Thailand won three gold medals but Mongolia became the best team in the Thailand Open Boxing Tournament

The first edition of the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament was finished with its final day when 7 title contests which were held in one session in Bangkok. Thailand claimed three gold medals in the competition but Mongolia also impressed with their two titles in Bangkok where Philippines and South Korea were also able to win categories. Thailand A, B and C squads each won one title therefore Mongolia became the best team in Bangkok.
Altogether 127 men elite boxers from 27 different nations are attending in the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament in Bangkok from three different continents. The winners of today’s bouts are gold medallist of the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament in Bangkok where the Best Boxer Trophy was achieved by Thailand’s Pathomsak Kuttiya.
Philippines have been producing always top boxers at the light flyweight (49kg) which is the tradition of the Southeast Asian boxing power. Their AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Carlo Paalam won several international elite events in the last one year in spite of the fact he is only 20 now. The best Filipino light flyweight (49kg) eliminated Japan’s Ryusei Matsumoto, Thailand’s Samak Saehan and Chinese Taipei’s technician Tu Po Wei during his road to the finals. Paalam was patient in the first round and he was waiting for the best attacking positions in the final. The young Filipino was able to beat his Iranian opponent by unanimous decision in the title contest.
The flyweight (52kg) delivered tough battles in the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament in Bangkok where South Korea’s No.1 Kim In Kyu was not able to get any medals. Thailand’s Yuttapong Tongdee replaced their former ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Tanes Ongjunta in Team A and he proved strong performance at the flyweight (52kg) in Bangkok. He eliminated Sri Lanka’s Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Vidanalage Ishan Roshan Seneviratne Bandara and DPR Korea’s Ri Myong Ryong as well. The 25-year-old Tongdee had to meet for the gold medal with his teammate Kritiphak Duangnuch who was a taller opponent. Tongdee was able to reduce the fighting distance and his tough combinations delivered for him a gold medal.
Mongolia’s Rio 2016 Olympian and Summer Universiade winner Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu advanced to the final of the bantamweight (56kg) in Bangkok and realized his minimum goal. The 26-year-old Mongolian eliminated Bhutan’s Dorji Nima and Kazakhstan’s National Championships bronze medallist Zhanbolat Kydyrbayev in the recent two rounds. Kharkhuu had to face in the final with Japan’s new sensation Ryoma Kitaura who eliminated Thailand’s star Chatchai Butdee in the quarter-finals. The more experienced Mongolian moved more on feet and he was a hard target for the 21-year-old Japanese boxer which meant Kharkhuu won his next international tournament title after the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup.
Philippines’ former ASBC Asian Youth Champion James Palicte has been fighting for a place in their Asian Games squad therefore he did his very best against Japan’s Rentaro Kimura in the quarter-final. The 24-year-old Filipino lightweight (60kg) boxer walked over to the final of the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament following his opponent Mongolia’s Indian Open Boxing Tournament silver medallist Battumur Misheelt was unable to fight against him in the semi-finals. Palicte worked from longer distance in the first round of the final against Thailand’s surprise Seeteep Anu who exceeded all of the previous expectations in Bangkok. Anu had amazing stamina in the final and in spite of his low number of international experiences he was able to beat technician Palicte.
Two of the top Asian stars had to meet in the final of the light welterweight (64kg) at the Thailand International Open Boxing Tournament. Thailand’s defending Asian Games winner and AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Wuttichai Masuk proved even better and better performances during his road to the finals. The Thai southpaw had a tough final opponent Mongolia’s Rio 2016 Olympian and ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Chinzorig Baatarsukh in Bangkok. Both of the boxers were patient and tried to use their own rhythm in the best final of the competition. The Mongolian boxer used his best fighting distance from the first seconds and his punches came with perfect timing. The final verdict was unanimous decision in the favour of Chinzorig Baatarsukh who defeated one of the best Asian boxers in Bangkok.
Iran’s No.1 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Sajjad Kazemzadeh eliminated Thailand’s three-time Olympian Saylom Ardee in a hectic quarter-final. The 22-year-old Iranian welterweight (69kg) boxer stopped Stanislav Tsoy of Kazakhstan in the semi-final of the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament. Kazemzadeh had a smaller opponent in the final South Korea’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games silver medallist Lim Hyun Chul. The Korean boxer used his aggressive style and surprisingly virtuoso Kazemzadeh approved that fighting tactic and launched mainly hooks and uppercuts. The in-fighting style of their final was spectacular for the crowd and surprisingly Lim was able to win their difficult title contest by split decision.
Thailand’s Pathomsak Kuttiya attended in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent and he has got enough international experiences to win key contests. The Thai middleweight (75kg) boxer was too strong for Mauritius’ Jean Luc David Rosalba in the quarter-final and walked over to the final following his opponent Iran’s Seyed Shahin Mousavi was not able to fight in the last four. Kuttiya was surprised in the first round of the final when South Korea’s new national team member Kim Jin Jea knocked him down. Following that the smaller Thai boxer returned to the match with tough punches and he landed strong left-handed jabs in the second round. Kuttiya launched strong hooks in the second part of the bout and he was able to turn back their fight which was the last ones in Bangkok.

List of the winners in the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament
49kg: Carlo Paalam, Philippines
52kg: Yuttapong Tongdee, Thailand
56kg: Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu, Mongolia
60kg: Seeteep Anu, Thailand
64kg: Chinzorig Baatarsukh, Mongolia
69kg: Lim Hyun Chul, South Korea
75kg: Pathomsak Kuttiya, Thailand

Don’t forget you can keep up with all of the action, news, results and photos by following ASBC on Facebook and Instagram.
ASBC website: www.asbcnews.org
ASBC Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ASBC.Boxing/
ASBC Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/asbc_official/