34 years ago on this day – South Korea won all of the 12 gold medals in the Seoul 1986 Asian Games

The finals of the boxing tournament of the 10th Asian Games was held in Seoul, South Korea 34 years ago on this day. The South Koreans have done an incredible performance in the Seoul 1986 Asian Games where their boxers won all of the 12 weight categories and kept the gold medals at home.

The event was the tenth edition of the Asian Games and the ninth boxing tournament in the history of the strong multisport event. South Korea topped the medal rankings already in 1962, in 1966, in 1970, in 1974, in 1978, in 1982 and their boxers continued their hegemony in Seoul as at the 10th Asian Games.

As host South Korea won all of the gold medals in the boxing event of the 1986 Asian Games broke all of the previous records. Since that edition South Korea still keeps that amazing record. South Korea received the right to host the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games seven years earlier than the event itself in 1981 therefore their incredible dominancy in 1986 was part of their powerful developments in all sports.  

The Olympic Council of Asia increased the number of the weight classes up to 11 in the 1966 Asian Games and also added a new category raising to 12 the number of the divisions in 1982. Male boxers could attend in the Seoul 1986 Asian Games from the light flyweight (48kg) up to the super heavyweight (+91kg) in the 10th edition.  

South Korea ranked No.1 in the medal table and in the team rankings, but India became runner-up while Thailand was the third in that list. India and Thailand both had four finalists in the Seoul 1986 Asian Games and all of them claimed silver medals. Japan, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nepal, Bangladesh, Iraq and Kuwait all achieved at least one medal in the 1986 edition.

Finally, 85 elite male boxers from 12 countries attended in the boxing tournament of the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. The following 12 nations attended in the boxing event of the Seoul 1986 Asian Games: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, host South Korea, Kuwait, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

The first gold medal of the boxing tournament of the 1986 Asian Games was achieved by a 21-year-old South Korean, Oh Kwang Soo at the light flyweight (48kg). He claimed bronze medal in the Reno 1986 AIBA World Boxing Championships before the Asian Games where he controlled his final against Thailand’s Supap Boonrawd.

Kim Kwang Sun was 22-year-old by the time of the 1986 Asian Games which he won with top performance in the final of the flyweight (51kg) against India’s Sahu Birajdor. Powerful Kim attacked successfully and knocked out his Indian rival in the final which was his first big international triumph but Kim Kwang Sun became Olympic Champion in Seoul two years later.

South Korea’s another star Moon Sung Kil was well-known as a great knockout puncher who won 164 contests by KO out of his 219 victories during his amateur career. The South Korean boxer defended his throne in Seoul following his first triumph at the Delhi 1982 Asian Games. Moon, who was AIBA World Champion in 1986, dominated his bantamweight (54kg) final against Thailand’s Sophon Sujarikul in Seoul.

Park Hyeong Ok had already Olympic experiences before the Seoul 1986 Asian Games therefore he controlled his fights at the featherweight (57kg) including his final over Indonesia’s Adrianus Taroreh. The title of the lightweight (60kg) was achieved by Kwon Hyon Kyu who had a narrow success over Philippines’ two-time Asian Champion Leopoldo Cantancio who passed in 2018 at the age of 54.

South Korea’s AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist and Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games quarter-finalist Kim Dong Kil also won his second Asian Games title in Seoul. Kim Dong Kil won the light welterweight (63.5kg) in 1982 and defeated all of his rivals at the welterweight (67kg) four years later.  

Asian Boxing Champion Lee Hae Jung also did a remarkable performance in the 1986 Asian Games and became the third South Korean who could defend his throne in Seoul. Lee won the title of the light middleweight (71kg) in 1982 and repeated that performance in the same category in 1986 after beating Japan’s Chiharu Ogiwara in the final by RSC. His teammate Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games winner, Shin Joon Sup dominated his middleweight (75kg) final against Thailand’s promising Narong Inphrom.

List of the winners in the Seoul 1986 Asian Games
48kg: Oh Kwang Soo, South Korea
51kg: Kim Kwang Sun, South Korea
54kg: Moon Sung Kil, South Korea
57kg: Park Hyung Ok, South Korea
60kg: Kwon Hyun Kyu, South Korea
63.5kg: Kim Ki Taek, South Korea
67kg: Kim Dong Kil, South Korea
71kg: Lee Hae Jung, South Korea
75kg: Shin Joon Sup, South Korea
81kg: Min Byung Yong, South Korea
91kg: Kim Yoo Hyun, South Korea
+91kg: Baik Hyun Man, South Korea

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