Tshering Wangchuk and Tashi Norbu returned with successes in the Bhutan National Championships

The Bhutan National Boxing Championships was held for the elite women and men boxers in the Phuntsholing Higher Secondary School and delivered great battles in the developing country’s main competition in 2018. Bhutan’s best woman boxer Tandin Lhamo and their top men hopes as Kinley Gyeltshen, Tshering Wangchuk and Tashi Norbu won their weight classes in the national event.
The men boxers could attend in nine weight classes in the Bhutan National Boxing Championships. Women elite athletes fought in two weight categories at the very first time in the country’s boxing history following their first appearance in one weight class in 2017. Altogether 90 male and 4 elite female boxers attended in the Bhutan National Boxing Championships in Phuntsholing.
The team Tendu from the Samtse district won three gold medals and two silvers as well which meant they topped the team rankings in Bhutan National Boxing Championships in Phuntsholing. The young residents of the city are involved to many sports and several ethnic groups live there in harmony.
Tandin Lhamo won her first national title in 2017 and attended also in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup in Mongolia last June which was her first international competition therefore her success over teenage talent Tshering Eden was not a surprise at the light flyweight (48kg). Bhutan’s second woman boxer who claimed gold in the National Championships was Sonam Peden at the featherweight (57kg) who defeated Chimi Dema in the final.
Nima Tshering claimed bronze medal in the 2016 Bhutan National Championships but he was able to change this into gold at the light flyweight (49kg) following his superb performance against Tempa Tshering in the final. Kinley Gyeltshen competed in the last edition of the Asian Games in Incheon and he had all of the experiences to beat Phurpa in the final of the flyweight (52kg).
Ugyen Thinley is a young hope in Bhutan’s boxing life who competed in the Pavlodar 2016 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships and also in the Tashkent 2017 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships. The 19-year-old boxer controlled his bantamweight (56kg) final against Tashi Dorji who was quarter-finalist in the last edition.
Southpaw Dorji Phub was the titleholder at the lightweight (60kg) and kept his throne following his narrow triumph over newcomer Layap who looked faster in their final but the more experienced boxer knew how to handle this speed. Dorji Phub won his third-in-a-row national title in Bhutan and remained his chance to compete in the upcoming Asian Games.
Tendu Boxing Club’s Passang won the gold medal in the 2016 edition at the light welterweight (64kg) when he was named as the Best Boxer of the National Championships. Passang dominated the whole competition and he was too strong for Damchoe whose ringside abandoned their fight in the second round.
Tshering Wangchuk achieved bronze medal in the last edition of the South Asian Games and retuned in top shape winning the welterweight (69kg) against Kinley Tshering. The middleweight (75kg) title was achieved by defending National Champion Karma Wangchuk who was too strong for Tashi Phuntsho in the final.
Haa District’s 25-year-old Kinzang Wangdi moved up to the light heavyweight (81kg) and defeated three years younger Kezang Dorji in the final. ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships quarter-finalist and South Asian Games bronze medallist Tashi Norbu moved up to the heavyweight (91kg) and dominated his contests including his final against Jigme Wangchuk in Phuntsholing.

List of the winners in the Bhutan National Championships
Women’s 48kg: Tandin Lhamo
Women’s 57kg: Sonam Pelden
Men’s 49kg: Nima Tshering
Men’s 52kg: Kinley Gyeltshen
Men’s 56kg: Ugyen Thinley
Men’s 60kg: Dorji Phub
Men’s 64kg: Passang
Men’s 69kg: Tshering Wangchuk
Men’s 75kg: Karma Wangchuk
Men’s 81kg: Kinzang Wangdi
Men’s 91kg: Tashi Norbu