ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships – Day7 Report

The first medallists are revealed in Bangkok
The first day of the quarter-finals were held at the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok, Thailand where Uzbekistan proved a perfect day but several other Asian nations also won their contests.

Light Flyweight class (49 kg):
In the opening contest of the quarter-finals in Bangkok Uzbekistan’s strong favourite for the gold medal in the lowest weight class Hasanboy Dusmatov proved he has got great potential in our sport. The 22-year-old Uzbek boxer had unbeaten record in the World Series of Boxing and continued the winning path against Japan’s Tomoya Tsuboi who took part in his first ever big championships. Indonesia’s Cornelis Kwangu Langu won the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore three months ago but this time he suffered a loss to AIBA Team’s Laishram Devendro Singh who will now face with the Uzbek boxer in Bangkok.
Mongolia’s Gankhuyag Ganerdene won their National Championships firstly in 2010 at the age of 17 and since then he arrived to the high performance level of the Asian continent. The Mongolian boxer tried to control his quarter-final contest against DPR Korea’s Ham Jong Hyok who was taller than him. Both boxers are southpaw and had a bit similar boxing style but in the opening round Ganerdene’s will dominated. Both boxers were patient before their attacks but Ganerdene was more accurate than his younger opponent. The Mongolian boxer will now meet with Philippines’ Rogen Ladon who defeated Tajikistan’s Murodjon Rasulov in a hectic contest due his great final round.

Bantamweight class (56 kg):
Thailand’s Chatchai Butdee was also bronze medallist in the last edition of the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Almaty but at the Flyweight class (52 kg). His head coach Mr. Omar Malagon has decided to move him up just before the start of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships. His quarter-final opponent was Turkmenistan’s Yakub Meredov who had two winning bouts in the recent part of the championships. The Thai southpaw had a serious body punch in the second round and in spite of the Turkmen boxer’s great efforts Butdee advanced to the semi-finals in Bangkok.
Kazakhstan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Kairat Yeraliyev proved his very best against Mongolia’s Iderkhuu Enkhjargal and following his great final round he was able to defeat his neighbouring rival. Yeraliyev is strong favourite for the gold medal but firstly he will now meet with Thailand’s Chatchai Butdee who is a veteran boxer but re-newed in the home event.
AIBA Team’s defending ASBC Asian Continental Champion Shiva Thapa had some difficulties in opening round against Kyrgyzstan’s WSB boxer Omurbek Malabekov but he found the best fighting distance still in time and won their contest before the final bell. The titleholder of the event will be fighting for the final with Uzbekistan’s Murodjon Akhmadaliyev who was too strong for Vietnam’s Tran Phu Cuong.

Light Welterweight class (64 kg):
Thailand’s best boxer Incheon 2014 Asian Games winner Wuttichai Masuk eliminated Mongolia’s World Military Champion Battarsukh Chinzorig in the preliminaries which was a great battle. Masuk had better footwork in the quarter-finals against Turkmenistan’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Aziz Bebitov and from the middle of the bout he played with his talented young rival. The host nation’s pride advanced to the semi-final on home soil and delighted the home crowd in the Thammasat University Gym 6.
Korea’s Lim Hyun Chul was silver medallist in the Incheon 2014 Asian Games and eliminated a strong Iraqi opponent in the preliminary round here in Bangkok but his next opponent was Kyrgyzstan’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ermek Sakenov who won several international tournaments in the recent years. The Kyrgyz southpaw worked from longer distance and his quick attacks were mostly successful in the opening round of the bout. Sakenov received a warning from the referee but following that he was more active in the second round which he controlled. The Romanian referee gave another warning to Sakenov which decided the bout and surprisingly Lim Hyun Chul was able to advance to the semi-finals.
Syria’s ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships silver medallist Ahmad Ghossoun is a super talented fighter who proved his best against Japan’s former AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Masatsugu Kawachi in Bangkok. The Syrian teenager had great efforts in the second round which was the difference between them. Kawachi tried to turn back their contest but his efforts were not enough to win the match therefore Syria’s 19-year-old future star advanced to the semi-finals and bagged a guaranteed medal for his proud country.
Uzbekistan’s London 2012 Olympic Games quarter-finalist Fazliddin Gaibnazarov eliminated his main rival Kazakhstan’s Samat Bashenov in the preliminary stage. His next opponent was AIBA Team’s Commonwealth Games winner Manoj Kumar who defeated Nepal’s Deepak Shrestha in a one-sided bout. The Uzbek southpaw was very active in the opening round and did not seem as too tired in the bout following his hectic preliminaries. Gaibnazarov’s punches reached the targets and his hooks were enough to beat the Indian boxer in Bangkok.

