Thailand reached its best performance with three medals at the AIBA World Boxing Championships after 14 years
Thailand Boxing Federation’s elite team was not able to attend this year in many events only at the Governor Cup in Russia and at the Tokyo Olympic Games. Despite of their low number of international contests in the recent nearly two years, their team achieved one silver and two bronze medals in the Belgrade 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships.
Thailand achieved three medals at the very first time since the Chicago 2007 AIBA World Boxing Championships when Somjit Jongjohor (51kg) and Manon Boonjumnong (69kg) both claimed silvers while Amnat Ruenroeng (48kg) took bronze fourteen years ago. Among Thailand Boxing Federation’s young team, Wuttichai Yurachai (48kg), Thanarat Saengphet (51kg) and Weerapon Jongjoho (75kg) earned medals for them in Belgrade.
Most of their best elite male boxers did not have any international contests this year but they spent the whole year in their national training centre in Muak Lek. Their next generation boxers proved strong development in terms of defence, speed, technical and tactical skills in Belgrade. Among their top boxers, AIBA Youth World Champion Thitisan Panmod, Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Sukthet Sarawut and Asian Games winner Wuttichai Masuk are still recovering from their injuries and accidents.
Their Cuban coach, Mr. Omar Puentes Malagon was the lone one with the team in the first days due to visa issues. After that their staff arrived and supported the boxers in Belgrade including Mr. Kamanit Nareerak, Mr. Tawikorn Sonsanuka, Mr. Peemai Phosuwan and Mr. Supawit Charoensook but their Vice-President Mr. Somchai Poolsawat also followed their performance in Serbia.
Cologne Boxing World Cup winner Wuttichai Yurachai defeated Polish, Chinese Taipei, Japanese and Georgian opponents at the minimumweight (48kg) during his road to the finals of the AIBA World Boxing Championships. The 29-year-old boxer met in the final with another veteran, Kazakhstan’s Temirtas Zhussupov who found the best distance against Yurachai therefore the Thai claimed silver in Belgrade.
Thanarat Saengphet celebrated his 19th birthday in August but he amazed all of the experts with his developments. He spent the recent eight months with strong sparring sessions including training together with AIBA Youth World Champion Thitisan Panmod. The flyweight (51kg) teenager defeated three experienced opponents and he was also highly competitive for Kazakhstan’s eventual winner Saken Bibossynov in the semi-final.
Bangkok 2018 ASBC Asian Youth Champion and Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Weerapon Jongjoho robbed into the best boxers of the middleweight (75kg) in Belgrade following his 20th birthday. The young Thai eliminated powerful US, Ukrainian and Uzbek opponents before Russian Boxing Federation’s Dzhambulat Bizhamov stopped him but Jongjoho earned bronze medal. Rujakran Juntrong (57kg) and Somchay Wongsuwan (63.5kg) were quarter-finalists in the Belgrade edition.
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