Final preparations have turned into the last stage before the AIBA Men’s and Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships. Less than a month left before the start of the competition, where 20 champions will be crowned. At the moment, 51 countries and about 400 boxers confirmed their participation.
The Polish city of Kielce, which recently organized the Leszek Drogosz Memorial Tournament, will host the competition. Poland has never hosted any of the AIBA Championships, therefore the upcoming competition in Kielce could be the biggest boxing event in the country.
Many of the European nations are planning to attend the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships. The last edition of the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships was held in Budva, Montenegro in November 2020. The stars from that continental event will take part in the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Kielce.
There is a strong interest also on the Asian continent to participate in the tournament. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, India, Japan and Thailand are top nations in Asia but they all have several medal hopes at the world event as well. Kyrgyzstan, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Malaysia, Palestine and many others from the continent are also planning to participate in the Championships.
The Local Organizing Committee (LOC) claims that they are prepared to organize the event in accordance to all safety measures.
“We have detailed safety guidelines. We follow very strict rules and standards because our priority is the health and safety of all competitors and staff. However, it’s a job that we do with satisfaction because it enables us to compete in these difficult times,” the President of Polish Boxing Federation Mr. Grzegorz Nowaczek said.
The organizers have a big amount of safety products: masks, disinfecting liquids, disinfecting cabins with silver ions (disinfection for 72 hours). In case of suspicion of infection, they have rapid tests. They also prepare special isolation units for potentially infected ones. The entire infrastructure of the venue has been created. Plans of the secure movement have been designed to limit the contact between boxers and coaches from different teams.
AIBA President Mr. Kremlev underlines the importance of the Championships and expresses gratitude to the Polish Boxing Federation for organizing such a crucial event.
“We are confident that the Championships will be conducted at the highest level. From our side, we are ready to provide all necessary support and input to help that it happens. We do it first of all for the sake of our young athletes, who need an opportunity to perform at the international level. Surely, safety is also our priority in the pandemic times,” Mr. Kremlev added.
Depending on the current Covid regulations, there will be available trips for teams to travel to some local tourist attractions. Boxers and coaches will have the opportunity to get themselves familiar with Polish culture and customs.
