Vietnam earned historic U22 gold medals in Colombo
Vietnam earned two historic female U22 gold medals at the ASBC Asian U22 & Youth Boxing Championships in Colombo, Sri Lanka today.
Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Cambodia, French Polynesia, IBA-India, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, IBA-Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam were the 23 participating nations in this championship.
Kazakhstan’s Akbota Bolat had a tough semi-final in Colombo but she had a tight victory over her Asian silver medallist Vietnamese opponent. Her final opponent, IBA-India’s Mahi Siwach used her longer hands in the first round to keep the 19-year-old Kazakh on long. The Indian had a tight advantage on the judges’ scorecards after two rounds and she became the first U22 gold medallist on Day11.
Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tran, the ASBC Asian Elite Championships silver medallist, tried to work from longer distance in her light flyweight (50kg) bout against Kazakhstan’s Gulnar Turapbay. The 21-year-old former Youth World bronze medallist landed a strong right-handed jab in the first round and Turapbay was counted. Nguyen continued her technician performance in the second and third rounds to take a gold for Vietnam.
The next Vietnamese boxer, Song Thi Kim Ngan also exceeded her previous expectations and she defeated Kazakhstan’s Tomiris Myrzakul in the tightest female finals in Colombo which was the second gold for the Southeast Asian country. Kazakhstan’s Elina Bazarova, their Youth World Champion, impressed in the fourth female final and she defeated Vietnam’s technician Ngo Thi Mai Chuc at the bantamweight (54kg).
Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Baidukova returned to the national team with upgraded technical and tactical skills and she joined the finals of the featherweight (57kg) easily. The 20-year-old Asian Champion prepared well against IBA-India’s Nancy and she dominated the first round with abs and powerful combinations. Baidukova was in different level as her Indian opponent and the Turkish referee stopped their bouts in the second round.
Kazakhstan’s Anar Tursynbek is famous of her powerful punches and she arranged her strategy against Tajikistan’s lone female finalist Khangoma Isoyeva based on strength. The new Kazakh flag bearer moved forward without any stoppage but Isoyeva delivered much better performance than in the semi-finals. The Tajik used great footwork to avoid the Kazakh jabs but from the second round Tursynbek dominated the exchanges to take the women’s lightweight (60kg) gold medal.
Kazakhstan’s Aruzhan Zhangabayeva is only 19-year-old but she had a quick RSC victory over Sri Lanka’s Mudiyanselage Nayakarathna at the women’s light welterweight (63kg). Kazakhstan’s ASBC Asian Youth Champion Uldana Taubay also joined from the youth age group to the U22 level of boxing but she was highly confident against IBA-India’s Himanshi at the welterweight (66kg) final.
Kazakhstan’s two-time ASBC Asian Youth Champion Bakyt Seidish met Mongolia’s newcomer in the U22 national team, Muldir Yerjan at the light middleweight (70kg) final and she decided the final very quickly. Kazakhstan’s duo as Shugyla Nalibay (75kg) and Zhibek Zharaskyzy (81kg) both defeated Sri Lankan opponents by RSC in the first round while Assel Toktassyn (+81kg) needed five minutes to beat IBA-India’s Payal Jakhar to take Kazakhstan’s ninth U22 female gold medal.
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