Women’s boxing made its debut at the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games where China won five titles

The 2010 edition of the boxing tournament of the Asian Games was held at the Foshan Gymnasium in Guangzhou, China from November 16 to 26. The Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games was the first ever competition when women boxers were added to the event before the Olympic participation of female boxing.
The event was the sixteenth edition of the Asian Games and the fifteenth boxing tournament in the history of the multisport event. Some of the stars of the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games are still active in our sport such as India’s Vikas Krishan Yadav, China’s Zhang Jiawei, Thailand’s Wuttichai Masuk, Tajikistan’s Jakhon Qurbonov and some others.
Uzbekistan dominated the 2002 and 2006 editions but host China was able to win the team rankings of the Guangzhou event in 2010. South Korea topped the medal rankings in 1962, in 1966, in 1970, in 1974, in 1978, in 1982, in 1986 and in 1990 but their position was lost in 1994 and never regained it.
The Hiroshima 1994 Asian Games was the first when the ex-Soviet Central Asian boxing powers could attend at the very first time. Their boxers have done superb performance also in the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games won altogether 12 medals in the boxing tournament.
The first boxing tournament was held in 7 men weight classes in Manila in 1954 but from the second edition boxers could attend in 10 different categories. The Olympic Council of Asia raised the number of the weight classes up to 11 in the 1966 edition and also added a new category raising to 12 the divisions in 1982. Men boxers could attend in 10 weight classes from the 49kg up to the +91kg in Guangzhou while the women athletes competed in three categories: 51kg, 60kg and 75kg
Record number of seven countries claimed gold medals in 1990 and it was repeated by the strong Asian boxing powers in 1994 and also in 2010. In the 2010 edition China claimed five titles in Guangzhou, India and Kazakhstan both achieved two gold medals in the boxing event. The remaining four titles were taken by Uzbekistan, Thailand, Philippines and Syria.
Record number of 15 countries won medals in the Bangkok 1998 Asian Games and 14 achieved at least one bronze in the new Guangzhou 2010 edition. Next to the gold medallist nations Mongolia, Iran, Japan, DPR Korea, South Korea, Nepal and Tajikistan took the further medals in the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games.
Altogether 210 elite boxers from 35 nations attended in the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games which broke the previous record. The participating countries at the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games were the followings: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, DPR Korea, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.
The Chinese ladies dominated the first historical edition in women’s boxing and their experienced hopes as three-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Ren Cancan (51kg), Chen Dong (60kg) and AIBA Women’s World Champion Li Jinzi (75kg) won the titles. Philippines, Thailand and Mongolia acquired silver medals in the women part of the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games.
China’s first gold medal was achieved by their national boxing icon Zou Shiming who had a close final against Kazakhstan’s AIBA World Champion Birzhan Zhakypov at the light flyweight (49kg). The second Chinese men gold medal was taken by their super heavyweight (+91kg) star Zhang Zhilei who defeated Kazakhstan’s Ivan Dychko in a remarkable final.
Kazakhstan’s dream duo Daniyar Yeleussinov and Serik Sapiyev both claimed gold medals in the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games. Two-time AIBA World Champion Sapiyev defeated Uzbekistan’s Uktamjon Rahmonov in the final of the welterweight (69kg) short after the 19-year-old Yeleussinov won his first elite title.
Thailand’s participation was not 100% in October before the start of the event but AIBA allowed it just before the Asian Games. The best Southeast Asian boxing country claimed one gold, one silver medal and two bronze medals in Guangzhou. Veteran Olympic Games silver medallist Worapoj Petchkoom was back on track with the gold medal at the bantamweight (56kg) while the team was the most experienced at the Asian Games.
Philippines’ boxing team had a great target, the gold medal before the Asian Games and their flyweight (52kg) No.1 Rey Saludar reached the final victory in Guangzhou despite of the fact that India’s Suranjoy Mayengbam Singh, Japan’s Katsuaki Susa, Uzbekistan’s Shakhriyor Isakov and Mongolia’s Tugstsogt Nyambayar were the top favourites. The experienced Filipino boxer defeated China’s Chang Yong in the final of the Games and celebrated his title after the last gong.
The Syrian boxers were also excellent at the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Games, their heavyweight (91kg) ASBC Asian Champion Mohammad Ghossoun broke a twenty years of hiatus without boxing gold of the country in Guangzhou. Their next top boxer Wessam Salamana also acquired a further bronze medal for Syria at the bantamweight (56kg).
Nepal’s powerful Deepak Maharjan secured an unexpected bronze medal at the light heavyweight (81kg) and it was his country’s first boxing medal in the history of the Asian Games since 1990. Bhutan also made history at the Asian Games their Sigyel Phub won two bouts in Guangzhou as first boxer from the small country.

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