World Olympic Qualification Event – Day7 Report

Ten Asian boxers qualified for Rio in the World Olympic Qualification Event in Baku today

The most important day in the World Olympic Qualification Event was held in Baku, Azerbaijan where the winners qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Ten Asian boxers qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the important day of the quarter-finals in Baku today. Among the Asian nations Iraq, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan secured their first Olympic spots for the August’s event.

Flyweight class (52 kg):

Thailand’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Tanes Ongjunta moved back to his original weight class and he was enough confident in the previous rounds. The 24-year-old Thai boxer met with Mongolia’s Summer Universiade winner Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu who returned to the national squad this year in top shape and eliminated Costa Rica’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist David Alejandro Jimenez in the previous round. The Mongolian boxer tried to do his very best during the bout with a lot of movements and quick punches which delivered for him a lead after the first round. Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu has done an amazing comeback in the sport which delivered for him a place for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games which was Asia’s fourth quota in this weight class.

Bantamweight class (56 kg):

Mongolia’s Erdenebat Tsendbaatar arrived to the venue of the World Olympic Qualification Event as one of the main favourite of the category. The three-time Mongolian National Champion won the Chemistry Cup in Germany this year and eliminated Mexico’s WSB boxer Ivan Jesus Delgado and Turkey’s Ibrahim Gokcek as well in Baku. The Mongolian boxer met with Guatemala’s Juan Reyes who was a sensation in the whole competition and exceeded the expectations. The Guatemalan boxer started the bout better but Tsendbaatar was able to re-new his rhythm and controlled the second round in Baku. The third round decided who will win the contest therefore both of the boxers fought bravely. Tsendbaatar was fresh and energetic in the last round and his efforts were enough to eliminate his Central American rival in the quarter-final.
Japan’s new national team member Arashi Morisaka defeated Kenji Fujita at home and received the right to box in the main competitions in 2016. The 20-year-old Japanese boxer eliminated Turkmenistan’s former ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships bronze medallist Yakub Meredov and continued the winning path against Puerto Rico’s Carlos Caraballo in the event. The young Japanese boxer fought for the guaranteed Olympic spot against Germany’s Edgar Walth who claimed several national titles in the recent years. The Japanese boxer controlled the first round and proved he is quicker than his European opponent. Morisaka is a new face in the international level who tried to follow his tactic until the final gong which was successful against the German boxer. After Daisuke Narimatsu’s Olympic spot Morisaka secured Japan’s second quota place for Rio.

Lightweight class (60 kg):

China’s Shan Jun advanced to the semi-final of the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an but finally he lost his Box-off to Japan’s Daisuke Narimatsu. The Chinese boxer did not give up his Olympic dreams and eliminated Trinidad & Tobago’s Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Michael Alexander in the last round. Shan Jun had great WSB experiences which he used against Sweden’s Yohannes Berhane in the opening round. The Chinese boxer had an aggressive start in the beginning of the second round and in spite of Berhane’s uppercuts Shan Jun was able to win their difficult contest in Baku. Shan Jun’s quota was China’s eleventh for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Tajikistan’s former ASBC Asian Champion and two-time Olympian Anvar Yunusov had such a great opponent in the last 16 as Italy’s former AIBA World Champion Domenico Valentino on Day 6. The Tajik boxer, who returned after an injury, was unstoppable in this fight and controlled the bout until the final bell. Yunusov boxed with Turkey’s 20-year-old Volkan Gokcek who was a dangerous opponent in the quarter-final of the event. The Tajik boxer had quicker combinations which reached the target and finally he won all of the rounds in the key bout. Yunusov can prepare to his third-in-a-row Olympic Games after Beijing and London in a third weight class.
Chinese Taipei’s Lai Chu En is one of the most developed boxer in his country who won several contests in his recent main international events. After two three victories Lai had to box with Dominican Republic’s Elvis Severino Rodriguez who is also 20 as Chinese Taipei’s new pride. Lai Chu En not only felt the rhythm but his powerful punches stopped the Central American boxer in the first two rounds. Severino Rodriguez has done great job in the final round but Lai Chu En’s hand was raised after the last gong today which was Chinese Taipei’s first man quota for Rio.
Qatar’s APB boxer Hakan Erseker had an amazing triumph over Georgia’s EUBC European Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Otar Eranosyan in the previous round in Baku. The 22-year-old boxer had the chance for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games against Netherlands’ EUBC European Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Enrico La Cruz but his European opponent boxed better today.

