World Olympic Qualification Event – Semi-final Report

Three Asian finalists from Mongolia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan in the World Olympic Qualification Event in Baku

Ten Asian boxers qualified for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the World Olympic Qualification Event yesterday in Baku, Azerbaijan yesterday and after that amazing success three of our hopes advanced through to the final of the competition. Mongolia’s Erdenebat Tsendbaatar, Tajikistan’s Anvar Yunusov and Turkmenistan’s Arslanbek Achilov will be boxing for the gold medal in Baku tomorrow.

Light Flyweight class (49 kg):

India’s Commonwealth Games runner-up Devendro Singh Laishram was semi-finalist in the AIBA Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event in Qian’an but lost his Box-off. The Indian boxer eliminated South Africa’s AFBC African Cup of Nations winner Sibusiso Bandla in the quarter-finals should have been done only one further step to qualify for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games in the day of the semi-finals. His opponent Spain’s 20-year-old Samuel Carmona Heredia was very aggressive in the first round but the Indian boxer adopted the level of the contest in the second. Devendro Singh Laishram controlled the third round in their hectic battle but his efforts were not enough to turn back their semi-final.

Flyweight class (52 kg):

Mongolia’s Summer Universiade winner Enkh-Amar Kharkhuu returned to the national squad this year in top shape. He eliminated Costa Rica’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist David Alejandro Jimenez and Thailand’s Tanes Ongjunta in the previous rounds. 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 total in this weight class. The Mongolian boxer was not enough shape today against United States’ Panamerican Games winner Antonio Vargas which means he will get a bronze medal.

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, Turkey’s Ibrahim Gokcek and Guatemala’s Juan Reyes as well. Japan’s new national team member Arashi Morisaka secured Japan’s second quota place for Rio but he was enough motivated to control their semi-final. The Japanese boxer knocked down his Mongolian rival in the first round with his right-handed punch. Tsendbaatar returned to the contest in the second round and he was able to turn back their contest which means the Mongolian will be boxing for the gold medal with Ukraine’s Mykola Butsenko.

Lightweight class (60 kg):

Tajikistan’s former ASBC Asian Champion and two-time Olympian Anvar Yunusov eliminated Italy’s former AIBA World Champion Domenico Valentino and 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 in the semi-final as well where he met with China’s Shan Jun in Baku. Both boxers are already qualified for Rio but did a spectacular contest in the World Olympic Qualification Event. Yunusov was motivated and had more clean punches in their contest and advanced to the final of the competition.
Chinese Taipei’s Lai Chu En had sensational victories in the preliminary rounds in the World Olympic Qualification Event and we was able to win his key quarter-final contest against Dominican Republic’s Elvis Severino Rodriguez. Finally Lai Chu En’s hand was raised after the last gong today which was Chinese Taipei’s first man quota for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Lai met with Netherlands’ Enrico La Cruz in the semi-final who was too strong for Chinese Taipei’s new young pride in their contest.

Light Welterweight class (64 kg):

India’s former Commonwealth Games winner Manoj Kumar defeated Tajikistan’s Shavkatjon Rakhimov for the place in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The Indian boxer qualified for his second Olympic Games after London but he could not go through to the final of the event as Great Britain’s No.1 Pat McCormack stopped him in a close contest in Baku. Manoj Kumar lost by unanimous decision today but he can do revenge in the boxing tournament of teh Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Middleweight class (75 kg):

Turkmenistan’s experienced Arslanbek Achilov eliminated Chinese Taipei’s 18-year-old Kan Chia Wei, Switzerland’s AIBA European Olympic Qualification Event bronze medallist Davide Faraci and a top quality boxer, Italy’s Salvatore Cavallaro. 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. Achilov also advanced to the final of the weight class as he walked over to the gold medal because India’s former Asian Games winner and London 2012 Olympian Vikas Krishan Yadav could not box against him today.
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 and Dominican Republic’s Raul Sanchez. 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. The Iraqi veteran boxed well in the semi-final against such a world class boxer as Ireland’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Michael O’Reilly but his efforts were not enough today.