13 Asians cruise to Women’s World Championships finals
Thirteen Asian stars soared to the gold medal round of the IBA Women’s World Championships 2023 following the semifinals on Thursday in New Delhi, India.
Host nation’s best bet Nikhat Zareen seized the chance to defend her world light flyweight (50kg) title after destroying Colombia’s Rio Olympics bronze medalist Ingrit Valencia, 5-0.
Chinese Taipei’s former world champion Huang Hsiao-wen earned a second finals trip in four years, claiming a hard-fought unanimous decision win against Thailand’s silver finisher Jutamas Jitpong in the bantamweight (54kg) class.
India’s ex-youth world winner Nitu Ghanghas got a shot at an elite world trophy as she took a slim 5-2 victory against Kazakhstan’s two-time defending Asian champ Alua Balkybekova following a review of their tight minimumweight (48kg) bout.
Kazakhstan’s Asian titleholder Karina Ibragimova pulled off the biggest upset of the tournament, stunning Chinese Taipei’s two-time world champion Lin Yu-ting via a split decision in featherweight (57kg).
China had four finalists in 2018 world champ Wang Lina (light heavy-81kg), 2019 silver medalist Yang Liu (welter-66kg), Cologne World Cup 2020 winner Yang Chengyu (light welter-63kg) and rising talent Wu Yu (fly-52kg). Kazakhstan’s former world champion Lazzat Kungeibayeva (heavy-+81kg), India’s reigning Asian titlists Lovlina Borgohain (middle-75kg) and Saweety Boora (light heavy), Vietnam’s two-time Asian winner Nguyen Thi Tam (light fly) and Mongolia’s veteran Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg (minimum) were the other Asians who advanced to the finals.
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