China Open Tournament – Finals

Chang Yuan was the teenage star in the China Open Tournament

The China Open Tournament finished with 13 final contests in the city of Guiyang where the fifth competition day was amazing. The host country of the competition claimed nine gold medals in Guiyang while South Korea, Kazakhstan and Philippines were also enough strong to win weight classes in the China Open Tournament.
China’s Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games winner and AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Chang Yuan is one of the biggest Asian talent in woman boxing who shines in the China Open Tournament. The 19-year-old Flyweight class (51 kg) eliminated Philippines’ Aira Villegas and Mongolia’s Altantsetseg Lutsaikhan in the previous part of the competition. Her final opponent was South Korea’s Kim Min Jeong who was not a competitive rival for the talented young Chinese boxer.
In the absence of China’s best Women’s Lightweight class (60 kg) boxer Yin Junhua two of her teammates proved great performance in the final of the category in Guiyang. Former National Champion Ma Jianxia was too strong for Yang Chengyu in the gold medal bout while South Korea’s Choi Jin Sun claimed bronze medal in the China Open Tournament.
Yuan Meiqing was gold medallist at the 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Qinhuangdao where she competed at the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg). The 23-year-old Chinese boxer moved down to the Olympic Middleweight class (75 kg) and controlled her semi-final against Mongolia’s young Erdenetuya Enkhbaatar in Guiyang. Following her triumph she dominated her gold medal bout against her teammate Chen Simin in Guiyang.
South Korea’s new talent at the Light Flyweight class (49 kg) Kim Bi had eliminated in the semi-final with Chinese Taipei’s Tu Po Wei but he had to meet for the gold with China’s experienced He Junjun who defeated Malaysia’s Southeast Asian Games silver medallist Muhamad Fuad Bin Mohamed Redzuan in the second semi-final of the category. The Chinese boxer was excellent in the AIBA Pro Boxing as well therefore his experiences were enough to beat his teenage rival in Guiyang.
China’s Chang Yong had great results in the London 2012 Olympic era but in the recent years he had injuries and unexpected losses. The 29-year-old Flyweight class (52 kg) boxer, who won several international events in 2009 and in 2011, defeated Mongolia’s APB hope Gandulam Mungun-Erdene in the quarter-final. He was also too strong for Philippines’ newcomer 20-year-old Dannel Maamo in the road to the final bout. The veteran Chinese boxer and met for the gold with his teammate Zhang Guo and due his great final round Chang could keep the title.
South Korea’s Kim Ju Seong appeared in the international level in 2009 and competed well enough in various big events. The 27-year-old boxer moved up to the Bantamweight class (56 kg) where he proved his strength against Kazakhstan’s WSB hope Nurbol Kalzhanov. South Korea’s second gold medal was achieved by Park Nam Hyeong at the Heavyweight class (91 kg) who defeated another Kazakh boxer, Magzhan Bazarbay.
Philippines’ James Palicte was gold medallist in the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Subic Bay and after his tight success over Kazakhstan’s Kanat Koptleuov and Mongolia’s Otgonchuluun Batkhuu in the last four he was able to beat for the gold medal China’s Wang Sen. His gold at the China Open Tournament was Palicte’s first ever international title in the elite level.
China’s Xinjiang-based Huricha Bilige is member of their national team since 2010 but he was able to reach the top level in the recent two years. The Chinese Welterweight class (69 kg) boxer was able to beat Malaysia’s Muhammad Alieshan with large margin of difference and proved top performance for the gold against Philippines’ Joel Bacho who moved up one weight class in the recent months.
Mongolia’s Asian Games bronze medallist Jargal Otgonjargal is one of the best Middleweight class (75 kg) boxer in the Asian continent but he had to do his very best against South Korea’s Jeong Jae Min in the road to the final and he could not box well enough for the gold with Kazakhstan’s Yerik Alzhanov. Otgonjargal did not find the best fighting distance and Alzhanov was able to find his weak points easily in the bout.
China’s Huang Jiabing is a newcomer in the national team at the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg) who delivered one of the main sensation of the first sessions in Guiyang. He defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Erkin Adylbek Uulu who qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an three months ago. The Chinese boxer was amazing in the semi-final as well when he dominated the bout over South Korea’s Park Sang Kyu. His final was China’s Wang Lida who eliminated Iran’s London 2012 Olympic Games quarter-finalist Ehsan Rouzbahani. Wang had tough punches in the first round and knocked down his teammate therefore the referee confirmed his TKO success.
China’s 23-year-old Wang Zhibao has got experiences from the World Series of Boxing and other international events since 2011 therefore his victory over South Korea’s Heo Jin Ho was an expected result in the semi-final. The Chinese Super Heavyweight class (+91 kg) boxer met for the gold medal with his teammate Wang Yunlong and did not give him any chance in Guiyang. Wang Zhibao won their contest by unanimous decision and secured China’s ninth gold medal in the competition.

Winners in the China Open Tournament

Women’s 51 kg: Chang Yuan, China
Women’s 60 kg: Ma Jianxia, China
Women’s 75 kg: Yuan Meiqing, China
Men’s 49 kg: He Junjun, China
Men’s 52 kg: Chang Yong, China
Men’s 56 kg: Kim Ju Seong, South Korea
Men’s 60 kg: James Palicte, Philippines
Men’s 64 kg: Wang Gang, China
Men’s 69 kg: Huricha Bilige, China
Men’s 75 kg: Yerik Alzhanov, Kazakhstan
Men’s 81 kg: Wang Lida, China
Men’s 91 kg: Park Nam Hyeong, South Korea
Men’s +91 kg: Wang Zhibao, China