23 Asians advanced to the quarter-finals of the Yekaterinburg 2019 AIBA World Boxing Championships

The winners of the ninth day of competition are advanced to the quarter-finals at the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Yekaterinburg, Russia and remained their chance alive to win a medal in the event. Out of the 64 quarter-finalists, more than 35%, 23 boxers are Asians from eight different nations.
Kazakhstan became the most successful Asian nation after the preliminary stages, seven out of their eight boxers advance to the quarter-finals. Uzbekistan has got five boxers in the Top8 while India is the No.3 in our continent with four remaining athletes. Jordan and Philippines amazed also and two of their hopes are in the quarter-finals but Iran, Japan and Mongolia also have one last man standing in Yekaterinburg.
Altogether 107 Asian elite male boxers are attending in the event from 21 nations: Afghanistan, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Philippines, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Chinese Taipei and Uzbekistan.
Kazakhstan’s head coach found the best option for the flyweight (52kg), Saken Bibossynov won all of his contests this year including top international tournaments. The 22-year-old boxer was confident against a seeded athlete, Colombia’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver medallist Yuberjen Martinez and secured his place in the quarter-finals in his first ever AIBA Championship.
Uzbekistan’s defending Olympic Games winner at the flyweight (52kg) Shakhobiddin Zoirov returned to the category and impressed in each round of the preliminaries in Yekaterinburg. He had to meet with his old rival Kyrgyzstan’s last hope Azat Usenaliev which was the repeat final of the Amman 2013 ASBC Asian Boxing Championships. Usenaliev won that fight six years ago but this time Zoirov was able to make revenge and won the bout unanimously.
Philippines’ Eumir Felix Marcial joined to the quarter-finals of the middleweight (75kg) on Day8 and his teammate Carlo Paalam followed him to the medal phase in Yekaterinburg. The 21-year-old Paalam just moved up to the flyweight (52kg) but the Asian Games bronze medallist dominated all of the rounds against South Korea’s Jo Se Hyeong which means he needs only one more further step to get a medal.
Mongolia’s Asian Games winner and ASBC Asian Champion Erdenebat Tsendbaatar moved down from the previous lightweight (60kg) to the bantamweight (57kg) but he was energetic again and defeated Hungary’s Roland Galos on Day9. Another strong favourite Uzbekistan’s Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov has got the same reputation as Tsendbaatar therefore his success over Morocco’s Mohamed Hamout was an expected result in the last day of the preliminaries.
India’s Commonwealth Games silver medallist Manish Kaushik replaced Shiva Thapa in the team this time but he had a successful mission against Mongolia’s seeded Chinzorig Baatarsukh at the lightweight (63kg). His Asian Games winner teammate Amit Panghal (52kg), Kavinder Singh Bisht (57kg) and Sanjeet (91kg) also managed to win their difficult fights in the ninth competition day.
Japan sent six boxers to the AIBA World Boxing Championships and among them Sewon Okazawa advanced to the quarter-finals following his success over Algeria’s Chemseddine Kramou at the welterweight (69kg). In that division Asia’s top hopes Uzbekistan’s Asian Games winner Bobo-Usmon Baturov and promising star from Kazakhstan, Ablaikhan Zhussupov are both won their quarter-finals.
Jordan’s Rio 2016 Olympian Hussein Iashaish was energetic in his last preliminary contest at the heavyweight (91kg) and dominated his fight against Germany’s Ammar Abduljabbar which means he reached the quarter-finals. His younger brother Zeyad Eshaish had a relatively inexperienced Mongolian opponent in the last 16 of the welterweight (69kg) and also joined to the last eight in Yekaterinburg.
Kazakhstan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist Kamshybek Kunkabayev is the Seed No.1 at the super heavyweight (+91kg) who spent short time in the ring and knocked out Spain’s Ayoub Ghadfa Drissi. Asia’s two-time continental champion in this weight Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov used his longer reach against Ukraine’s Tsotne Rogava and also marched to the quarter-finals.

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