APB-WSB Olympic Qualification Event in Vargas – Last chance for the Asian boxers

APB-WSB Olympic Qualification Event – Last chance for the Asian boxers

Eleven Asian boxers qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the World Olympic Qualification Event in Baku, Azerbaijan which was held only a few weeks ago but the quota process for the August’s event has not been finalized yet.
The last chance for all of the boxers is the APB/WSB Olympic Qualification Event which is holding in Vargas, Venezuela and the Asian athletes will be in action from today. The finals and the box-offs will be held on July 8 when 26 quota places will be found their owners in ten men weight classes.
The city hosted the last edition of the AMBC American Confederation Boxing Championships ten months ago in the highest level and after the grand opening ceremony Vargas will see top contests today. 79 boxers from 40 nations have been there in the official weigh-in in Vargas and among them 9 Asian athletes will be trying to get the spots for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
India will have three boxers in the APB/WSB Olympic Qualification Event in Vargas and two of them returns from the professional world but each has got high experiences in the previous AIBA events. WSB hope Gaurav Bidhuri (52 kg), Neeraj Goyat (69 kg) and veteran Dilbag Singh (81 kg) are their boxers in the competition.
South Korea’s No.1 Shin Jong Hun was silver and bronze medallist in the recent editions of the AIBA World Boxing Championships and also competed in the London 2012 Olympic Games. The 27-year-old Light Flyweight class (49 kg) boxer will be returning in Vargas after a suspension and has got realistic chance to beat anyone in Venezuela. His teammate Incheon 2014 Asian Games winner Ham Sang Myeong competed in the AIBA Pro Boxing and has got also chance to qualify for Rio.
China has got eight qualified men boxers for Rio therefore their team contains two athletes at the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg) and at the Super Heavyweight class (+91 kg). Shi Guojun and Mu Haipeng both competed well in the various AOB competitions besides to their WSB duties therefore they have got chance to do their bests in Vargas.
Thailand’s lone boxer will be their professional world champion Amnat Ruenroeng who was Olympian in Beijing and claimed bronze medal at the 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships. This time he will be boxing at the Lightweight class (60 kg) where he was seeded and will be starting his campaign against a German boxer. Qatar’s APB hope Thulasi Tharumalingam is the ninth Asian boxer who will be meeting with an Italian athlete in the quarter-final of the competition