Rio Test Event – Semi-finals

Six Asian finalists in the Rio Test Event
Six Asian boxers advanced to the finals of the Rio Test Event which is a preparation event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The venue is the same where the next year’s Olympic Games will be held and among our boxers six were able to get through to the finals.
There are not any Asian boxers in the finals of the women weight classes following India’s national boxing legend five-time AIBA Women’s World Champion and Incheon 2014 Asian Games winner Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte lost to United States’ National Olympic Trials gold medallist Virginia Fuchs who delivered a great surprise in Rio de Janeiro.
Uzbekistan’s defending ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Champion Hasanboy Dusmatov defeated almost all of his rivals in the whole year and triumphed over India’s Laishram Devendro Singh in the final of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok. The 22-year-old Uzbek boxer defeated another Indian hope, teenager Shyam Kumar Kakara winning the contest by large margin of difference.
Japan’s Ryomei Tanaka involved to the national team only this year and competed in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok. The 22-year-old boxer won the 85th edition of the Japanese National Championships two weeks ago and continued the winning path against Trinidad & Tobago’s Anthony Joseph which means he can fight for the gold against Brazil’s veteran Juliao Neto.
Thailand’s current ASBC Asian Champion Chatchai Butdee proved his skills once again in his new category at the Bantamweight class (56 kg) where he was too smart for Japan’s 19-year-old Arashi Morisaka. His next opponent for the gold medal will be Uzbekistan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist Murodjon Akhmadaliev who defeated Brazil’s Carlos Andre Rocha in a close semi-final.
Uzbekistan’s first boxer who qualified to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games was Hurshid Tojibaev from the AIBA Pro Boxing. The 26-year-old Lightweight class (60 kg) boxer returned to the AOB competitions and proved his knowledge in the semi-final of the Rio Test Event against Venezuela’s young Luis Cabrera.
Thailand’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games winner and defending ASBC Asian Champion Wuttichai Masuk surprisingly lost to Brazil’s Sportaccord World Combat Games winner Joedison Teixeira in the semi-final of the Light Welterweight class (64 kg). His compatriot two-time Olympian Saylom Ardee triumphed over a host nation boxer Brazil’s Roberto Custodio Queiroz and will be fighting for the gold medal against Morocco’s current AIBA World Champion Mohammed Rabii.