Review of the Bangkok 2019 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships – 10 nations earn the gold medals

Such big stars as Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov, Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting, China’s Li Qian and India’s Amit Panghal won their weight categories in Bangkok.

The following 34 nations competed at the 2019 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Bangkok: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, DPR Korea, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen.

The last edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships has set up new records both in the number of the entering boxers and also in the number of the participating countries in Bangkok. Altogether 304 athletes including 112 women and 192 men boxers attended in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Thailand’s capital. 

India, Kazakhstan, China, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, DPR Korea, Philippines and Tajikistan won gold medals in the Huamark Indoor Stadium. Uzbekistan was the best nation in the men’s part of the event with four gold medals while the Chinese girls impressed in the women’s weight categories winning six of them. 

Out of the eighteen medallist countries record number of 14 nations had finalists in the Bangkok 2019 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships. China, India, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, Mongolia, Philippines, DPR Korea, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Jordan, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and Syria were on the medal tables of the event.

Philippines’ Josie Gabuco won gold medal at the Qinhuangdao 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and in the recent years she returned with strong results. The Filipino light flyweight (48kg) had to meet in the final with DPR Korea’s Kim Hyang Mi who is always dangerous for all opponents. The North Korean boxer was taller than the Filipino veteran but moved ahead more in the first two rounds. Josie Gabuco ruled the middle of the ring in the third round and celebrated her Asian title and received the Best Woman Boxer Trophy in Bangkok. 

India’s Amit Panghal claimed gold medal at the Jakarta 2018 Asian Games and moved up to the flyweight (52kg) in the recent months. Following his success over Uzbekistan’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games winner Hasanboy Dusmatov in the quarter-final, he was confident in the semi-finals and in his title bout as well. He had to meet with South Korea’s Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist Kim In Kyu for the title and reduced the fighting distance successfully to win his next Asian title.

DPR Korea’s Pang Chol Mi was AIBA Women’s World Champion at the flyweight (51kg) in 2018 who eliminated China’s Asian Games winner Chang Yuan in the semi-finals which was a strong revenge in their repeat match. She had to face for the gold medal with Vietnam’s defending ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Nguyen Thi Tam. Pang was focused from the first seconds to all of her steps and avoided the Vietnamese counter-attacks in the opening minutes. The North Korean increased her rhythm in the second and demonstrated that she is Asia’s No.1 at the women’s flyweight (51kg).

Uzbekistan’s Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov had a strong year in 2018 when he defeated all of his national rivals and won the gold medal at the Jakarta Asian Games. The Uzbek bantamweight (56kg) boxer repeated that performance in Bangkok and triumphed over India’s Kavinder Singh Bisht in the final of the event.

Another Asian Games gold medallist, Mongolia’s Erdenebat Tsendbaatar remained on the top of the continent as Mirzakhalilov who won the title of the lightweight (60kg) in Bangkok. The 23-year-old Mongolian defeated Kazakhstan’s Zakir Safiullin in the final who achieved his second silver medal during his career in the history of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships.

Tajikistan’s new sensation Bakhodur Usmonov had hard road to the finals but he was still enough fresh to keep his level on the top against Jordan’s Obada Al-Kasbeh who was silver medallist at the 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships and achieved bronze at the Incheon 2014 Asian Games. Jordan’s best boxer was never stopped attacking in their fantastic contest but Usmonov’s counter-punches decided their close bout in Bangkok. Usmonov won Tajikistan’s first elite title in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships since Anvar Yunusov’s gold in 2011.

Chinese Taipei had four female finalists in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok which shows their strong development. AIBA Women’s World Champion Lin Yu Ting moved up to the featherweight (57kg) but she used her quick attacks to beat Thailand’s Nilawan Techasuep in the final of the event.

Their second AIBA Women’s World Champion Chen Nien Chin also impressed in the final of the welterweight (69kg) but surprisingly Gu Hong’s hand was raised after the last gong. Their further youngsters as Huang Hsiao Wen (54kg) and Wu Shih Yi (60kg) both claimed silver medals in Bangkok.

Kazakhstan’s Tursynbai Kulakhmet started his final in different rhythm as India’s Ashish Kumar and landed high number of shots in the first round. The Kazakh boxer dominated the fight from the first seconds and achieved the title of the men’s middleweight (75kg) which is his career highlight. Kazakhstan’s second gold medal was taken by Bek Nurmaganbet who eliminated his main rival Uzbekistan’s Dilshodbek Ruzmetov still in the quarter-finals. The 21-year-old Kazakh light heavyweight (81kg) boxer dominated his final against Philippines’ Southeast Asian Games winner Jon Nobel Marvin Tupas.

One of the most anticipated fights was the final of the men’s super heavyweight (+91kg) where Asia’s two bests such as Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov and Kazakhstan’s Kamshybek Kunkabayev met each other once again in a repeat title contest. The Uzbek boxer used his height advantage to keep the best fighting distance in one of the tightest bouts of the seventh competition day in Bangkok. Jalolov remained on the top of the Asian continent and won Uzbekistan’s fourth gold medal in Thailand’s capital.

List of the winners in the Bangkok 2019 ASBC Asian Elite Confederation Boxing Championships
 Women’s 48kg: Josie Gabuco, Philippines
 Women’s 51kg: Pang Chol Mi, DPR Korea
 Women’s 54kg: Shi Qian, China
 Women’s 57kg: Lin Yu Ting, Chinese Taipei
 Women’s 60kg: Yang Wenlu, China
 Women’s 64kg: Dou Dan, China
 Women’s 69kg: Gu Hong, China
 Women’s 75kg: Li Qian, China
 Women’s 81kg: Pooja Rani, India
 Women’s +81kg: Yang Xiaoli, China
 Men’s 49kg: Nodirjon Mirzakhmedov, Uzbekistan
 Men’s 52kg: Amit Panghal, India
 Men’s 56kg: Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov, Uzbekistan
 Men’s 60kg: Erdenebat Tsendbaatar, Mongolia
 Men’s 64kg: Bakhodur Usmonov, Tajikistan
 Men’s 69kg: Bobo-Usmon Baturov, Uzbekistan
 Men’s 75kg: Tursynbai Kulakhmet, Kazakhstan
 Men’s 81kg: Bek Nurmaganbet, Kazakhstan
 Men’s 91kg: Kim Hyeong Kyu, South Korea
 Men’s +91kg: Bakhodir Jalolov, Uzbekistan