AIBA Youth World Champion Hayato Tsutsumi returned with a gold at the Japanese Men’s Elite National Championships

The new edition of the Japanese Men’s Elite National Championships was held as selection for the Asian & Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event. AIBA Youth World Champion Hayato Tsutsumi returned after his injuries with amazing performance in the national event which saw a few surprises.

Kagoshima was the host of the event this time which city is located in the seaside of the Kyushu island. Japan’s best boxers all attended in the National Championships due the high importance of the competition. All of their stars have been preparing with full speed to the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

National Sports Festival winner Tsuyoshi Kawatani remained at the light flyweight (49kg) and following his success over 20-year-old Ryusei Matsumoto, he was also enough strong to beat Tsubasa Ogawa in the first final of the Japanese National Championships.

Rio Olympic Test Event winner Ryomei Tanaka eliminated experienced Shota Hayashida and had to meet in the final with Tomoya Tsuboi who bowed out ASBC Asian Boxing Championships bronze medallist Tosho Kashiwasaki in the second semi-final. Tanaka was slightly better on feet than Tsuboi and defeated his rival by split decision in the final of the flyweight (52kg).

AIBA Youth World Champion and two-time ASBC Asian Youth Champion Hayato Tsutsumi recovered from all of his injuries in the recent months and returned in the Korotkov Memorial Tournament with a gold medal. He had a tough semi-final opponent Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games bronze medallist Subaru Murata but he managed to win that fight and he was also too smart for ASBC Asian Boxing Championships bronze medallist Kenji Fujita.

Shion Nishiyama eliminated ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships bronze medallist Ryunosuke Tsutsumi in the quarter-finals and following that success, his pathway was clear to get the gold medal of the lightweight (60kg). The 19-year-old boxer was enough motivated in the final against Taketo Yamahara to get his first elite gold medal in Japan.

Rio 2016 Olympian Daisuke Narimatsu is one of the most experienced Japanese boxers who achieved medals in the Asian events as well. Narimatsu, who is member of the national team since 2011, was too experienced for ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships silver medallist Taiga Imanaga in the final of the 63kg.

ASBC Asian Boxing Championships silver medallist Sewon Okazawa is a new hero in Japan who won the title of the welterweight (69kg) after beating London 2012 Olympian veteran Yasuhiro Suzuki who returned to the sport. Experienced Yuta Akiyama and Hiroaki Kinjo achieved only bronze medals in the National Championships. Issei Aramoto was also among the favourites but he suffered a loss to Akiyama in the quarter-final stage of the event.

Asian Games Test Event winner Yuito Moriwaki eliminated AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist 19-year-old Sho Patrick Usami in the semi-finals of the middleweight (75kg) and he continued his winning path against Kyohei Hosono. Ren Umemura has been competing in the international stages since 2013 when he was a 16-year-old junior. Since then he claimed medals in university international events and controlled the last final of the Nationals against Ryudai Onikura.

List of the winners in the Japanese Men’s Elite National Championships

49kg: Tsuyoshi Kawatani
52kg: Ryomei Tanaka
57kg: Hayato Tsutsumi
60kg: Shion Nishiyama
63kg: Daisuke Narimatsu
69kg: Sewon Okazawa
75kg: Yuito Moriwaki
81kg: Ren Umemura

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