Sara Cirkovic Beats Turkish Boxer, Secures European Bronze
Sara Cirkovic defeated Turkish boxer Buse Naz Cakiroglu 3-2 in the European Championship quarterfinals in Sofia, securing at least bronze. She now faces Russia's Anastasia Kol in the semifinal.
The quarterfinal in Sofia was no foregone conclusion. Sara Cirkovic and Turkish boxer Buse Naz Cakiroglu fought a bout in which the advantage shifted from round to round, and the smallest details ended up deciding the winner. When the referee raised the Serbian boxer’s hand after three rounds, the scorecards read 3-2, a split decision.
Cirkovic is competing at the senior European Championship in the under 54 kilogram category, and with this win she achieved what every competitor in Sofia wants first: a medal secured before even reaching the semifinal. Bronze is now guaranteed, though getting there was far from easy, judging by how the bout unfolded. Tournament reports describe Cirkovic as the most decorated Serbian boxer currently active, which explains why her match in Sofia drew special attention from experts as soon as the draw was made.
Serbian media differ on how they describe her opponent. Novosti calls Cakiroglu the champion of Turkey, while Telegraf goes further and describes her as a world champion. Whichever title actually applies to the Turkish boxer, the result stands the same, 3-2 for Serbia, in a bout that every account from ringside describes as extremely close right up to the final round.
Cirkovic’s next obstacle is Russia’s Anastasia Kol, her semifinal opponent. Sources have not yet given a time for that bout, so only one thing is certain: one step now separates her from a shot at gold, and that step leads through an experienced rival. After the kind of fight she had against Cakiroglu, it is hard to expect the semifinal to be settled before the final second.
Serbia already had reason to celebrate in Sofia even before Sara’s result. Milena Matovic, competing in the under 70 kilogram category, had earlier beaten the Netherlands’ Luna Bel and also reached the semifinal, where England’s Chantelle Reid awaits her. Two boxers, two guaranteed medals, the same city and the same championship. For the Serbian boxing team, at least in terms of medals secured, this ranks among its better championships in recent memory.
What she showed in the quarterfinal, the mental toughness in a bout that could have gone either way, is usually a sign that someone will not settle for a single medal. The semifinal against the Russian will certainly not be easier than the duel with the Turkish boxer, but after a day like this in the ring, it is hard to imagine Sara Cirkovic entering it without confidence. How far she goes will only become clear once the semifinal schedule is announced.
