Chelsey Heijnen from Roosendaal has won her first match ever at the World Boxing Championships. Heijnen was clearly a size too big for her Bolivian opponent Maria Eugenia Ortega. the match was over in one minute and 58 seconds. “I have only ever won so quickly at a youth tournament.”
It went so fast that Heijnen was awarded the victory after the first round. She had her opponent on the ground three times before eight seconds: “When something like this happens, the race management has to step in and give me the win. For the safety of my opponent”, says an extremely satisfied Heijnen.
The boxer herself did not expect it to be so easy. “My opponent has just become champion of Bolivia four times.”
“The head is now off and this gives a lot of confidence.”
As quickly as the match ended, that’s how long it took to start. Heijnen was only allowed to enter the ring after an hour: “The ring was broken and everything went wrong with the repair. You can’t imagine it all at such a World Cup.”
Because of this, the Roosendaal boxer had to keep her focus and wait with the warm-up. The frustration ran high, which could be seen when she was finally allowed to enter the ring: “I started punching, and have not left her alone anymore”, Heijnen looks back afterwards.
The first game won gives Heijnen good hope for the rest of the tournament: “You just want to win that first game, the head is now off and this gives a lot of confidence.” In the eighth final, on May 15, the Senegalese Mariatou Diallo is her opponent.
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