Armenian boxer Suren Katvalyan has secured the country’s first medal at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, winning bronze following a disputed semifinal decision.
The Armenian Boxing Federation questioned the fairness of the judges’ verdict in Katvalyan’s bout against Japan’s Kenshin Sakuno.
“A highly questionable decision in the boxing tournament at the Youth Olympic Games: Suren Katvalyan was declared the loser in the semifinals, and our boxer will return home with a bronze medal.
“Suren fought at a high pace throughout the entire bout against tournament favorite Kenshin Sakuno of Japan, knocking his opponent down in the first round. In the second and third rounds, he pushed the Japanese boxer against the ropes and launched considerably more attacks. Even the commentator covering the bout frequently reacted to our boxer’s impressive performance. Nevertheless, the judges delivered a questionable 2-3 decision,” the federation said in a statement.
Armenia is represented by five athletes at the Summer Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, competing in four sports: boxing, swimming, athletics and taekwondo.
