Two-time ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Oh Yeon Ji and medallists from AIBA events lead the South Korean team in the Asian Games

The South Korean national team is a boxing power in our continent and following their tough efforts their boxers have got the potential to get medals in the upcoming Jakarta 2018 Asian Games. Their medallists from AIBA and ASBC events such as Im Ae Ji, Oh Yeon Ji, Shin Jong Hun and Kim In Kyu could be their best hopes in the Asian Games.
South Korea is the No.1 nation in the history of the boxing tournament of the Asian Games but their boxers claimed most of their main successes in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 and powerful nations joined to the Asian boxing map as Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, the South Koreans were not able to repeat their previous strong results.
The South Koreans claimed one bronze medal in the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships, one gold medal in the Guwahati 2017 AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships which show their development in comparison to the previous years. Their new Kazakh coach Mr. Bolat Niyazymbetov, who joined to the staff one and half year ago supporting well their preparation.
The South Korean team attended at the Belgrade Winner Tournament in Serbia, at the Korotkov Memorial Tournament in Russia, at the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup in Mongolia, and at the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament during their preparation to the Asian Games in the recent months.
South Korea’s top woman boxer is Oh Yeon Ji who claimed the gold medals at the lightweight (60kg) in the recent two editions of the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships. Oh proved also top performance in the preparation events of the Asian Games and will be one of the favourites of the women’s lightweight (60kg) in Jakarta.
Im Ae Ji was gold medallist at the Guwahati 2017 AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships and the 19-year-old boxer will be making her debut among the elite boxers in the Asian Games. The third South Korean woman boxer will be Nam Eun Jin at the flyweight (51kg) who has got 10 years of experiences in the international stage.
Shin Jong Hun was bronze medallist in the Milan 2009 AIBA World Boxing Championships and achieved silver in the Baku 2011 AIBA World Boxing Championships. Those years were the best in his career but returned to the boxing map in the recent one year to defend his title at the light flyweight (49kg) following his gold at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games.
Kim In Kyu was quarter-finalist at the Almaty 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships and after a few poor years he claimed bronze at the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. South Korea’s 25-year-old flyweight (52kg) star could be a gold medal contender in his category in Jakarta.
AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event competitor Lee Ye Chan moved up two weight classes this year and secured his place in the travelling team after winning their National Selection Tournament. Choi Hae Ju is a 23-year-old boxer at the lightweight (60kg) who has been attending in the international competitions since 2015.
Lim Hyun Suk has got strong family connections to boxing who claimed bronze medal at the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament. Lim Hyun Chul achieved silver at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games and moved up to the welterweight (69kg) where he is at least favourite for a podium. The 10th member of the Korean team will be 22-year-old Kim Jin Jea who took silver medal in the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament.

The South Korean team in the upcoming Jakarta 2018 Asian Games
Women’s 51kg: Nam Eun Jin
Women’s 57kg: Im Ae Ji
Women’s 60kg: Oh Yeon Ji
Men’s 49kg: Shin Jong Hun
Men’s 52kg: Kim In Kyu
Men’s 56kg: Lee Ye Chan
Men’s 60kg: Choi Hae Ju
Men’s 64kg: Lim Hyun Suk
Men’s 69kg: Lim Hyun Chul
Men’s 75kg: Kim Jin Jea

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