Afghanistan amazed in the first competition day of the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships with three triumphs
The first competition day saw 23 contests in the ASBC Asian Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships. The venue of the continental event is the Grand Ballroom of the Le Meridien Hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Afghanistan amazed and proved strong developments with their three victories on the opening day.
The number of the boxers is 150 including 47 women from 17 different nations in the ASBC Asian Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships. The following 17 nations are attending in the ASBC Asian Men’s & Women’s Elite Boxing Championships: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Indonesia, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Laos, Mongolia, Philippines, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, United Arab Emirates, and Uzbekistan.
Boxers at the men’s light flyweight (49kg), flyweight (52kg), bantamweight (56kg), lightweight (60kg), light welterweight (64kg), welterweight (69kg), middleweight (75kg), light heavyweight (81kg), heavyweight (91kg) and super heavyweight (+91kg) competed in the preliminaries of Day1. Mr. Walid Jarrar of Jordan is the Technical Delegate of the ASBC Asian Elite Men’s and Women’s Boxing Championships.
Mongolia’s Unubold Orkhontungalag won the first bout of the championships
Unubold Orkhontungalag is a newcomer in the Mongolian national team who received the right at the very first time to box in a major elite championship. The Mongolian light flyweight (49kg) talent, who began boxing only in 2015, tried to control the first round against Sri Lanka’s Sajeewa Nuwan. The Mongolian landed excellent hooks in the second round of their contest against the more experienced Sri Lankan. Unubold has done a great finish against the tiring Sri Lankan and won the opening bout of the whole championships by unanimous decision.
Iran’s Omid Ahmadisafa delivered the first KO of the event while Rahmani impressed at the flyweight (52kg)
Iran’s experienced 29-year-old Omid Ahmadisafa won several international tournaments in Kazakhstan, in Mongolia and in a few other countries therefore he was too strong for Kuwait’s newcomer Ali Jasim. The taller Iranian flyweight (52kg) boxer landed a tough right-handed jab in the first round which decided their contest quickly and the referee confirmed Ahmadisafa’s KO victory. His teammate Tokyo Olympian Daniyal Shakhbakhsh used his excellent footwork against Kazakhstan’s Serik Temirzhanov and won their contest by split decision at the lightweight (60kg). The third Iranian success was achieved by their newcomer Meysam Gheslaghi who had a fantastic victory over India’s former London 2012 Olympian veteran Sumit Sangwan.
Afghanistan proved its development in the first session
Afghanistan’s best boxer, Indonesian President’s Cup silver medallist Ramish Rahmani caused the first sensation of the championships, when his honest boxing was enough to eliminate Philippines’ Marvin Tabamo in an exciting flyweight (52kg) contest in Dubai. His 20-year-old teammate Hasibullah Malikzadah had also an experienced rival, Tajikistan’s Bakhtovar Sagizov but he dictated the tempo from the first seconds. Malikzadah landed the stronger punches and he has done excellent job in the ring which delivered a split decision success for the younger Afghan. Their next boxer, Youth Olympian Sultan Mohammad Naeemi stopped Bahrain’s Abdulla Fadhul Hemrat at the light welterweight (64kg).
India’s Mohammed Hussamuddin caused a surprise in the opening day
India’s Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Mohammed Hussamuddin is an experienced boxer with more than 50 international contest only from the recent three and half years but he was not the favourite against Kazakhstan’s new sensation, two-time ASBC Asian Youth Champion Makhmud Sabyrkhan. The Kazakh talent moved up to the bantamweight (56kg) but he did not find the best fighting range in their contest while Hussamuddin replied from longer distance. The Indian strategy worked better in their contest and surprisingly Hussamuddin was able to win their bantamweight (56kg) preliminary bout.
Uzbekistan’s Youth Olympic Games winner Abdumalik Khalakov started well in Dubai
Uzbekistan’s Youth Olympic Games winner, AIBA Youth World Champion and ASBC Asian Youth Champion Abdumalik Khalakov competes in his first ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Dubai. The 20-year-old Uzbek won several elite tournaments in the recent two years and he had the speed advantage against Laos’ US-based Walter Sarnoi Oupathana in their lightweight (60kg) contest. Khalakov used his long distance tactic and played against his veteran rival in Dubai from the second minute. The young Uzbek star dominated all of the rounds and advanced to the quarter-finals of the championship.
Philippines’ newcomers as De La Cruz and Panuayan started with triumphs
The Filipino team arrived to the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships with several young talents who made their debuts in this level in Dubai. Their Jere Samuel De La Cruz is 20 now and controlled all of the rounds against Sri Lanka’s Wimukthi Kumara at the lightweight (60kg), advancing to the quarter-finals. The second Filipino boxer, John Paul Panuayan landed the better punches against United Arab Emirates’ Majid Alnaqbi therefore he also advanced to the quarter-finals in Dubai.
Safiullin and Thapa proved they are favourites in Dubai
Kazakhstan’s Zakir Safiullin claimed two silver medals in the recent editions of the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships therefore his target is clear in Dubai, he wants to win the whole competition. The Kazakh veteran used his tempo to land punches against Iran’s Ashkan Rezaei and his strategy paid off in their light welterweight (64kg) contest. India’s former ASBC Asian Champion Shiva Thapa started his campaign in this weight class also well and defeated Kyrgyzstan’s new National Champion Dmitriy Puchnin.
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