Zeyad Eshaish and Nishant Dev are among the first quota holders in Bangkok
Jordan’s Zeyad Eshaish and India’s Nishant Dev are the first Asian quota holders from the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event.
Altogether 579 boxers from 133 countries are participating in the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event in Bangkok where the total number of the available quotas for the Paris 2024 Olympics is 51. The number of the coaches, officials and team delegations members is 610 in Thailand.
Two of the experienced Asian boxers such as Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay and South Korea’s Jung Joo Hyung met in the opening bout of the eighth competition day. The light flyweight (50kg) boxers are still in the Round of 32 and they will have still busy upcoming days in Bangkok. Kyzaibay was sometimes under pressure from the Korean side but she handled this tactical issue well enough to win their preliminary bout.
Jordan’s Hanan Nassar is the first girl from her nation who won an international competition, the Arab Sports Games last summer. The 22-year-old boxer is tall at the women’s light flyweight (50kg) and she progressed rapidly in all aspects of boxing therefore she surprised Azerbaijan’s Marjona Savriyeva today. Her opponent was born in Uzbekistan and she switched to the Azeris but Nassar’s emotional final round became the difference between them.
DPR Korea’s Kang Su Hyang and Vietnam’s Youth World bronze medallist Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tran had to meet in the next Asian battle at the women’s light flyweight (50kg). The North Korean jumped into the best fighting range with quick shots and she had the advantage on four out of the five judges’ scorecards after three minutes. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tran replaced their star Nguyen Thi Tam in the national team and she had a better second round but Kang had the better technical skills to win this contest.
Japan’s Asian Champion Rinka Kinoshita was near to qualify for the Paris Olympics twice but she missed these opportunities. The 23-year-old Japanese was focused in the first round against Tajikistan’s Rukhafzo Khaknazarova and her beautiful technical skills guaranteed his comfortable advantage on the scorecards. Kinoshita shared her power well enough and she eliminated her Central Asian opponent in this Round of 32 contest.
South Korea’s best female boxer, Oh Yeon Ji had a tight disadvantage on the judges’ scorecards against Great Britain’s two-time World Champion Amy Broadhurst in the first round but she was able to turn back her key quarter-final bout at the women’s lightweight (60kg), causing a surprise today. Vietnam’s Ha Thi Linh made also the same strong comeback after the first round and she eliminated Croatia’s Sara Beram which means she is also in the last four in Bangkok.
Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova eliminated a top boxer, Germany’s Leonie Mueller in the previous round of the women’s welterweight (66kg) and she had a fantastic performance once again in Bangkok. The reigning Asian Champion was too smart and strong for South Korea’s Seon Sui Jin and she joined the quarter-finals in the last chance qualifier.
Jordan’s Zeyad Eshaish had difficulties in the first round against Ireland’s Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Aidan Walsh but he found the rhythm in time to remain his chance alive in this contest. The Irishman received two warnings from the referee and Eshaish’s last round was enough to turn back this contest in Bangkok therefore Jordan bagged a quota at the men’s light middleweight (71kg).
The second Asian quota in the session was achieved by India’s Nishant Dev who had a very impressive performance in all of the previous rounds at the men’s light middleweight (71kg). The World bronze medallist Indian controlled all of the three rounds against Moldova’s Vasile Cebotari and he can prepare for the Tokyo Olympics.
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