India, Japan, Kazakhstan and Thailand on the lead in women’s boxing after the quarter-finals in Bangkok

The quarter-finals are always exciting in all of the boxing competitions as the winners are guaranteed medallists. The women quarter-final stage in the qualification event in our continent the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships was held in the third preliminary day in Bangkok.
Altogether 69 women and 139 men boxers from record number of 30 countries are taking part for the medals in the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships. India, Japan, Kazakhstan and Thailand made sensational performance in the third competition day when only women boxers were in action in Bangkok.
Thailand’s youngest national team member Nillada Meekoon maintained the best fighting distance in the first round well against Japan’s Rika Iwata who won her preliminary contest in Bangkok. Meekoon is competing in her first ever international tournament but she was well prepared to control her fight in the front of the home crowd. The Japanese boxer was too static for the Thai opponent but she launched an amazing uppercut in the third round. The 16-year-old Thai light flyweight (48kg) boxer worked better and secured her place in the last four which means she has qualified for the Budapest 2018 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships.
Vietnam’s women boxing life turned to a new era when the country hosted the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships in 2017. Their youth light flyweight (48kg) boxer Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi started her bout in an amazing rhythm against Chinese Taipei’s Peng Chi Yan. The Vietnamese boxer was not able to continue her dynamism and Peng found her best tempo in the second round. Chinese Taipei’s new national team member was better in their exchanges and advanced to the semi-finals of the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships.
Mongolia’s Erdenedalai Michidmaa has got high number of bouts in spite of the fact she is only 17 now. The Mongolian bantamweight (54kg) boxer felt the tempo in the first round against Vietnam’s Nguyen Ngoc Tram and she launched excellent combinations. The Mongolian moved back before launching her counter-attacks in the second when Nguyen forwarded more in comparison to the opening minutes. The Vietnamese boxer proved her best in the third round but she was not able to turn back their close fight therefore Michidmaa can prepares to her semi-final in Bangkok.
Thailand’s 17-year-old Porntip Buapa has got some experiences from the international competitions and she was awaited for her opening contest so much. The Thai lightweight (60kg) boxer started her contest against China’s Cao Xueqing with amazing punches but her opponent also raised her tempo quickly. Buapa moved ahead without any stoppage in the second round and in spite of the fact she received also punches she was the attacking boxer. Cao began the third round with great combinations but Buapa was able to keep her advantage and won their narrow fight in Bangkok.
India’s Jony was silver medallist in the Nassau 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games and won their Youth National Championships at the lightweight (60kg) last month. The 18-year-old Indian boxer had to meet with Kazakhstan’s Almaty-based Mariya Gladkova who won the Demyanov Women’s Youth Tournament in Ukraine. The Kazakh boxer, who will be turning to 17 only in June, attacked more than her Indian rival who trusted on her speed. Gladkova had more tactical answers to Jony’s counter-attacks and the younger Kazakh talent was able to win their difficult contest.
Vietnam’s ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships silver medallist Hoang Ngoc Mai worked from longer distance in her quarter-final contest against Thailand’s Baison Manikon who has just moved up to the middleweight (75kg) in the recent months. Hoang, who claimed bronze medal in their Elite National Cup, tried to keep her safest fighting distance and she controlled the first round. Manikon returned to the contest in the second therefore the final result was depended on their performance in the third. The Vietnamese boxer was slightly better in the third round and she was the first in Bangkok who could eliminate a Thai athlete.
Kazakhstan’s AIBA Women’s Junior World Champion Nadezhda Ryabets began boxing in 2010 and she arrived as the main gold medal contender of the middleweight (75kg). The 17-year-old Kazakh boxer started slowly in the first round against Uzbekistan’s newcomer Navbakhor Khamidova who switched from wrestling to boxing. Ryabets launched high number of body punches and the referee had to count the Uzbek boxer in the second round. Khamidova was brave but her efforts were not enough to keep Ryabets’s level in the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships.
Thailand’s Kittiya Nampai won her opening contest in the Guwahati 2017 AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships and she is a top flyweight (51kg) boxer in the Asian continent. The most experienced Thai women’s youth boxer was better than her Uzbek opponent Khursandoy Kholmatova in the first round. The Korat-based boxer was taller than her Uzbek rival and used her longer range to control the bout. In spite of her difficulties in the second round Nampai was able to win the bout by split decision.
Japan’s AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Sena Irie was a bit nervous in the first round against China’s Zhang Yi but she was able to change her rhythm in time in the next minutes. Japan’s featherweight (57kg) boxer was amazing in the second round and launched seriously tough punches in the third. Irie turned up the heat in the final minutes and won their contest by RSC using her strongest combinations.
India’s AIBA Women’s Junior World Champion and AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Sakshi Ghanghas moved up to the featherweight (57kg) to keep her chance alive and qualify for to the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games. The Indian boxer worked well in the first round against Thailand’s three-time National Champion Somnuek Panpatchara but her Southeast Asian opponent changed her tempo in the second. The younger Thai talent had strong hooks in the third round and delivered her best ever performance which meant she defeated one of the biggest stars of the competition.
Tajikistan’s lone woman boxer in the competition is Children of Asia Games bronze medallist Idimokh Kholova was taller than her rival Chen Ting Yu of Chinese Taipei and she used her reach to control the first round in their light welterweight (64kg) bout. The 18-year-old Tajik talent who competed in the AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships launched strong jabs and won their contest which means Kholova claimed a guaranteed medal in Bangkok.