Mongolia won five titles but seven nations shared the 12 gold medals in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup
The 5 women and the 7 men finals were held in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup in the Mongolian capital city in Ulaanbaatar where the fifth and last competition day delivered world class battles between the Asian future stars. Mongolia claimed five gold medals in the event but Chinese Taipei, India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Thailand also won titles in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup.
President of the Asian Boxing Confederation and AIBA Vice-President Mr. Serik Konakbayev arrived to Mongolia in the first day of the competition and visited the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup in Mongolia. He had successful negotiations also with the President of the State of Mongolia and the leaders of the Mongolian sport and boxing.
The Ulaanbaatar Box Cup was a strong preparation event for the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games and another selection tournament for the Mongolian boxers and other participating nation’s athletes. Among the top Asian boxing nations Kazakhstan, South Korea, DPR Korea, Thailand, China, host Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Iran were taking part in the second edition of the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup.
Mongolia’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg returned to the light flyweight (48kg) in the recent months and following her victory over Thailand’s Ratchaneekorn Sikadon in the semi-final, she was able to repeat a strong performance once again. The 23-year-old Mongolian was in trouble after one minute of fight when she met with DPR Korea’s Kim Kum Sun but her stamina was enough to turn back their narrow final which means the first gold medal remained in Ulaanbaatar.
Thailand’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Chuthamat Raksat is in the same top form as in 2014 when she reached her career highlight. Thailand’s No.1 flyweight (51kg) boxer eliminated Mongolia’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Nandintsetseg Myagmardulam in the semi-final on Day4. The 25-year-old Thai boxer had to meet for the title with DPR Korea’s National Championships silver medallist Han Kyong and she did enough to win the gold medal. Sri Lanka’s veteran Anusha Kodituwakku is settled to bronze medal in Ulaanbaatar.
Mongolia’s Bolortuul Tumurkhuyag claimed gold medal at the light flyweight (48kg) in the 2012 ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships. After six years of her highlight she attended at the featherweight (57kg) in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup and advanced to the final. The 31-year-old Mongolian impressed in the final and defeated India’s Sonia Lather Singh who achieved silver medals in the last AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and also in the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships.
Chinese Taipei’s Wu Shih Yi attended in the last edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships and almost defeated the Chinese AIBA Women’s World Champion in Ho Chi Minh City. The 19-year-old talent moved down to the lightweight (60kg) and eliminated former AIBA Women’s World Champion Sarita Devi Laishram and South Korea’s two-time ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Oh Yeon Ji during her road to the finals. Wu was exhausted after those world class fights and lost in the final to an experienced boxer, Russia’s Natalia Shadrina.
Chinese Taipei’s Chen Nien Chin was her country’s first Olympian in women’s boxing who is only 21 now but has got already bronze medal from the last AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. Chinese Taipei’s pride moved down to the welterweight (69kg) just to this Ulaanbaatar Box Cup and she dominated her fights against China’s Liu Yang and India’s Commonwealth Games competitor Lovlina Borgohain who was also born in 1997.
Iran’s Omid Ahmadisafa is his country’s best light flyweight (49kg) boxer in the recent one decade who won the Taimanov & Utemisov Memorial Tournament in Atyrau this April. The 26-year-old Iranian eliminated Kazakhstan’s Saday Farzaliyev in the semi-final and continued his winning path against India’s Himanshu Sharma in the final as well. The final verdict was split decision to the experienced Iranian who won the first men’s gold in Ulaanbaatar. The younger Indian boxer impressed in the event and could have bright future in our sport.
Kyrgyzstan’s Amman 2013 ASBC Asian Champion Azat Usenaliev is in top form this year after his international training camps and strong preparations. The 27-year-old Kyrgyz boxer, who has been preparing to his third Asian Games, eliminated DPR Korea’s Kim Un Song and Mongolia’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Gan-Erdene Gankhuyag during his road to the finals. Usenaliev’s final opponent was South Korea’s ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships silver medallist Lee Hee Seop. Usenaliev was not only quicker than his 19-year-old Korean rival but he was also strong this time and Lee’s ringside abandoned their final.
Mongolia’s Rio 2016 Olympian and Summer Universiade winner Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu is member of the national elite team since 2013 and he used up all of his experiences to win his next important title in Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolian boxer knocked out his first rival quickly on Day1 and eliminated Kyrgyzstan’s Almambet Alibekov as second. The 26-year-old Kharkhuu was impressed in the semi-finals against DPR Korea’s Ri Sung Jin and defeated a super talented rival India’s 18-year-old Muhammed Etash Khan in the final of the men’s bantamweight (56kg).
Mongolia’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games quarter-finalist Erdenebat Tsendbaatar is fighting for his place in their Asian Games squad at the men’s lightweight (60kg) therefore he showed his very best in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup. The 22-year-old local star eliminated Byambatsogt Tuguldur in the quarter-finals and controlled all of the rounds against Kazakhstan’s Aidyn Sikhimbayev in the last four. Tsendbaatar delivered his best performance in the right time and controlled all of the rounds against his teammate and main rival Battumur Misheelt winning the gold medal in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup.
Mongolia’s Chinzorig Baatarsukh was member of their national team already in the Incheon 2014 Asian Games and since then he claimed silver in the Tashkent 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships and qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The 27-year-old strong Mongolian spent only a short time in the ring and delivered a classical KO success against Kazakhstan’s Abdulkhasim Baltiyev in the final of the light welterweight (64kg).
India’s Mandeep Jangra achieved silver medal in the Amman 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships but after a few poor years he returned to his welterweight (69kg) in top shape. The 25-year-old Indian boxer took out of his way Mongolia’s Tsend-Ayush Otgon-Erdene in the semi-final and his technician style was enough to beat another host country talent Otgonbaatar Byamba-Erdene in the gold medal contest.
Iran’s Seyed Shahin Mousavi joined to the national team one and half year ago and has done significant development in that period. The 24-year-old Iranian middleweight (75kg) boxer, who attended in the Tashkent 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships, found his best rhythm in the first round and his performance was enough to beat Thailand’s Kittisak Klinson in the final which was Iran’s second success in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup.
List of the winners in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup
Women’s 48kg: Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg, Mongolia
Women’s 51kg: Chuthamat Raksat, Thailand
Women’s 57kg: Bolortuul Tumurkhuyag, Mongolia
Women’s 60kg: Natalia Shadrina, Russia
Women’s 69kg: Chen Nien Chin, Chinese Taipei
Men’s 49kg: Omid Ahmadisafa, Iran
Men’s 52kg: Azat Usenaliev, Kyrgyzstan
Men’s 56kg: Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu, Mongolia
Men’s 60kg: Erdenebat Tsendbaatar, Mongolia
Men’s 64kg: Chinzorig Baatarsukh, Mongolia
Men’s 69kg: Mandeep Jangra, India
Men’s 75kg: Seyed Shahin Mousavi, Iran
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