From 9 to 18 December, the first European U17 Junior Boxing Championships took place in Kienbaum, Germany, organised by the newly established European Confederation of World Boxing. The tournament brought together 384 athletes from 31 countries and became a significant event in European junior boxing.
The greatest success for the Latvian team was achieved by Timurs Gulbis (70 kg weight category). On his way to the semifinals, he convincingly defeated boxers from the Czech Republic (Jan Sykora) and England (Luke Moore). In the semifinal, Gulbis lost to Ukraine’s Mykyta Koval, securing a bronze medal for Latvia.
“It was a genuine pleasure to be together with the team at this championship. All athletes demonstrated strong performances, proving that we are capable of winning even in bouts where our opponents were considered favourites. Unfortunately, in some cases refereeing decisions raised questions about their objectivity, once again highlighting that as representatives of a small country we often need a very clear advantage to be awarded a victory. I would especially like to highlight bronze medallist Timurs Gulbis — an outstanding performance and achievement despite all difficulties. I also thank the entire coaching staff for keeping the athletes in good competitive condition throughout the championship. Considering that this year Latvian boxers have won one silver and two bronze medals across all age groups at European Championships, with sufficient investment we have solid grounds to expect even better results in the future,” said Gatis Gudermanis, President of the Latvian Boxing Federation.
Latvia was represented at the championship by fourteen young boxers, led by head coach Artjoms Ramlavs, together with coaches Uldis Ozols, Jānis Naumovs, and Aleksandrs Sotņiks. Latvia was also represented by referee Ivans Lisenko.
The Latvian Boxing Federation (LBF) organised the participation of the national team in the championship, providing Latvian athletes with the opportunity to represent their country at the highest European level in junior competition.
Fifth-place finishes were achieved by three Latvian boxers:
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Grāfs Putraševičs (63 kg): defeated Sweden’s Wilmer Ekblom Olsson in the round of 16, then lost in the quarterfinals to Romania’s Florin-Nelu Ulmeanu.
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Mārtiņš Kušners (75 kg): defeated Poland’s Mateusz Kiwka in the round of 16, then lost in the quarterfinals to Ukraine’s Kiril Bondarenko.
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Vladislavs Ustinovs (80 kg): defeated Turkey’s Alpaslan Coban in the round of 32 and the Czech Republic’s Jan Vymazal in the round of 16, before losing in the quarterfinals to Ukraine’s Dmytro Kosianenko.
Ninth place was secured by Romāns Iļjins (66 kg), who defeated Croatia’s Adrian Abrič in the round of 32 and then lost in the round of 16 to Slovakia’s Kristian Bukovsky.
The performance of Latvian athletes at the championship confirmed the potential and competitiveness of Latvia’s young boxers on the international stage.
On 4 April 2025, Gatis Gudermanis was elected President of the Latvian Boxing Federation, with Māris Martinsons and Ansis Pūce elected as Vice Presidents. Members of the Board include Aivars Zeltiņš, Aivis Tints, Andris Morozovs, and Zane Drozda. On 23 July 2025, during the LBF General Assembly, Ņikita Versockis was elected Secretary General and has also served as a Board Member since 15 August 2025.
The Latvian Boxing Federation was established to support and develop boxing in Latvia. It promotes boxing both as a grassroots sport for self-defence and physical fitness, and as a high-performance discipline with participation in European and World Championships as well as the Olympic Games. The Federation actively encourages the involvement of children and youth, organises competitions, and represents Latvian boxing internationally, working purposefully toward a sustainable and professional boxing environment.
AS Mogo proudly supports the Latvian National Boxing Team, reinforcing the company’s commitment to the development of sport and to supporting Latvian athletes on their path to high achievement.
This partnership symbolises a shared goal — to build a strong, motivated, and united Latvian sports community that inspires the next generation to achieve more and to take pride in representing Latvia on the world stage.
(Translated using an artificial intelligence tool)
