Team USA fighters make debuts at 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships

In Friday’s tournament draw for the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships, the 12 boxers who will compete for Team USA learned the identities of their first-round opponents and their respective paths to gold.

The tournament, which began Friday and is scheduled to take place through next Saturday at the Pueblo Convention Center in Pueblo, Colorado, will feature 10 weight divisions each on the men’s and women’s sides.

To open competition for Team USA, Joscelyn Olayo-Munoz, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, fell to India’s Chanchal Chaudary in a 48kg bout, while Shamiracle Hardaway, of Lagrange, Georgia, outpointed Germany’s Penelope Grochau in a 60kg contest, 4-1, to advance to the medal round.

Emmanuel Chance, of East Orange, New Jersey, will open competition for Team USA’s men. Chance, competing at 55kg, received a bye and will face the winner of a bout between South Korea’s Juan Jin and Brazil’s Kelvy da Trindade. Chance won silver at the 2023 Youth International Invitational in Germany.

Also competing will be Staten Island, New York’s Laila Zakirova, who will fight the Philippines’ Xian Baguhin at 51 kg.

Additionally, Lorenzo Patricio, of Waianae, Hawaii, will represent Team USA at 50kg (first-round bye) and box the winner of Japan’s Seiya Nakayam and Australia’s Beau Piggott. Violet Lopez, of Milwaukee (first-round bye) will face England’s Caitlyn Wise at 54kg. At 70kg, Malachi Ross, of Grandview, Missouri, earned a bye and will meet the winner of Germany’s Festim Nimani and India’s Sumit Sumit. Joseph Awinongya, of Joliet, Illinois, will take on Australia’s Connor Anerson at 75kg. Elijah Lugo, of Marietta, Georgia, will go head-to-head with Italy’s Cristian Sarsilli at 80kg. And at heavyweight (90kg), Rishon Sims, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, will face Germany’s Eris Andi Lushtaku. Sims won gold at the 2023 International Invitational.

The lone Team USA fighter with a Tuesday start is Dallas’ Mesiah Nimo, who, with a first-round bye, will face the victor of Czech Republic’s Simon Stojka Republic and Kazakhstan’s Assylkhan Kosherbay at 65kg.

Cleveland’s Nevaeh Williams, who received a bye, will face the winner of the Netherlands’ Aaliyah Hoppema and New Zealand’s Renee Doole. Due to the bye, Williams is already in the medal round and will receive at least a bronze medal.