Eight Asian boxers advanced to the finals of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games

The third competition day of the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games was held in the Argentinean capital where the winners are advanced to the finals. Eight of our Asian hopes advanced to the final of the Youth Olympic Games which is the same performance as in the Nanjing 2014 edition.
Following the tough qualification process which were held in each continent between April and June the selected 28 women and 55 men boxers will be attending in the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games. Among them the 17 Asian boxers including 6 women and 11 men talents are focusing to the medals of the boxing event. Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Thailand and Uzbekistan received the right among the Asian nations to compete in the Youth Olympic Games.
Thailand’s Sarawut Sukthet claimed silver medal in the Puerto Princesa 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championships one year ago and his significant development impressed the whole boxing world. The 17-year-old Thai talent won the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships this April and following his first fantastic success in Buenos Aires Sukthet continued his winning path. Thailand’s pride was quicker than Brazil’s AMBC American Youth Champion Luiz Gabriel Oliveira and advanced to the final of the flyweight (52kg) where his next rival will be Great Britain’ Ivan Hope Price.
Thailand’s best youth boxer AIBA Youth World Champion and ASBC Asian Youth Champion Atichai Phoemsap arrived to Buenos Aires as the main favourite of the men’s lightweight (60kg). The 18-year-old Thai talent won his quarter-final against Canada’s AMBC American Confederation Youth Boxing Championships silver medallist Spencer Wilcox closely on Day2 and he has done much better in the semi-finals. Phoemsap proved his world class footwork again in the last four against Azerbaijan’s EUBC European Youth Champion Nurlan Safarov and after Sarawut Sukthet he also advanced to the finals.
Kazakhstan’s Children of Asia Games winner and ASBC Asian Youth Champion Damir Toybay started better the first round than Canada’s Tethuach Chuol but from the second he stepped into the gas. The 18-year-old Kazakh star dominated the second and third rounds against his Canadian rival and won the bout by large margin of differences. Toybay’s final opponent will be Russia’s Aleksei Dronov which will be the repeat final of the super heavyweight (+91kg) of the Budapest 2018 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships.
Thailand’s Panpatchara Somnuek stopped Slovakia’s three-time EUBC European Champion Jessica Triebelova in the quarter-final of the featherweight (57kg) on Day1 of the Youth Olympic Games which was a surprise in Buenos Aires. Somnuek was a bit nervous in the first round of her semi-final and Ireland’s Dearbhla Rooney was in the same level as the Thai talent. Somnuek raised her rhythm in the second round and she was able to eliminate her next European rival which means she is the third Thai finalist in Buenos Aires.
Uzbekistan’s AIBA Youth World Champion and ASBC Asian Youth Champion Abdumalik Khalokov defeated Albania’s Muhamet Qamili in the quarter-final of the bantamweight (56kg) with top performance on Day2. The 18-year-old Uzbek star was too quick for Argentina’s Mirco Cuello in the semi-final of the category and he played with his South American rival. The promising Uzbek boxer won all of the rounds and marched to the final of the category where his next opponent will be Ukraine’s two-time EUBC European Champion Maksym Halinichev.
There was a hard job for Mr. Galymbek Kenzhebayev to select the Kazakh team for the Youth Olympic Games and one of their options was ASBC Asian Youth Champion Talgat Shayken at the men’s light welterweight (64kg). The 18-year-old boxer knew how to reach and land punched against Morocco’s Mohammed Boulaouja but his time came in the third round. Shayken did not give any chance to his North African rival and his lethal combinations cleared the situation, he won the semi-finals by RSC.
Kazakhstan’s best hope for a gold medal ASBC Asian Youth Champion and AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist Aibek Oralbay subdued Chile’s youth No.1 Andrew Salgado on Day2 in Buenos Aires and following that contest he had to meet with another boxer from the American continent. The 18-year-old Kazakh heavyweight (91kg) ruled the middle of the ring against Puerto Rico’s Alvin Canales and he proved that his skills are in different level in all aspects of boxing. Oralbay advanced to the final following his massive victory he will be meeting for the gold with Algeria’s Mohamed Amine Hacid.
Thailand qualified maximum number of five boxers to the Youth Olympic Games and their ASBC Asian Women’s Youth Champion Porntip Buapa became the fourth who advanced to the finals of the event. The lightweight (60kg) boxer had a well-built tactic before the start of the semi-final against Australia’s Emma Lawson and she could follow the instructions. The 17-year-old Buapa dominated her fight and secured her place in the finals of the Youth Olympic Games.

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