The Tsutsumi brothers can compete together at the AIBA World Boxing Championships

A young but powerful Japanese team will be attending in the upcoming AIBA World Boxing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia. Their national coaches selected 10 boxers to attend in the competition and among them five are still in the U22 age group. The AIBA Youth World Champions, the amazing Tsutsumi brothers Hayato and Reito both are attending in the Belgrade event and will return to the international stage.

The Japanese national boxing team claimed three medals in the Tokyo Olympic Games, among them Ryomei Tanaka achieved bronze in the men’s part of the competition. The 28-year-old experienced boxer is not a team member at the Belgrade 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships but their current line-ups is amazingly strong.

Kazuma Aratake is a 19-year-old talent who won all of his high school national events in Japan but he had to miss the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Kielce due to the Covid-19 issues. Another 19-year-old boxer, Shogo Tanaka replaced Ryomei Tanaka at the flyweight (51kg) who won international youth events during his career.

Tomoya Tsuboi joined to the national team in 2015 and moved up to the bantamweight (54kg) where he can expect strong results. The 25-year-old ASBC Asian Boxing Championships quarter-finalist boxer is in excellent condition and he could be Japan’s flag bearer in Belgrade. ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships bronze medallist Taiga Imanaga can attend among the elite boxers in a major event at the very first time.

Reito Tsutsumi is AIBA Youth World Champion, ASBC Asian Youth Champion and ASBC Asian Junior Champion who never lost any contests during his career. The 19-year-old star moved down to the featherweight (57kg) and he is among the medal favourites in Belgrade. His elder brother Hayato Tsutsumi was also AIBA Youth World Champion but five years ago and he can represent Team Japan at the lightweight (60kg).

ASBC Asian Boxing Championships silver medallist Sewon Okazawa is one of the most powerful boxers at the welterweight (67kg) who can expect another top result in Belgrade. The 26-year-old boxer, who has strong roots from Ghana, won one bout also in the Tokyo Olympic Games and lost to only Cuba’s two-time champion Roniel Iglesias by split decision (3:2) three months ago.

Yuta Akiyama competed in a few international tournaments especially between 2014 and 2017 and received the right to return at the light middleweight (71kg). Tokyo Olympian Yuito Moriwaki is a strong puncher and could be a strong weapon for Japan at the middleweight (75kg). Japan’s light heavyweight (80kg) boxer will be 24-year-old Ren Umemura who attended already at the 2013 ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships.

The list of the Japanese boxers in the AIBA World Boxing Championships
48kg: Kazuma Aratake
51kg: Shogo Tanaka
54kg: Tomoya Tsuboi
57kg: Reito Tsutsumi
60kg: Hayato Tsutsumi
63.5kg: Taiga Imanaga
67kg: Sewon Okazawa
71kg: Yuta Akiyama
75kg: Yuito Moriwaki
80kg: Ren Umemura

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