The favourites advanced to the semi-finals in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup

The second edition of the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup continued in the Mongolian capital city in Ulaanbaatar with its third competition day. President of the Asian Boxing Confederation and AIBA Vice-President Mr. Serik Konakbayev is visiting the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup in Mongolia. The Mongolian favourites and some other key boxers as South Korea’s Oh Yeon Ji and Kyrgyzstan’s Azat Usenaliev continued their winning path in Ulaanbaatar.
The Ulaanbaatar Box Cup is a strong preparation event for the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games and another selection tournament for the Mongolian boxers and other participating nation’s athletes. Among the top Asian boxing nations Kazakhstan, South Korea, DPR Korea, Thailand, China, host Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and Iran are taking part in the new edition of the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup.
South Korea’s Oh Yeon Ji claimed the gold medal in the 2015 and 2017 editions of the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships but she had such a hard road to the semi-final of the lightweight (60kg) in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup. The 28-year-old experienced South Korean star received several punches from Mongolia’s AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Namuun Monkhor in the first round. The 19-year-old Mongolian is a super talented boxer but she was not able to share her power and Oh controlled the second part of their narrow bout.
Chinese Taipei’s Wu Shih Yi attended in the last edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships and almost defeated the Chinese AIBA Women’s World Champion in Ho Chi Minh City. The 19-year-old talent moved down to the lightweight (60kg) and now the split decision favoured to her side in Ulaanbaatar. Wu defeated India’s veteran and former AIBA Women’s World Champion Sarita Devi Laishram which was the biggest scalp in her boxing career.
Thailand’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Sudaporn Seesondee moved down to the lightweight (60kg) and after her difficulties and hand injuries she impressed in the third competition day of the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup. Thailand’s 27-year-old experienced female boxer controlled all of the rounds against Mongolia’s Urantsetseg Shinetsetseg and advanced to the semi-finals.
Mongolia’s Rio 2016 Olympian Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu is member of the national elite team since 2013 and he needed all of his previous experiences to beat Kyrgyzstan’s Almambet Alibekov in Ulaanbaatar. The Mongolian boxer knocked out his first rival quickly on Day1 but he did not find Alibekov’s weak points in the opening round of their quarter-final. Kharkhuu changed his rhythm in the beginning of the second round and finally his hand was raised after the last gong.
India’s Muhammed Etash Khan claimed bronze medal in the Bangkok 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships and since then he has done his successful debut also in the World Series Boxing. The 18-year-old Indian bantamweight (56kg) boxer was energetic and he had the strong will to win against China’s Lu Jiawei. Khan’s tactic paid off well in the second and third rounds which means he is already in the semi-finals.
Iran’s 24-year-old Seyed Shahin Mousavi joined to the elite team only one and half year ago but since then his performance has been significantly rising in the international events. The Iranian middleweight (75kg) boxer, who has got strong family roots to the boxing, had enough physical condition to eliminate Mongolia’s No.1 in this category Davaanyam Davaasuren in Ulaanbaatar.
Thailand has got two strong boxers at the middleweight (75kg) as Aphisit Kanankhokkruea and Pathomsak Kuttiya but their new talent in this category Kittisak Klinson also demonstrated his power in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup. The new face in the international stage eliminated Mongolia’s Erkhembayar Batbayar and will be meeting with Kazakhstan’s Nauryzbay Kazhykhan in the semi-final.
Mongolia’s Gan-Erdene Gankhuyag claimed silver medal in the last edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Tashkent. Since then the Rio 2016 Olympian moved up to the flyweight (52kg) and showed amazing performance in the quarter-final against India’s Salman Shaikh. The final verdict was unanimous decision to the 25-year-old Mongolian who has got gold medal chances in Ulaanbaatar.
Another gold medal contender at the flyweight (52kg) Kyrgyzstan’s ASBC Asian Champion Azat Usenaliev is in top form this year after his international training camps. The 27-year-old Kyrgyz boxer, who has been preparing to his third Asian Games, controlled his tough fight against DPR Korea’s Kim Un Song who moved up to this category in the recent months.
Mongolia’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games quarter-finalist Erdenebat Tsendbaatar had to meet with one of his main rival in the quarter-final of the lightweight (60kg). The 22-year-old local star was impressed in the first round against Byambatsogt Tuguldur but following the second he reduced his rhythm a bit to save power for the cruel semi-finals. The final verdict was 4:1 to Tsendbaatar who will be meeting with Kazakhstan’s Aidyn Sikhimbayev as next.
Mongolia’s Battumur Misheelt achieved silver medal in the Indian Open Boxing Tournament and following his amazing performance in the youth age group he is now ready to do big things also the elite competitions. The 21-year-old lightweight (60kg) boxer eliminated China’s Pan Jinxiang with top performance and will be meeting for the gold medal with India’s former ASBC Asian Champion and two-time Olympian Shiva Thapa.

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