Hungary's Zoltan Harcsa


Next week will see the start of the internationally renowned Bocskai Memorial Tournament in Hungary with some of the finest talents from all four corners of the globe set to converge on the city of Debrecen. This 57th edition will begin in earnest on 5 February with this highly anticipated annual event guaranteeing some top class action.


High hopes have been placed on the shoulders of the home team which contains European Champion Balazs Bacskai, London 2012 Olympics quarter-finalist Zoltan Harcsa, Zlatko Hrbic Tournament winner Krisztian Nagy, AIBA European Olympic Qualifiers bronze medallist Norbert Kalucza. The only missing name will be that of two-time AIBA World Championships bronze medallist Gyula Kate after the veteran hung up his gloves to concentrate on a career in coaching. The Hungarian squad is however brimming with confidence following an eleven-day training camp in Cuba, where the boxers worked alongside some of the best in the business.

The Russian Boxing Federation has been sending its athletes to the Bocskai Memorial Tournament since 2009 and their current group is once again primed for honours this year. European Championships silver medallists Belik Galanov and Dmitriy Polyanskiy, National Champion Armen Zakaryan, former European Champion Artem Chebotarev, European Olympic Hopes 19-22 Champion Aleksey Yegorov and European Super Heavyweight (+91kg) Champion Magomed Omarov are those to keep an eye out for.


Reigning Asian Champion Shuhrat Abdullayev, London Olympic Games quarter-finalist Fazliddin Gaibnazarov, former Asian Champion Sanjarbek Rahmonov and 18-year-old Sydney Jackson Memorial Tournament winner Ulugbek Mubinov are Uzbekistan's big hopes for medals in Debrecen.


China sent its team to the tournament for the very first time last year and there are great expectations around AIBA World Championships bronze medallist Wang Xuanxuan, Beijing Olympian Wang Jianzheng, 2011 WSB Individual Champion Wang Zhimin and Asian Champion Chang Yong. The squad's youngest member, Jiang Jinyong, is the Light Flyweight (46-49kg) contender with the clever boxer having taken tips from two-time Olympic Champion Zou Shiming.


England is currently riding the crest of a wave with so much talent coming through the ranks and with European Championships bronze medallists Charlie Edwards and Gamal Yafai in their ranks; the onus is on collecting more honours. Wales' Tammer Tournament winner Joseph Cordina and Youth Olympian Zack Davies are two boxers with outstanding pedigree and will also be vying for podium finishes.


London Olympian Manuel Cappai and 19-year-old AIBA Youth World Championships bronze medallist Fabio Turchi are currently Italy's biggest talents and have amassed a lot of international experience so will be also looking for honours in the Hungary's second largest city.


Asian Youth Champion Meirim Nursultanov from Kazakhstan, Finland's AIBA Youth World Championships bronze medallist Matti Koota, Moldova's European Olympic Hopes 19-22 Championships silver medallist Petru Ciobanu, Egypt's Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Hesham Yehya Abdelaal, Tunisia's All Africa Games winner Ahmed Mejri are all boxers that will have a big impact in this tournament.


The Bocskai Memorial Tournament always provides fantastic boxing and with the line-up looking once again top drawer, this latest edition should continue the tradition of explosive action.