MONTENEGRO, BUDVA, Oct. 30 — Kharkiv-born junior boxer Kira Makohonenko, 18, won a gold medal in a victory over China’s Yang Sirui in the women’s 54 kg category at the finale of the World Boxing U19 Championships on Oct. 27.

“Mission completed,” Makohonenko wrote on her Instagram on Oct. 29. “That’s one of my main motivations — to win competitions like this, so that our anthem echoes through the whole world.” 

The World Boxing U19 Championships is an amateur boxing competition organized by World Boxing for athletes under 19 years old. This year’s competition ran from Oct. 16 to Oct. 27. 

Apart from Makohonenko, Sofiia Novikova, also from Kharkiv, got a bronze medal in the women’s 80 kg category. 

“Despite all the challenges, Kharkiv oblast continues to foster champions who represent Ukraine at the international stage,” said Oleh Syniehubov, the region’s governor. 

Russia won the most medals – five – in the U19 Championships, competing under the flag of the Russian Federation, followed by Uzbekistan athletes, who won four medals. 

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