The reigning Asian Champion Bunjong Sinsiri was confident during his opener in Chiang Mai
The ASBC Asian Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships started with one session and eleven bouts in Chiang Mai, Thailand today.
The Maejo University Stadium is the venue of the championships and the competition was opened by the ASBC President Mr. Pichai Chunhavajira today afternoon. He welcomed all of the teams, and delegation members during his speech in the Grand Opening Ceremony which was followed by cultural shows as well.
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, host Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam are the 21 participating nations in the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships.
Thailand’s Bunjong Sinsiri, the defending ASBC Asian Champion at the welterweight (67kg), used his first contest against Afghanistan’s Mohammad Yaseen Azizi as a warm-up for the later actions. The 32-year-old Thai, who robbed into the world of boxing very late in his age, landed his punches whenever he wanted in the first and second rounds. The Afghan boy was able to keep fighting until the last gong but Sinsiri won the opening bout of the entire championships by unanimous decision.
Turkmenistan’s former Asian Youth silver medallist Saparmyrat Odayev was near to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games but he failed his last contest to make that happen. The Turkmen went up to the welterweight (67kg) but he looked stronger and quicker than Sri Lanka’s P.S. Pathum Suranga Fernando in the first round. Odayev was smaller than his Sri Lankan opponent but his technical skills overmatched Fernando today and he joined the last eight of the competition.
Kazakhstan’s Dulat Bekbauov, the silver medallist from the last edition of the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships, had 7cm height advantage against Chinese Taipei’s Chiuan Wang Jia Jyun and he tried to land shots from his safest distance. The 29-year-old Kazakh welterweight (67kg) boxer landed several body punches in the first round to stop his opponent and he was effective throughout the entire contest.
Kyrgyzstan’s Asian Youth Champion and Philippines’ Brandon Jay Soriano both are teenagers and newcomers in the elite age group this year. The Kyrgyz moved forward against the Filipino and he dictated the tempo but Soriano also had good actions in the end of the first round. The 19-year-old Kyrgyz proved better performance in the second and third rounds therefore Orozbekov advanced to the quarter-finals of the welterweight (67kg).
Thailand’s second boxer in action was Peerapat Yeasungnoen who competed in the front of the home crowd last time during the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Bangkok this May. Yeasungnoen started the first round with good jabs but the four-years-younger Kyrgyz received the best instructions in the break. The referee counted the local boxer in the second round when Turdubayev landed several clear hooks and the Kyrgyz boy turned back their light middleweight (71kg) contest.
Ukraine’s European Youth Champion super talented Bozorboy Matyakubov moved up to the light middleweight (71kg) only this year but he was dominant in all of the three rounds against Sri Lanka’s Udaya Kumara, who won an international event this year. Uzbekistan’s southpaw, the Boxam Tournament winner Khavasbek Asadullayev from the city of Andizhan, controlled his contest in the same weight class against Malaysia’s Mohamed Aswan Bin Che Azmi.
China’s Li Guofeng competed in the 2023 World Boxing Championships in Tashkent and he was too strong for Bangladesh’s Emon Tonchongya at the next Round of 16 battle at the light middleweight (71kg). Tajikistan’s Russia-based Shakhobdzhon Shukurov joined their national team only this year but he had several tournament titles which paid off against Philippines’ Tyler Tanap in their preliminary battle.
Turkmenistan’s 2023 Asian Games bronze medallist Bayramdurdy Nurmuhammedov is a strong puncher and the 22-year-old light middleweight (71kg) boxer ruled the middle of the ring against Chinese Taipei’s Lin Chia Hsin. Nurmuhammedov landed strong straight punches in the first round to stop the quick opponent and his punches were decisive in the third therefore he is at the Top8 now.
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