The Strandja Memorial Tournament, held in Sofia, Bulgaria, from February 24 to March 2, 2025, provided British boxers with a return to international competition. With 16 athletes selected to represent England and Wales, this prestigious tournament offered an opportunity to test themselves against high-calibre opponents. The event proved to be a valuable experience for the British contingent, delivering promising performances and notable results.
A Large and Ambitious British Contingent in Bulgaria.
Team GB sent a strong delegation to the Strandja Memorial Tournament, consisting of 16 boxers : 10 men and 6 women. Among them, seven had already claimed medals at the recent Boxam tournament in Spain earlier in February. Gold medallists from Spain, Ellis Trowbridge (51kg), Isaac Okoh (92kg), and Damar Thomas (92kg+), arrived in Bulgaria looking to build on their momentum. They were joined by silver medallists Paddy Hewitt (71kg) and Dimeji Shittu (80kg), as well as bronze medallists Scott Richards (51kg) and Teagn Stott (86kg).
The women’s selection included Elise Glynn, who recently moved up to the 60kg category, and Dione Burman (66kg), who ended 2024 on a high note by winning gold at the World Boxing Cup Finals in Sheffield last November. Several other boxers were making their competitive debuts in 2025, such as Owain Harris-Allan (57kg), Jack Dryden (60kg), and Patris Mughalzai (63.5kg). For them, the tournament was an opportunity to establish themselves as top contenders in their weight divisions ahead of upcoming international events.
Medals Earned and Valuable Experience Gained.
What made this year’s tournament particularly challenging was the level of opposition. Many of the participants had competed at the Paris Olympics, with several medallists among them. Two fighters had even finished as Olympic silver medallists, while China’s Qian Li had claimed Olympic gold last summer. This drastically raised the tournament’s standard. In contrast, GB Boxing opted for a younger, less experienced squad, focusing on developing talent for the long-term goal of preparing for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Despite this, the British team produced a commendable performance, securing four medals, including one gold. The standout star was Sacha Hickey (63kg), who clinched the gold medal with a dominant display against Italy’s Angela Carini, a Paris 2024 Olympian, winning by a 4-1 split decision. Hickey, who had already triumphed at the U23 European Championships in October 2024, demonstrated her immense potential by also overcoming Ireland’s Linda Desmond (4-0) and Turkey’s Polat Berfin (4-1) en route to the final.
Beyond Hickey’s gold medal success, Dione Burman (66kg), Dimeji Shittu (80kg), and Damar Thomas (92kg+) all returned with bronze medals. Shittu was unfortunate to suffer a shoulder injury during his semi-final against Kazakhstan’s Yerassyl Zhakpekov, forcing him to withdraw before the end of the bout. Similarly, Thomas, after winning his opening two contests, was unable to compete in his semi-final due to medical precaution, missing the chance to face Kazakh heavyweight Aibek Oralbay, a Paris 2024 quarter-finalist.
Meanwhile, Burman was beaten unanimously in the semi-finals by Turkey’s Kabak Berfin but still secured a well-earned bronze medal. Other promising British boxers, including Isaac Okoh and Teagn Stott, were unable to reach the podium after early exits. They faced exceptionally tough draws, coming up against opponents who had shone at the Paris Olympics last summer.
While the British team may have been relatively inexperienced compared to some of their Olympic-tested opponents, the tournament provided crucial learning opportunities. Boxers like Isaac Okoh and Teagn Stott who, despite some great boxing, fell short in the early rounds of the tournament against such quality boxers will gain loads of experience that will help them on the road to LA 28.
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