Stefan from the Peterborough PAL club wins prestigious international title in the United States
Peterborough PAL Boxing Club can boast a new international champion in 17 year-old prospect Stefan Micu.
Micu won the under 70kg category at the week-long International PAL Boxing Championships in Oxnard, Los Angeles.
Micu was in fine form throughout a highly competitive division and was required to box three times during the week. He won comfortably on points in every round of the tournament to claim the coveted title and championship ring.
His achievement was made even more impressive by the fact he was boxing up a year in the youth category and facing opponents up to two years older, but he never took a backward step.
Micu pressured each opponent from the opening bell, taking them out of their comfort zones and forcing the contests to be fought on his terms. He boxed particularly well at close range, producing powerful and accurate shots to both head and body while maintaining relentless pressure.
It was a mature performance from a young boxer who continues to develop through Peterborough PAL’s home-grown programme.
The prestigious Stateside competition attracted more than 1,000 competitors aged between 8-40 and teams travelled from across the world to take part. Peterborough PAL formed part of the UK PAL team and, following a string of excellent performances, finished with the second-best team trophy for an impressive third consecutive year, once again finishing behind the renowned Garcia Boxing Club from Oxnard.
There were fantastic performances from city boxers Kyryl Malyk (15), 16-year-olds Kian Aragosa and Dylan Watt, Corey Allen and 17-year-old Reggie Baker, who all progressed to the final stages of the tournament after competing against high-quality opposition from across the United States.
Club seniors Tim Brown and Saad Rizwan were also in action, but both fell short during the preliminary stages of the competition.
Peterborough PAL coach Chris Baker said: “We are incredibly proud of Stefan. He had to dig deep against some very good international opposition and lads who were older than him, but he never took a step back. This title is thoroughly deserved and is a reward for the amount of work Stefan and the coaching team have put into his development.
“He now adds his name to the ever-growing list of home-grown national and international champions produced by Peterborough PAL Boxing Club.”
Coaches Jak Cater, Vicki Baker and Alfie Baker travelled with the team.
Chris Baker added: “Taking a team of young people thousands of miles across the world and watching them compete on an international stage is something very special. “Every one of our boxers represented Peterborough with pride. Results are important, but seeing our young people develop, challenge themselves and experience opportunities like this is what Peterborough PAL is all about.”