Turkish boxer claims gold at women’s world championship

ISTANBUL

Turkish boxer Busenaz Sürmeneli has emerged victorious in the 66-kilogram category at the Women’s World Boxing Championship held in Nis, Serbia where the Turkish national boxing team showcased an outstanding performance.

The tournament, hosted at the Cair Sports Center, saw Sürmeneli, the top-seeded athlete, face Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova in the final bout.

Demonstrating exceptional dominance across all three rounds, the Turkish boxer secured a decisive 5-0 victory, adding yet another gold medal to her impressive record.

With this triumph, the 26-year-old athlete claimed her third consecutive world title, having previously won gold in the 2019 and 2022 championships.

Sürmeneli, who also clinched gold at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, continued to solidify her status as one of Türkiye’s most accomplished boxers. In addition to her Olympic and world titles, she boasts gold medals from the European Championships, the European Games and the Mediterranean Games.

Throughout the championship, the Turkish national boxing team brought home three silver medals in addition to Busenaz’s gold.

Another strong performance from Türkiye came in the 52-kilogram category, where Buse Naz Çakıroğlu reached the final round but fell short against Pang Chol Mi of North Korea. Despite a determined effort, Çakıroğly was outscored in all three rounds, settling for a silver medal and the title of world runner-up.

Hatice Akbaş also added to Türkiye’s medal tally, earning silver in the 54-kilogram division. In the final match, she faced Morocoo’s Bertal Widad and started strong, winning the first round 5-0. However, she lost momentum in the subsequent rounds, eventually conceding the match with a 5-2 decision. This marks Akbaş’s second world championship medal in her career.

Another silver for Türkiye came from Büşra Işıldar in the 81-kilogram category. Facing Russia’s Saltanat Medenova in the final, Isıldar struggled to gain an advantage and lost all three rounds, securing the world runner-up title.