European Boxing Championships 2026: Armenia’s Squad, Draw and Schedule of Opening Bouts
- Author: Vahe Hakobyan
- Sportaran
The 2026 European Boxing Championships under the auspices of European Boxing will begin in Sofia on September 17. The Armenian national team will take part in the continental championship organized by this body for the first time. Armenia will be represented in Bulgaria by 14 boxers — ten men and four women.
The draw for the European Championships took place in Sofia on September 16. It determined the opening opponents for the Armenian representatives, while four Armenian boxers will enter the ring on the very first day of competition.
The tournament will take place in the Bulgarian capital from September 17 to 25. More than 400 athletes representing around 40 national federations have entered the championships. Medals will be contested across 20 weight categories — ten for men and ten for women.
The tournament is organized by European Boxing, the European continental confederation operating within the Olympic boxing structure of World Boxing. Competitors will also be able to earn World Boxing ranking points, while the tournament is regarded as an important step on the road toward future major competitions, including the 2027 World Championships and the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Where to Watch the 2026 European Boxing Championships
All bouts at the European Championships in Sofia will be available live on the Eurovision Sport platform. The stream is free after registration.
Two sessions are scheduled for the opening day, with the championships continuing through September 25. Armenia’s campaign will begin on September 17 with four bouts featuring Zhirayr Sargsyan, Harutyun Hakobkokhyan, Narek Manasyan and Elida Kocharyan.
The first session begins at 13:30 local time.
Armenia Men’s National Team Roster
Armenia will be represented in all ten men’s weight categories:
- 50 kg — Rudolf Garboyan
- 55 kg — Zhirayr Sargsyan
- 60 kg — Artur Bazeyan
- 65 kg — Artur Sahakyan
- 70 kg — Harutyun Hakobkokhyan
- 75 kg — Marat Mikaelyan
- 80 kg — Artush Hovhannisyan
- 85 kg — Rafael Hovhannisyan
- 90 kg — Narek Manasyan
- Over 90 kg — Davit Chaloyan
The head coach of the men’s national team is Rudik Mkrtchyan, with Robert Petrosyan serving as coach.
Armenia Women’s National Team
Four Armenian boxers will compete in the women’s tournament:
- 48 kg — Heghine Petrosyan
- 54 kg — Lusya Avetisyan
- 65 kg — Elida Kocharyan
- +80 kg — Ani Muradyan
The head coach of the women’s national team is Vazgen Badalyan.
Four Armenian Boxers to Enter the Ring on September 17
Armenia’s European Championships campaign will begin with four bouts. On the opening competition day, September 17, the following Armenian boxers will have their first fights:
- Zhirayr Sargsyan (55 kg) — vs. Nadir Bulaiz of Belgium;
- Harutyun Hakobkokhyan (70 kg) — vs. Adolf Stanek of Slovakia;
- Narek Manasyan (90 kg) — vs. Levente Kiss of Hungary;
- Elida Kocharyan (65 kg) — vs. Mariana Soto Torres of Spain.
The remaining nine members of the Armenian team will gradually enter the competition over the following days.
Armenia’s Draw: All Opening Opponents
The complete brackets for all weight categories, as well as the schedule and results of the championships, are available on the tournament’s official platform — bul.xboxing.world.
50 kg — Rudolf Garboyan
Garboyan will have his first bout on September 20.
Round of 16: Rudolf Garboyan — Leandro Almeida (Portugal).
55 kg — Zhirayr Sargsyan
Sargsyan will begin his campaign on September 17.
Round of 32: Zhirayr Sargsyan — Nadir Bulaiz (Belgium).
Two other boxers of Armenian descent are also entered in this weight category — Gor Ayvazyan, representing Georgia, and Artur Nagapetyan, representing Serbia.
60 kg — Artur Bazeyan
Bazeyan will enter the ring on September 18.
Round of 32: Artur Bazeyan — Georgios Pleas (Greece).
Benik Melkumyan, representing Luxembourg, is also competing in the 60 kg division.
65 kg — Artur Sahakyan
Sahakyan’s opening bout will take place on September 18.
Round of 32: Artur Sahakyan — Giacomo Giannotti (Italy).
70 kg — Harutyun Hakobkokhyan
Hakobkokhyan will begin his European Championships campaign on September 17.
Round of 32: Harutyun Hakobkokhyan — Adolf Stanek.
Arsen Chabyan, representing Austria, is also competing in this weight category.
75 kg — Marat Mikaelyan
Mikaelyan will enter the competition on September 18.
Round of 32: Marat Mikaelyan — Diogo Semedo (Portugal).
80 kg — Artush Hovhannisyan
Hovhannisyan will begin his European Championships campaign on September 18.
Round of 32: Artush Hovhannisyan — Sultan Osmanli (Turkey).
85 kg — Rafael Hovhannisyan
Thanks to the tournament bracket, Rafael Hovhannisyan will begin his campaign directly from the Round of 16. The bout will take place on September 18:
Round of 16: Rafael Hovhannisyan — Valeriy Walter (Germany).
90 kg — Narek Manasyan
Manasyan will be one of four Armenian representatives competing on September 17.
Round of 32: Narek Manasyan — Levente Kiss (Hungary).
Over 90 kg — Davit Chaloyan
Chaloyan will begin his campaign on September 20, starting directly from the Round of 16.
The Armenian boxer’s opponent will be determined in the preliminary bout between Dmytro Lovchynskyi (Ukraine) and Kirill Georgiev (Bulgaria).
Oskar Safaryan, representing Poland, will also compete in the super heavyweight division.
Women: Opening Opponents for the Armenian Boxers
48 kg — Heghine Petrosyan
Petrosyan will have her first bout on September 19.
Round of 16: Heghine Petrosyan — Marta Lopez Del Arbol (Spain).
54 kg — Lusya Avetisyan
Avetisyan will begin her campaign on September 20.
Round of 16: Lusya Avetisyan — Anastasia Kool (Russia).
65 kg — Elida Kocharyan
Kocharyan will enter the ring on the opening day of the championships — September 17.
Round of 32: Elida Kocharyan — Mariana Soto Torres (Spain).
+80 kg — Ani Muradyan
Muradyan will begin directly in the quarterfinals on September 20; a victory would guarantee her a bronze medal.
Quarterfinals: Ani Muradyan vs. Szofia Szira (Hungary)
Anastasia Demurchian (Russia) will also compete in the women's 80 kg category.
Therefore, by the evening of September 20, all 14 Armenian representatives are expected to have entered the competition at the European Championships.
Armenia’s First European Boxing Championships
The tournament in Sofia carries particular significance for Armenian boxing. This is the first senior European Championships organized by European Boxing, while the Armenian national team will make its first appearance at a continental championship within the new international structure.
World Boxing describes the competition as one of the biggest events on the European boxing calendar. In addition to medals, the boxers will compete for World Boxing ranking points. The tournament will be held at the Asics Arena sports complex in Sofia.
A total of 20 sets of medals will be awarded at the championships.