Sofia, February 25 (HS): The 76th Strandja International Boxing Tournament opened at Sofia Hall in the Bulgarian capital on Monday, the Ministry of Youth and Sports said in a press release. Over 220 entrants from Europe, Asia, Africa and South America will be competing in Europe’s oldest surviving international boxing competition (also known as the Strandzha Cup or the Strandja Memorial) until March 2.

Bulgaria’s Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Petar Mladenov, while inaugurating the tournament, said, Strandja is not just a competition, but a symbol of sportsmanship and tradition. It shows what it means to believe in boxing.

Bulgarian Boxing Federation President Krasimir Ininski hoped that this tournament would be of high standard and would be a great experience for all boxers. He wished all the athletes and their coaches the best of luck and hoped that no player would get injured during the tournament.

This time Indian boxers have not participated in the tournament, while six men and three women boxers will compete from China. On Monday, China’s Wu Yunbadari competed against Bulgaria’s Tinko Banabakov in the men’s 60 kg category, but he had to face defeat 3-2.

The tournament will see exciting matches for the next few days, where top boxers will compete for the title.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar