Boxing: XXXIII International Elite Men & Elite Women ‘Ahmet Cömert’ tournament Kitson Julie loses by RSC in second round |16 January 2020
After quite a long absence from the boxing ring, local pugilist Kitson Julie’s comeback took a wrong turn after losing his bout at the ongoing XXXIII International Elite Men & Elite Women ‘Ahmet Cömert’ boxing tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.
Julie lost his fight against Tofan Sharifi of Iran by RSC (referee stopped contest) in the second round on Tuesday.
Seychelles’ other representative at the tournament which will go until January 19 is hard-hitter Keddy Agnes and he will be in action today against Morten Givsco of Denmark in the quarterfinal after they both won a bye.
The annual tournament is to honour Ahmet Cömert (1926–1990) who was a Turkish amateur boxer, coach, referee, judge and sports official. He served on the executive committee of the International Boxing Association (Aiba).
He was born in Kemaliye town of Erzincan Province in 1926. Between 1939 and 1944, Ahmet Cömert performed amateur boxing. After retiring from active sport, he became a boxing coach at Galatasaray S.K. The boxing team he coached achieved four consecutive championship titles.
In the early 1950s, he took part in the Korean War as a member of the Turkish Brigade. Upon returning home, he successfully served as a boxing referee in nine European and four World championships and two Olympic Games.
He was awarded with a golden pin by Aiba for officiating 39 boxing fights with 100% accuracy during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, an honour, which a boxing referee received for the first time ever.
In 1978, Ahmet Cömert was appointed to the executive board and referee committee of Aiba. He was elected vice-president of the Amateur Boxing Federation of Islamic Countries. He served as boxing judge at the Moscow, Los Angeles and Seoul Olympic Games.
Ahmet Cömert died of apparent heart failure while on duty during the 1990 European Junior Boxing Championship in Czechoslovakia.
Roland Duval