European Men's Elite Boxing Championships  Moscow - Forceful French boxing head coach Jean Savarino has high expectations for this week, hoping his boxers can bring home some hardware at the upcoming European Men's Elite Championships in Moscow, Russia, which start on June 4th. Born in Sicily, but raised in France, Savarino was an amateur and professional boxer and has been working as a head coach since the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

French amateur boxing is one of the leading national programs in Europe. There are more than 35,000 athletes in the country and they've had their fair share of success. French boxers have received nine bids to the Beijing Olympic Games where their athletes claimed three medals, even though Khedafi Djelkhir and Daouda Sow, two of the best boxers in France, turned their focus to the professional circuit last year and were therefore ineligible for the Olympics. Double World Championships bronze medalist John-Mickael M'Bumba will also miss the European Championships this year.

The new French team is very young, averaging only 22.2-years-old. Despite the youthfulness, the coaches are expecting great results in Moscow and between seven and eight bids to the 2012 London Olympic Games.

World Championships bronze medalist Nordine Oubaali is the biggest medal contender in Moscow. Since the Beijing Olympics however, he moved from light flyweight into the flyweight class. His biggest rivals for capturing the gold will be Misha Aloyan of Russia and Khaleed Saeed Yafai of England.

AIBA Youth World Championships bronze medalist and Mediterranean Games winner Jeremy Beccu missed the AIBA World Championships in Milan, Italy last year due to his school exams, but he will nevertheless be a medal contender in Moscow.

Another gold challenger at the European Men's Elite Championships will be Beijing Olympic Games bronze medalist and Military World Championships winner Alexis Vastine who moved from the 64kg weight class to the 69kg weight class.

Samir Machrouh will be the only 20-year-old this year, but he is looking to prove himself on the international stage, hoping to play well beyond his years. Machrouh won the Bocskai Memorial Tournament in February where he defeated reigning World Champion Roniel Iglesias of Cuba by 2:1 in the final bout.

Redouane Farahni is one of the newcomers on the French team, but the young lightweight boxer has already showcased his talent in a big way. Farahni secured a roster spot on the Euro 2010 team and will battle it out against Hicham Ziouti later this week.

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