69th István Bocskai Memorial Competition

Europe's Best Boxers to Compete in Debrecen

One of Europe's most prestigious boxing tournaments, the 69th Bocskai István Memorial Tournament, will kick off on March 11 in Debrecen at the Oláh Gábor Street Sports Hall. A total of 200 boxers from 13 countries have already confirmed their participation.

Almost the entire Hungarian elite will enter the ring at the event, as announced at the press conference on Tuesday, March 4.

Three national team boxers—Olympic fifth-place finisher Richárd Kovács, Levente Kiss, and Dominik Énekes—will not compete in the tournament.

Debrecen will host competitions in 10 men's and 10 women's weight categories from Tuesday to Saturday (March 11-15, 2025). Local pride, last year's European Championship silver medalist Attila Bernáth, will also step into the ring. The finals will take place on Hungary’s national holiday, March 15, at 6:00 PM.

The daily schedule runs as follows: Tuesday to Thursday at 2:00 PM, and Friday at 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM.

“The Bocskai tournament, which will turn 70 next year, is experiencing its golden era, and the federation is determined to keep it that way. Our plan is for this tournament to become a true brand that maintains its traditionally strong position in the World Boxing competition system. We are not thinking in terms of medals, but in terms of quality. The Bocskai is the main event of the year, serving as a crucial preparation stage ahead of the World Championships in Liverpool this September,” said István Kovács, President of the Hungarian Boxing Federation (MÖSZ). He also noted that on Saturday, MÖSZ officially became a full member of World Boxing, the newly recognized global federation endorsed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

It is possible that during the tournament, the new head coach of Hungarian boxing will be announced. Out of more than ten applicants, only three remain in the running.

Ticket sales for the Bocskai Memorial Tournament have already begun. As in previous years, retirees and children under 14 can attend the event free of charge. The finals will be broadcast live on M4 Sport, while other competition days will be available on the federation's YouTube channel.

At the end of the press conference, Deputy Mayor of Debrecen Lajos Barcsa and István Kovács signed the contract for the Bocskai István Memorial Tournament, as reported by MTI.

“I encourage the people of Debrecen to come in large numbers and show that even the Oláh Gábor Street Sports Hall is no longer big enough to accommodate spectators. We have also discussed with the Vice President that in the future, an even larger venue may be considered,” emphasized the deputy mayor.