Thailand’s Saoto and Tongdee are champions in the FISU World University Boxing Championships

Thailand proved amazing performance in the fifth competition day at the FISU World University Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai where their two newcomers Ratchadaporn Saoto and Yuttapong Tongdee claimed gold medals.
Seven Asian boxers advanced to the finals in the FISU World University Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand in the fourth competition day while further five athletes and kept their chances alive to win the whole tournament today.
Chiang Mai is located in the Northern part of Thailand and famous of its boxing school and also of its weightlifting traditions. Besides to the ten men’s weight classes the women boxers can compete in the Flyweight class (51 kg), Lightweight class (60 kg) and Middleweight class (75 kg) once again after the last Yakutsk 2014 edition. Boxers who were born between 1988 and 1997 are eligible to compete in the FISU University World Boxing Championships.

Women’s Flyweight class (51 kg):
Japan’s Sana Kawano had great youth results before winning national titles among the elite boxers. The young Japanese lady eliminated Belarus’ experienced Helina Bruyevich in the quarter-final of the championships when she did her best in Chiang Mai. The 20-year-old Japanese boxer was enough skilled to control her semi-final bout as well against such a strong European opponent as France’s Wassila Lkhadiri who claimed bronze in the 2014 EUBC European Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships. Kawano’s efforts means she advanced to the final of the category in the championships.
Thailand’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist and Southeast Asian Games winner Chuthamat Raksat moved up from the Light Flyweight class (48 kg) to show her best in the front of the home crowd. The 23-year-old boxer was not enough shape in the opening round therefore she had to turn up the heat from the second to beat Poland’s Angelika Gronska in the quarter-final. Raksat probed better performance in her second appearance in the semi-final when she was too quick for Russia’s Svetlana Soluianova and will be boxing with Kawano for the gold medal.

Women’s Lightweight class (60 kg):
Thailand’s Ratchadaporn Saoto delivered a surprise result on Day 4 when she defeated Kazakhstan’s AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist 18-year-old Nazym Ishchanova in the semi-final. The Thai boxer was amazing in the gold medal bout as well when she was able to repeat her top performance and triumphed over Russia’s Natalia Shadrina which was the host nation’s first gold medal in Chiang Mai. Chinese Taipei’s AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist 19-year-old Huang Hsiao Wen and Kazakhstan’s teenage star Nazym Ishchanova claimed bronze medals for Asia in this weight class.

Men’s Light Flyweight class (49 kg):
Chinese Taipei’s lone man finalist in the FISU World University Boxing Championships was 19-year-old Tu Po Wei who defeated Kyrgyzstan’s two-time National Champion Rakhmankul Avatov in the semi-final of the competition. Tu, who competed at the 2013 AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships in Kiev and also in the 2014 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Sofia, could not find the best fighting distance against Russia’s Vadim Kudriakov in the final and achieved silver medal in Chiang Mai. Thailand’s 20-year-old Thitisak Hoitong and Kyrgyzstan’s Rakhmankul Avatov delivered bronze medals for Asia.

Men’s Bantamweight class (56 kg):
Thailand’s new flag bearer in the Bantamweight class (56 kg) Yuttapong Tongdee had a few international experiences but his skills are enough good to win such a spectacular bout which he produced together with France’s Adem Medj. The final verdict was unanimous decision to the Thai boxer in the quarter-final who was able to repeat that performance against Kazakhstan’s Asian Student Champion and ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships bronze medallist Yertugan Zeinuldinov in the last four as well. For the gold medal he did his very best against Japan’s Yuki Yamauchi who is a young student from the Ashiya University without any huge experiences in the international level. Tongdee’s efforts and commitments were enough to beat his Japanese rival in the final of the weight class.

Men’s Lightweight class (60 kg):
Kazakhstan’s No.2 at the Lightweight class (60 kg) behind APB World Champion Berik Abdrakhmanov is Didar Utelbayev who won several international AOB competitions in the recent one year. The 23-year-old Kazakh boxer eliminated Thailand’s National Tournament winner Thiwa Janthacumpa in the quarter-final of the championships and he did even better performance in the semi-final against Chinese Taipei’s Rio 2016 Olympian strong Lai Chu En. Utelbayev advanced to the gold medal bout while Kyrgyzstan’s new hope Temirlan Osmonov and Chinese Taipei’s Lai Chu En claimed bronze medals for Asia.

Men’s Welterweight class (69 kg):
Kazakhstan’s Bekbolat Kuramyssov competed at the Light Welterweight class (64 kg) until 2015 but following that he decided to move up one category. The 24-year-old Kazakh athlete proved smart boxing against Thailand’s new national team member Bunjong Sinsiri in the third competition day in Chiang Mai and did also the same strong performance in the semi-final against Switzerland’s Egzon Maliqaj. Kuramyssov won the bout by unanimous decision and can prepare to his gold medal bout against Russia’s Khariton Agrba.

Men’s Light Heavyweight class (81 kg):
Kazakhstan’s Ali Akhmedov won the gold medal in the first edition of the Asian Student Championships in Dushanbe, Tajikistan this May following he returned from the Heavyweight class (91 kg). The 21-year-old future hope was in different level than ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships bronze medallist China’s Li Bitao in the first preliminary round and he proved his strength in the quarter-final against Ukraine’s Viacheslav Troian. Following his TKO triumph he had stronger opponent in the semi-final, Switzerland’s Uke Smajli but he was able to solve that tactical job with his powerful right-handed jabs on Day5. His gold medal opponent will be Belarus’ two-time Olympian WSB boxer Mikhail Dauhaliavets.