The Croatian senior boxing team heads to Italy for final preparations ahead of the European Championship in Sofia. Among the candidates are two fighters from Zadar's Sveti Donat club and an experienced Ukrainian coach.
The Croatian boxing team is entering the decisive phase of preparations for the European Championship, with a major training camp in Italy serving as a key test for the selected candidates. Two members of Zadar's Sveti Donat club, Fabijan Tomkić and Petar Krešimir Knežević, have earned their spots on the national team, and they will be joined by experienced Ukrainian coach Vladimir Zolotarev.
The national team members depart on Sunday for Assisi, Italy, near Perugia, where a ten-day international preparatory camp awaits them at the national boxing center. The program runs from August 9 to 18, 2026, and is designed as a series of high-quality training sessions and sparring matches against strong European opponents. The goal is to arrive at the season's most important competition in peak form.
The European Championship is scheduled for September 15-27, 2026, in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. The appearances in Assisi represent the final opportunity to fine-tune their form before heading to the European showcase.
Fabijan Tomkić (21) will compete in the up to 70 kg category, while his club teammate Petar Krešimir Knežević (22) will test his strength in the up to 75 kg category. Their inclusion among the national team candidates is further recognition of the quality work being done at the Sveti Donat Zadar Boxing Club.
In Zadar, there is particular delight that Vladimir Zolotarev (74), an experienced Ukrainian coach from the Sveti Donat ranks, is also with the national team. He will assist head coach Peri Veočić in working with the Croatian seniors in Italy, further confirming the Zadar club's status as one that produces national team members.
In addition to the Zadar representatives, other Croatian national team candidates will train in Assisi: Ivica Arbanas, Patrik Licul, Gabrijel Veočić, Antonio Grabić, and Zvonimir Rebolj. All of them will compete for the best possible results on the big European stage and to continue Croatia's boxing tradition.