Light Welterweight class (64 kg):

Tajikistan’s Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov won several international tournaments in the recent three years and after his injury he returned to the ring in top shape. The 21-year-old Tajik boxer was too strong for Bahamas’ new sensation Rashield Williams in the previous round and met with India’s former Commonwealth Games winner Manoj Kumar for the place in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Indian boxer had great punches in the first round and took the lead 10:9 all judges after three minutes of the contest. Kumar had enough experiences and confidence to reduce the fighting distance against his Tajik rival. Manoj Kumar won their contest by unanimous decision and qualified for his second Olympic Games after London.
Jordan’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Obada Al-Kasbeh moved up one weight category in the recent weeks but he was able to keep his freshness and speed. The 22-year-old Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist boxer eliminated Tunisia’s All Africa Games winner Ahmed Mejri and fought with US National Olympic Trials winner Gary Russell. Jordan’s boxer tried to adopt the level of the bout but he was not enough experienced to catch the US hope in the contest. Al-Kasbeh fought bravely in the final round but his efforts were not enough to eliminate his US rival in the important contest. If Gary Russell will win the whole competition in this weight class, Al-Kasbeh will be qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Middleweight class (75 kg):

Turkmenistan’s experienced Arslanbek Achilov eliminated Chinese Taipei’s 18-year-old Kan Chia Wei and Switzerland’s AIBA European Olympic Qualification Event bronze medallist Davide Faraci in the previous rounds but his next rival was a top quality boxer, Italy’s Salvatore Cavallaro. Turkmenistan’s strong boxer was not the favourite of their contest but Achilov exceeded the expectations in Baku. Turkmenistan did not have any Olympic quota in boxing yet until Achilov’s amazing fighting spirit who surely will be boxing in Rio in August.
South Korea’s Lee Dong Yun competed in the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an but he could not qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Korean advanced to the quarter-finals once again and tried to do his very best against India’s former Asian Games winner and London 2012 Olympian Vikas Krishan Yadav. The Indian boxer is a world class athlete who did not underestimate his Korean rival and won their bout by large margin of difference which means Vikas Krishan Yadav will be attending in his second Olympic Games.
Iraq’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Waheed Abderredha is a veteran boxer who returned to the national squad and proved top performance in the first preliminary round. The Iraqi boxer eliminated Germany’s APB hope Xhek Paskali and continued his great winning series against Sweden’s Chechnyan-descent Leon Chartoi. The Iraqi boxer’s next opponent was Dominican Republic’s Raul Sanchez who had experiences in the World Series of Boxing but did not find the best fighting distance against Abderredha. The 33-year-old Iraqi boxer did one of his best ever performance in the World Olympic Qualification Event and qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games first from his country.

Light Heavyweight class (81 kg):

India’s London 2012 Olympian Sumit Sangwan had bad years after his teenage successes but the 23-year-old boxer found back the winning way in the World Olympic Qualification Event in Baku. Sangwan demonstrated his power against another Asian boxer Mongolia’s veteran Sandagsuren Erdenebayar from the first seconds. The Indian hope advanced to the last eight as lone Asian boxer at the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg) where he had to meet with Russia’s EUBC European Champion Petr Khamukov. The Russian boxer controlled their bout against the brave Indian who has got still some chance to qualify for Rio in spite of his today’s loss in Baku.