After securing a medal – the emotions of the Lithuanian boxer and the general decision not to fight with the Russian Sports

Ana Starovoitova was bursting with emotions after winning the quarter-final match.

At the European Boxing Championship in Belgrade, the Lithuanian boxer in the weight category up to 60 kg beat the Spaniard Sheila Martinez Perez 5-0 on Tuesday evening and secured a medal.

“I dedicate this victory to my father – eternal rest,” said A. Starovoitova, covering her face with a towel out of excitement. “We’re boxers, we can’t cry.”

For the 31-year-old athlete, this is the second award of the highest level of competition in her career – she won bronze at the European Championship in 2022.

This time, the guarantee for a medal came after winning the second fight in the championship. Before that, A. Starovoitova beat the Croatian boxer in the round of 16.

“It’s a credit to all of us. So that I don’t mince words, emotions poured from the lips of the Lithuanian boxer. – I am very happy, I am proud of myself. Thank you very much to the coach, thank you to the whole team for your support.

By the way, it was a revenge, because I lost to this athlete from Spain in the qualifying competition in Italy, so I really wanted to. I’m superstitious, so I’ve been pushing superstitions and forced myself since the morning. I am very happy, thank you Lithuania, we love boxing.”

They have decided not to fight with the Russian boxer

The competition brought A. Starovoitova to the semi-finals with Russian Nune Asatrian, who overcame the representative of Greece, Olga Pavlina, in the quarter-finals.

However, the Lithuanian boxer should not enter the ring and has very little hope of reaching the final.

“For now we are waiting for news, we don’t have clarity yet,” said Darius Šalūga, president of the Lithuanian Boxing Federation, on Wednesday morning. – Maybe the injury will become clear, maybe something else. For now, we sit and wait.”

If everything goes as planned, A. Starovoitova will not fight in the semi-finals to reach the final.

“Our decision was and will remain the same as long as the aggressor countries are in sports. Our moral decision does not change, and Ana also supports our decision – we have not fought and will not fight with boxers from those countries, no matter how much it costs, – said D. Šalūga. “It has already cost us almost a third of the annual budget, but we will not change our principles.”

We remind you that the Lithuanian Boxing Federation did not even send athletes to the most important boxing competitions last year due to the position of the International Boxing Federation (IBA) to allow representatives of the aggressor countries into the ring.

Russian Umar Kremliov remained at the helm of the IBA even as Russia launched a full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, and boxing became one of several sports that left the door ajar for the country’s aggressors—boxing doesn’t even have to be neutral, as required by the International Olympic Committee and when which other sports have agreed to admit Russians.

In turn, the Lithuanians who did not go to the world and European championships suffered financially. Although it was promised to take into account, without high results, the state funding for the federation decreased by almost a third.

According to D. Šalūga, it was planned to allocate more funds for preparation camps during the Olympic years, but in the end we had to tighten our financial belts.

Someone had written it off too early

Our country delegated seven boxers to the European Championship in Serbia.

The highest hopes were associated with the 2022 European and World Champion Gabriele Stonkuta, but the 23-year-old Lithuanian lost to Serbian Nikolina Gajič in the quarter-finals 1-4 after a persistent fight.

So, somewhat unexpectedly, another athlete from our country will return to Lithuania with an award.

Greta Skaraitienės / BNS photo in 2022 / The prize winners of the European Boxing Championship were welcomed at the Vilnius airport: Gabrielė Stonkutė (right) and Ana Starovoitova

Having refused to fight against the Russian boxer, A. Starovoitova will lose the opportunity to fight in the finals and will be forced to finish the tournament – bronze fights are not held in the boxing championships.

The Lithuanian Boxing Federation is already planning to trust its experienced athlete, who works as a trainer in Klaipėda.

“First of all, Ana is a wonderful person, a very warm person who is pursuing her goal,” said D. Šalūga about A. Starovoitova. – Very friendly, always smiling. She trains herself and is happy to share her skills with others. She always pursues her goal. Maybe someone had already written her off, but she herself proved otherwise. I love and am proud of Ana.”