Middleweight class (75 kg):
Kazakhstan’s Zhanibek Alimkhanuly is the defending AIBA World Champion and Asian Games winner but he had to meet with his main rival already in the quarter-final. His second opponent was Uzbekistan’s Bektemir Melikuziev who won the gold medal at the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games and since then he won all of his elite contests. The 19-year-old Uzbek was quicker in the opening round but Alimkhanuly had stronger punches in the second three minutes. Melikuziev was enough fresh in the final round and defeated his rival in the bout of the day which could be also a gold medal in the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships.
Iran’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Sajad Mehrabi fought for a place in the semi-final with Thailand’s Aphisit Kanankhokkhruea who involved to the national squad in 2013. The Iranian boxer was effective in the first round but his Thai opponent had serious punches also in first minutes. Their fighting spirit was excellent until the final bell but Mehrabi had more successful punches which was the difference between them in the quarter-final.
Iraq’s Waheed Abderredha was bronze medallist in the last edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Amman two years ago and now he repeated at least that performance in Bangkok. The 32-year-old Iraqi boxer had to meet with Lebanon’s Nadim Salloum who did a great triumph in the preliminary round in Bangkok. Abderredha was not enough strong in the opening round but he raised his efforts and knocked down his enthustiastic Lebanese opponent therefore the referee stopped their contest.
AIBA Team’s Vikas Krishan Yadav had excellent years in 2010 and in 2011 but following that he had some issues and returned only in top shape last year. The 23-year-old Indian boxer had a strong rival in the quarter-final Vietnam’s Truong Dinh Hoang who claimed gold at the Southeast Asian Games in Singapore. The Indian boxer turned up the heat from the second round and he needed to do a great final frame to eliminate his rival who developed well.

Heavyweight class (91 kg):
Kazakhstan’s Vasiliy Levit was ASBC Asian Continental Champion in Zhuhai, China in 2009 and since then he proved his talent in the World Series of Boxing. The 27-year-old boxer is already a Rio 2016 Olympian who had to meet with ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Ihab Darweish Al-Matbouli of Jordan in the quarter-final. Levit was seeded as No.1 in Bangkok and controlled their contests from the first seconds and following Al-Matbouli’s foot injury the referee stopped their bout. Levit will now meet with Tajikistan’s former Asian Games winner Jakhon Qurbonov who is a veteran athlete but knocked out Pakistan’s Mehmood Ul Hussan after their one-sided contest.
Iran’s Reza Moradkhani replaced Asian Games winner Ali Mazaheri in the weight class but he proved he is almost in the same level as their legend. He was too strong for China’s 20-year-old Yu Fengkai which means he is already a guaranteed medallist in Bangkok and reached his career highlight.
Uzbekistan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Rustam Tulaganov met with AIBA Team’s Manpreet Singh in the last bout of the day. The Indian boxer came back to the competition after the first round but Tulaganov shared his power better than last time and advanced to the semi-finals which meant Uzbekistan proved perfect day in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok.

Day 8 – Quarter-finals:
The ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships will be continued with its eighth competition day tomorrow when the second part of the quarter-finals with 20 bouts will be held in Bangkok.