Thailand’s stars started strongly in the Duisenkul Shopokov Memorial Tournament on Day1
The 43rd edition of the Duisenkul Shopokov Memorial Tournament for the elite women and men boxers started with its first competition day in Kyrgyzstan’s capital city in Bishkek. Thailand’s national team including Peamwilai Laopeam, Chatchai Butdee and Wuttichai Masuk all won their first contests in Bishkek.
Thailand has been preparing to the upcoming ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships which will be held in Bangkok from April 16 and their officials decided to send a big team to Bishkek. Record number of more than 20 Thai boxers will be attending in the Duisenkul Shopokov Memorial Tournament to prepare well to their upcoming home event and the competition is also a selection competition for them.
Mr. Duisenkul Shopokov was the hero of the Soviet Union who died during the Great Patriotic War at the Battle of Moscow in December 1941. The tournament was named after him and the next competition will be the 43rd edition in Bishkek where several strong nations are taking part in Kyrgyzstan’s capital.
Thailand’s Peamwilai Laopeam won her opening contest in Bishkek
Thailand’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist and Rio 2016 Olympian Peamwilai Laopeam found her best category the featherweight (57kg) and started strongly in the Duisenkul Shopokov Memorial Tournament. The veteran Thai boxer had to meet with Kyrgyzstan’s newcomer in the national team Aygul Abduvakhit Kyzy and won all of the rounds in each scorecard. Laopeam has been preparing to the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships with full speed and her first bout was not only a strong start but she showed that she could be competitive once again in 2019.
Thailand’s Asian Games winner Wuttichai Masuk started well on Day1
Thailand’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games winner, ASBC Asian Champion and Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Wuttichai Masuk played in the first round with Kazakhstan’s Baglan Adilkhan at the 63kg. The 28-year-old Thai boxer shared his power well and saved energies for further actions in Bishkek but certainly he was better than his inexperienced Kazakh rival. His teammates as ASBC Asian Champion Chatchai Butdee (57kg), Sritep Anu (57kg) and 18-year-old Bannaphon Pannon (69kg) also won their opening contests with strong performance.
Kyrgyzstan’s Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov eliminated his top local rival
The host nation’s Abdurakhman Abdurakhmanov developed well in the recent two years and claimed several medals in the strong international events. The 21-year-old Kyrgyz welterweight (69kg) boxer tried to keep his focus until the end of the final gong against one of his main national rivals Daniyar Damirdin Uulu. Abdurakhmanov, who attended at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games, had enough advantage after two rounds to beat Damirdin Uulu who moved up one category.
Strong surprise at the men’s middleweight (75kg)
Kyrgyzstan’s Taalaybek Aitbek Uulu is not a well-experienced boxer at the middleweight (75kg) but he exceeded all of the previous expectations and eliminated one of the gold medal contenders, his teammate and National Champion Ilyas Akmataliyev which was the biggest sensation of Day1. Russia’s powerful Gleb Bakshi, Uzbekistan’s Otabek Turdikhudjayev, Thailand’s experienced Teerapong Dee also won their opening contests at the middleweight (75kg) of the Shopokov Memorial Tournament.
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