Philippines’ Nesthy Petecio eliminated the main gold medal contender at the Tokyo Olympic Games
The Asian continent produced another amazing competition day at the Tokyo Olympic Games on Day3. Among the 28 bouts the Asians won ten matches in the two sessions today when Japan, Kazakhstan, China and Philippines all continued their perfect records. Philippines’ Nesthy Petecio caused the main sensation of the day, she defeated the top gold medal contender, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting in a fantastic contest.
Boxers at the women’s featherweight (57kg), men’s flyweight (52kg) and men’s middleweight (75kg) were in action in the third competition day of the Tokyo Olympic Games. The women’s winners advanced to the quarter-finals in Tokyo while the succeeded men boxers joined to the last 16.
Altogether 70 Asian boxers including 26 women and 44 men are able to represent their nations in the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games. The final number of the boxers is 289 in the Games where thirteen champions will be crowned in Tokyo.
China’s Hu Jianguan takes the first Asian triumph on Day3
China’s Hu Jianguan claimed bronze medals in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships and won the title of the Qualifier. The 28-year-old Chinese boxer is one of the favourites of the men’s flyweight (52kg) who performed well in the national events during the pandemic period. Hu started better than his younger rival, Georgia’s Sakhil Alakhverdovi and his impressive footwork was enough to take the control quickly. The Georgian never met such world class boxers as Hu in the past and could not respond to the Chinese punches effectively.
Ryomei Tanaka kept Japan’s unbeaten series
Japan’s six-strong team won all of their contests in the opening two days of the Tokyo Olympic Games and their next boxer in the fifth session, continued that pathway. Ryomei Tanaka won the Olympic Test Event before Rio de Janeiro but he was not able to qualify for Brazil five years ago. Tanaka received the right to attend as a host country member but performed strongly against Venezuela’s Yoel Finol who claimed medal in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Venezuelan boxer had several difficulties in the recent years and he could not find the best weapon against the quick Tanaka.
Uzbekistan’s titleholder Shakhobidin Zoirov dominated his first contest
Uzbekistan’s defending Olympic Games winner Shakhobidin Zoirov is also the current AIBA World Champion and ASBC Asian Champion. The 28-year-old Uzbek arrived to Tokyo to defend his throne and proved in the first preliminary round that he has the chance to make that happen. Zoirov was highly confident against Turkey’s Batuhan Ciftci in the first round and he could increase his rhythm in the second. The Tunisian referee counted the Turkish boxer in the second round and Zoirov enjoyed the third, played with his rival and marched into the last 16 of the men’s flyweight (52kg).
Philippines’ Carlo Paalam also advanced to the last 16
Team Philippines prepared to the Olympic Games in Muak Lek together with the Thai team and that had strong benefits in the opening two competition days in Tokyo. Their clear winning path was followed by Asian Games bronze medallist Carlo Paalam at the men’s flyweight (52kg) who had a strong start against Ireland’s European Games silver medallist Brendan Irvine. The Filipino boxer robbed into the world of boxing in 2016 and after five years of successes he was technically and tactically better than the Irish today.
Yuito Moriwaki secured Japan’s second success on Day3
Japan qualified three boxers to the Games through the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event and the country had three additional spots as a host country. Following the decision of their selection committee, Yuito Moriwaki received that right in the middleweight (75kg). The Japanese boxer used his power to shock Iran’s two-time ASBC Asian Boxing Championships bronze medallist Seyed Shahin Mousavi. The Iranian returned to the match still in time in the beginning of the second round but his efforts were not enough to beat the Japanese who is in top form.
Nesthy Petecio eliminated the main gold medal contender
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting won the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships, the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event and the ASBC Asian Women’s Boxing Championships twice in the recent years. The tall Lin was the main gold medal contender of the women’s featherweight (57kg) and she tried to use her distance against Philippines’ Nesthy Petecio who claimed the title at the 2019 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. The smaller Filipino attacked without any stoppage and reduced the fighting distance successfully in the most anticipated contest of the day. Petecio found the key tactic against Lin Yu Ting and delivered a sensational success eliminating the top favourite.
Kazakhstan is still perfect after three contests
Kazakhstan’s Serik Temirzhanov and Zakir Safiullin opened their campaigns successfully and the third boxer in action from the boxing power was Saken Bibossynov at the men’s flyweight (52kg). The 24-year-old AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Kazakh felt the distance in the first round against Puerto Rico’s Yankiel Rivera and he used the best strategy against his Central American rival. Bibossynov produced his best round in the third and eliminated the strong Puerto Rican in Tokyo.
China’s Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan and Uzbekistan’s Fanat Kakhramonov are the Asian winners at the middleweight (75kg)
China’s Xinjiang-based Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan claimed bronze medal at the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Amman and proved his powerful punches in the recent competitions. The 25-year-old Chinese faced with another Asian opponent, India’s Ashish Kumar who earned silver medal at the 2019 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships. The Chinese boxer controlled the first and second rounds and despite of Kumar’s great finish, Tanglatihan advanced to the last 16. Uzbekistan’s Fanat Kakhramonov produced his best yearly performance in the preliminary round and bowed out Georgia’s Giorgi Kharabadze.
Japan’s Sena Irie is quarter-finalist at the featherweight
Japan produced fantastic performance in the first three competition days in Tokyo, all of their six boxers are highly motivated to reach their career highlights. Two-time AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist Sena Irie is an amazing boxer at the featherweight (57kg). Irie had a tough opponent, Tunisia’s All Africa Games winner Khouloud Hlimi who won several international tournaments this year and defeated Russian boxers as well. The 21-year-old Japanese boxer controlled the exchanges and not only advanced to the quarter-finals but following Lin Yu Ting’s loss, she is now one of the gold medal contenders.
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