Roy Korving

Before boxing, Korving played association football in the youth systems of CVV Be Fair and VV Waddinxveen.^[1] However, a serious injury made him quit football and he eventually started boxing after doing a trial lesson.^[2]

Korving represented his country in a continental competition for the first time at the 2013 European Youth Championships in Rotterdam.^[3] He moved up to the highest age group in amateur boxing, the senior division the following year. The 19-year-old immediately won a gold medal at the German Senior National Championships in the heavyweight class, defeating reigning champion Johan Visscher in the finals.^[4]

After taking first at a tournament in Helsinki in March 2015, he won another gold two months later at the Algirdas Socikas Tournament in Kaunas, where he impressed by beating European Youth Championship silver medalist Adam Hamori in the semi-finals.^[5] He won two fights before falling to Tervel Pulev in the quarter-finals of that year's European Championships.^[6] He also participated in his first World Championships in Doha, but was eliminated by the eventual gold medalist, Evgeny Tishchenko, in his second bout.^[7]

In March 2016, Korving won the prestigious Chemistry Cup in Germany. After a quick elimination from the 2016 European Olympic Qualification Tournament at the hands of the eventual winner Lawrence Okolie, his last chance at qualifying for the 2016 Summer Olympics was winning the 2016 World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Baku. He won his first two matches, decisions against Commonwealth Games medalists David Nyika and Efetobor Apochi, respectively, before he was defeated by Julio Castillo in the semi-finals.^[8]

In 2017, he won a bronze medal at the European Championships in Kharkiv after losing his semi-final bout to Englishman Cheavon Clarke.^[9] This qualified him for another appearance at the World Championships five months later, although he lost in his second bout. In 2018, Korving defeated two-time European Championship silver medalist and international teammate Peter Müllenberg in the finals of the Senior National Championships.^[10] He repeated this feat the following year, decisioning Kilat Hallie for his fourth consecutive national heavyweight title.^[11]

He was inducted into the 2018–2019 class of the Waddinxveen Hall of Fame.^[12] In April 2019, after 111 official amateur bouts, a 23-year-old Korving suddenly retired from the sport.^[13] He cited the difficulty of balancing boxing with his work as a fireman with the Royal Netherlands Air Force at Woensdrecht Air Base, as well as frustration with the NOC*NSF over a lack of financial support.^[13][14]

• Boxing record for Roy Korving from BoxRec (registration required)
• AIBA profile