Seven Asian golds at the Balkan Women’s Tournament

Seven young Asian ladies won in the Balkan Women’s Tournament
The Balkan Women’s Tournament is a new competition in the boxing calendar which was held in Sofia, Bulgaria where the young Asian ladies claimed seven gold medals. The competition was scheduled in junior, youth and elite age groups as well. Asia secured three golds in the junior and four titles in the youth part of the Balkan Women’s Tournament.
Thailand claimed three gold medals in the junior and one top position in the youth age group while their elite athletes also could raise their international experiences in Sofia. Thailand’s new President Mr. Pichai Chunhavajira decided to build up their background from the junior age group and the result was their top performance in the Balkan Women’s Tournament.
AIBA Women’s Junior World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Chiranchaya Phunsang claimed Thailand’s first gold medal who defeated Bulgaria’s Elina Georgieva at the Junior Flyweight class (50 kg). Their second gold medal in the junior level was achieved by Bunyanut Machai who was quicker than Bulgaria’s Lilia Blagoeva.
AIBA Women’s Junior World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Preedakamon Tintabthai also defeated a host nation athlete Plamena Ivanova which bout was a top one in the event. Chutharat Pralathai won their lone youth gold in Sofia where she was able to defeated Bulgaria’s experienced national team member Nadezhda Orlinova and Japan’s High School Invitational Tournament winner Runa Kikuchi in the gold medal bout.
Japan has got great youth talents in the women boxing who could be their great weapons in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Japan’s National Champion and High School Invitational Tournament winner Tsukimi Namiki defeated Thailand’s Pattanaporn Lattipromma in the final of the Youth Flyweight class (51 kg) and bagged a valuable title while the above mentioned Runa Kikuchi secured silver. AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Madoka Wada also took part in the Balkan Women’s Tournament but she lost to eventual winner Valeria Calabrese of Italy in a narrow bout.
Vietnam also won a weight class in the youth part of the competition where 17-year-old Nguyen Thi Huyen Phuong defeated Thailand’s Siriwan Phuengpanya in the final of the Youth Light Flyweight class (48 kg). Vietnam’s second finalist in Sofia ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ha Thi Linh secured silver medal in the elite level.
Chinese Taipei’s two top youth boxers took part in the Balkan Women’s Tournament in Sofia. Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Chen Nien Chin lost her quarter-final contest in the Elite Middleweight class (75 kg) while AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist Huang Hsiao Wen defeated all of her European and Asian rivals and won the Youth Bantamweight class (54 kg) in Sofia.
The Asian winners in the Balkan Women’s Tournament
Junior 50 kg: Chiranchaya Phunsang, Thailand
Junior 52 kg: Bunyanut Machai, Thailand
Junior 54 kg: Preedakamon Tintabthai, Thailand
Youth 48 kg: Nguyen Thi Huyen Phuong, Vietnam
Youth 51 kg: Tsukimi Namiki, Japan
Youth 54 kg: Huang Hsiao Wen, Chinese Taipei
Youth 57 kg: Chutharat Pralathai, Thailand