Great Britain secure at least three medals as Reid, Thomas and Burton reach European semi‑finals
Chantelle Reid, Damar Thomas and Abdul Burton reached the semi‑finals at the European Championships in Sofia, guaranteeing Great Britain a minimum of three medals after wins at the Asics Arena Sports Hall.
Great Britain are assured of at least three medals at the European Boxing Championships in Sofia after Chantelle Reid, Damar Thomas and Abdul Burton advanced to the semi‑finals. Reid produced a 5-0 victory in the women’s light‑middleweight division, while Thomas also won 5-0 in the men’s super‑heavyweight. Burton edged out home favourite Javier Ibanez 3-2. The wins at the Asics Arena Sports Hall mean each boxer has secured at least a bronze as the tournament moves into its final stages.
Reid, Thomas and Burton clinch semi‑final spots to guarantee medals
Chantelle Reid, Damar Thomas and Abdul Burton all reached the semi‑finals at the European Championships in Sofia, securing at least three medals for Great Britain. Reid, a 28‑year‑old Commonwealth Games silver medallist, beat Ireland's Evelyn Igharo 5-0 in the women's light‑middleweight contest at the Asics Arena Sports Hall. In the men's super‑heavyweight bracket, 21‑year‑old Damar Thomas recorded a 5-0 victory over Georgia's Nikoloz Begadze. Abdul Burton, aged 20, secured his semi‑final place with a 3-2 win against home favourite and Olympic bronze medallist Javier Ibanez. Under the tournament's format, reaching the last four guarantees each boxer a bronze.
Opponents set: Reid to face Matovic, Thomas meets Abdullayev, Burton draws Gumus
The semi‑final pairings for Great Britain's trio were confirmed: Reid will face Serbia's Milena Matovic in the women's light‑middleweight semi‑final. Thomas is scheduled to meet Mahammad Abdullayev of Azerbaijan in the men's super‑heavyweight semi-final. Burton's reward for his narrow victory over Javier Ibanez is a semi‑final against Turkey's Semih Gumus. All three semi‑finals are due to take place on Wednesday, according to the tournament schedule reported from Sofia.
Quarter‑final hopes for four, but majority of squad eliminated
Lauren Mackie, Amy Broadhurst, Callum Makin and Oladimeji Shittu were reported to be due in quarter‑final action on Wednesday, keeping additional British hopes alive. However, more than half of Britain's 15‑strong squad have now been eliminated from the competition. On Tuesday, flyweight Ruby White lost 3-2 to Turkey's Olympic silver medallist Hatice Akbas, while Emily Asquith was beaten 5-0 by Ireland's Lisa O'Rourke in the light‑heavyweight division. In the men's heavyweight bracket, Commonwealth Games champion Isaac Okoh bowed out with a 3-0 defeat to Germany's Kevin Lebowski.
Burton: 'I am young, hungry and here to take over'
After his 3-2 victory over Javier Ibanez, Abdul Burton reflected on the win, saying: "Sometimes you have got to dig in, and when things went against me, I had to get stuck in and show who I was." He added: "I am young, hungry and here to take over." He said this after Burton's last‑eight success in Sofia, where he moved into the semi‑finals and secured a medal for Great Britain.