Rudolf Garboyan reaches European Championships semifinal and secures Armenia’s second medal

Armenian boxer Rudolf Garboyan, competing in the 50 kg weight category, has advanced to the semifinals of the 2026 European Boxing Championships in Sofia and guaranteed himself at least a bronze medal.

In the quarterfinal, the Armenian representative defeated Israel’s David Zahari by split decision, 4–1. The judges scored the bout 30–27, 30–27, 29–28, 29–28 and 28–29.

It was Garboyan’s second victory at the tournament. In the previous round, the Armenian boxer defeated an opponent from Portugal.

Garboyan will face Russia’s Bair Batlaev in the semifinal on September 23. A victory would send the Armenian boxer into the European Championship gold-medal bout.

Rudolf Garboyan is the 2024 European U23 champion. He also won a bronze medal at the 2025 IBA World Boxing Championships.

Garboyan became the second member of the Armenian team to reach the semifinals in Sofia. Earlier, Elida Kocharyan, competing in the 65 kg category, also secured a place in the final four.