britain's other quarter-finalists.

 

Bantamweight Gamal and light-flyweight Stubbs face Irish opposition, with Gamal fighting John Joe Nevin and Stubbs fighting Belfast's Olympic bronze medallist Paddy Barnes.

 

The last time Britain won more than two medals at the Euros was in 1975, when future world champion Charlie Magri was one of three men to win a bronze.

[The_budweiser]

GB boxers guaranteed five medals at European Champs

 

Great Britain are guaranteed their most successful European Championships since 1947 after three more boxers won their quarter-finals in Moscow on Wednesday.

 

Bantamweight Gamal Yafai joined his brother Khalid in the semis, as did lightweight Thomas Stalker and Welsh bantamweight Andrew Selby.

 

All four fighters, plus featherweight Iain Weaver, will box for final places on Friday.

 

"What they've achieved is phenomenal," said head coach Rob McCracken.

 

"We've got a young team and this is regarded as the toughest tournament in amateur boxing. It is a great boost for our hopes looking ahead to London 2012.

 

"It is going to get much harder on Friday but the lads are so full of confidence and they have all come on so well in training over the last few months." Great Britain are guaranteed their most successful European Championships since 1947 after three more boxers won their quarter-finals in Moscow on Wednesday.

 

Bantamweight Gamal Yafai joined his brother Khalid in the semis, as did lightweight Thomas Stalker and Welsh bantamweight Andrew Selby.

 

All four fighters, plus featherweight Iain Weaver, will box for final places on Friday.

 

"What they've achieved is phenomenal," said head coach Rob McCracken.

 

"We've got a young team and this is regarded as the toughest tournament in amateur boxing. It is a great boost for our hopes looking ahead to London 2012.

 

"It is going to get much harder on Friday but the lads are so full of confidence and they have all come on so well in training over the last few months."

 

The last time GB won more than two medals at the tournament was in 1975, and the last time they won five was in 1947, when the final tally was one gold, two silver and two bronze.

 

Birmingham's Gamal, 18, pulled off an upset win over Ireland's 54kg World Championship bronze medallist John Joe Nevin.

 

A superb display of counter-punching saw him breeze through 7-1 to join flyweight Khalid, who made it through on Tuesday.

 

Gamal said: "It's the best feeling ever to have guaranteed a medal in my first major senior tournament but I'm going for a place in the final and gold now."

 

Potentially Gamal could meet his team-mate Selby in the final after the Barry boxer beat Turkey's Furkan Memis 4-1.

 

Liverpool lightweight Stalker survived a countback scare to edge Latvia's Artjoms Ramlavs.

 

Stalker was not in the same form as he had been beating reigning world champion Domenico Valentino last time out and admitted he may have approached the fight feeling a little over-confident.

 

Stalker, 25, said: "I looked at my opponent and thought he wouldn't be too strong but he was better than I thought.

 

"But I got through and it's a great feeling to get a medal. I'm so happy to finally get a bit of luck.

 

"The confidence in this team is great. We have a real winning mentality. We used to walk past other teams like the Russians and fear them. Now it is the Russians and the rest who are fearing us."

 

However, there was disappointment for Liverpool light-flyweight Tommy Stubbs, who was comfortably beaten 8-1 by Belfast's Beijing bronze medallist Paddy Barnes.

 

Meanwhile, Ireland lightweight Eric Donovan beat Hungary's Miklos Varga, meaning Ireland, like Great Britain, have five boxers guaranteed at least bronze medals.

 

Tyrone McCullagh - who next meets Weaver - Darren O'Neill and Ken Egan all made it through on Tuesday.