Zareen, Pang and Nguyen impressed in the evening session of Day1

The evening session opened with a fantastic battle in the Asian Games and India’s Nikhat Zareen was able to win that in Hangzhou, China. DPR Korea’s former World Champion Pang Chol Mi returned with a success and Vietnam’s 19-year-old Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tran made a strong performance as well.

India’s two-time World Champion Nikhat Zareen was unbeaten in this Olympic cycle before the start of the Asian Games where she is one of the favourites at the women’s light flyweight (50kg). Zareen had to face for the Round 16 another star, Vietnam’s two-time Asian Champion Nguyen Thi Tam who has just recovered from her injury. Zareen had the full concentration in the first round, she followed the tactics and took the lead on the scorecards. Nguyen’s knee was not 100% in this top level of contest therefore Zareen won this tough preliminary battle easier than he expected.

DPR Korea’s World Champion and Asian Champion Pang Chol Mi moved up to the bantamweight (54kg) in the previous four years when she was absent from the international competitions. The North Korean boxer did not find the best fighting distance in the first round against South Korea’s Tokyo Olympian Im Ae Ji but from the second she worked better and eliminated her neighbouring rival.

Vietnam’s Ha Thi Linh won her opening contest in the first session and their 19-year-old Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tran continued the winning path at the women’s bantamweight (54kg) in the evening. She not only controlled, but dominated the first round against Tajikistan’s Nigora Olimova and she had the massive advantage on the judges’ scorecards. The Vietnamese teenager, who earned a bronze at the 2022 Youth World Championships, proved a strong opening contest in Hangzhou.

Uzbekistan’s Nigina Uktamova won her first ASBC title as a junior boxer in 2019 and she found her best category, the bantamweight (54kg). The 20-year-old Uzbek girl had a strong first opponent, Philippines’ Irish Magno, a Tokyo Olympian veteran but Uktamova had the better strategy in this preliminary contest. The Uzbek won all of the three rounds in their meeting and she advanced to the next round with an outstanding performance.

DPR Korea’s Choe Chol Man was member of their national team in 2017 and as all of his teammates, he was unable to compete in the international competitions in the previous four years. The 26-year-old boxer switched into the light welterweight (63.5kg) and he worked hard from the first seconds against Japan’s Yuta Akiyama., another experienced boxer. Choe was punctual in the exchanges and he won their battle by 4:1 split decision in Hangzhou.

Thailand’s ASBC Asian Champion Bunjong Sinsiri and Iran’s Ali Habibinezhad both went down from the welterweight (67kg) to the light welterweight (63.5kg) due to the possibility of the Olympic quota. The Thai had perfect performance in the recent championships but he had to do his very best against the Iranian who had a brave attempt to beat him. Sinsiri won two out of the three rounds and that performance was enough to advance to the last 16.

Kazakhstan’s new addition to the elite national team, Yertugan Zeinullinov competed for his country in the major championships as a youth boxer in 2014. After nine years of hiatus from the top events, he met Jordan’s Asian Championships silver medallist Obada Al-Kasbeh in the preliminary of the men’s light welterweight (63.5kg). Zeinullinov had the right tactics in their meeting and his brilliant technical skills decided their contest in the evening session.

Mongolia’s ASBC Asian Champion Chinzorig Baatarsukh expected a hard battle against Turkmenistan’s Hursand Imankuliyev, the quarter-finalist of the last Asian Games. The Mongolian light welterweight (63.5kg) boxer was a bit nervous in this fight but finally he was able to beat the experienced opponent from Turkmenistan. Philippines’ Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Eumir Felix Marcial is also back on track as several boxers and he opened his campaign against Mongolia’s Ganzorig Dalai with a success at the light heavyweight (80kg).

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