Record number of 13 countries won medals in the Bangkok 1978 Asian Games

The 1978 edition of the boxing tournament of the Asian Games was held in Bangkok, Thailand in December 9-20. The boxing part of the 1978 Asian Games was taking place in the Bangkok Recreation Center. Record number of 13 countries claimed at least one medal in the boxing tournament of the Bangkok 1978 Asian Games.
The event was the eighth Asian Games and the seventh boxing tournament in the history of the multisport event. South Korea topped the medal rankings in 1962, in 1966, in 1970, in 1974 and also in the 1978 Bangkok edition. South Korea achieved five titles in Bangkok but Pakistan, Thailand, DPR Korea, Indonesia and Japan were also able to get gold medals in the 1978 editions.
The first boxing tournament was held in 7 men weight classes in Manila but from the second edition boxers could attend in 10 different categories. The Olympic Council of Asia raised the number of the weight classes up to 11 in the 1966 edition. Boxers could attend in the 1978 edition from the 48kg up to the +81kg weight categories.
Altogether 95 boxers from 17 countries attended in the boxing tournament of the 1978 Asian Games in Bangkok. The participating countries in the 1978 editions were the following nations: Burma, DPR Korea, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria and host Thailand.
The first gold medal of the 1978 edition was achieved by Thailand’s Siri Supanya at the light flyweight (48kg) after beating DPR Korea’s Olympic Games silver medallist Ri Byong Uk in the opening final. Supanya delivered the host country’s lone gold medal in Bangkok, their team claimed further three silver and two bronzes.
South Korea’s Hwang Chul Soon took silver medal in the 1974 edition in Tehran which he changed into gold in 1978 following his triumph over Burma’s Nyo Win in the final of the bantamweight (54kg). Hwang was only 17 by the time of the Tehran 1974 Asian Games and reached his career highlight at the age of 21 in 1978.
DPR Korea’s Gu Yong Jo arrived to the event as titleholder and with a gold medal at his bag from the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games. The North Korean star spent only a short time in the ring at the final of the featherweight (57kg) against Pakistan’s Mohamed Khan when the referee confirmed his RSC success.
Indonesia’s William Gommies claimed a historical gold medal for his nation at the 1970 Asian Games in Bangkok but he had to miss the 1974 edition in Tehran. The Indonesian boxer returned in 1978 and reached the top of the podium in Bangkok following his amazing success against DPR Korea’s Chang Bon Mun in the final of the middleweight (75kg).

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