Cambodia’s Abdulla Rajapov is a finalist at the Southeast Asian Games
The third and last part of the semi-finals confirmed the final line-ups in the boxing tournament of the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia today. The host nation’s ex-Uzbek Abdulla Rajapov defeated his Thai semi-final opponent and delighted the home crowd.
Altogether 24 female and 71 male boxers are competing for the 16 available titles in Phnom Penh. Host Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor Leste and Vietnam are the participating countries in the boxing event of the Southeast Asian Games.
Indonesia’s Dio Koebanu caused the main upset of the men’s minimumweight (48kg) in the quarter-final stage of the Southeast Asian Games. The 19-year-old Indonesian not only eliminated his Filipino rival but he continued his winning path against Laos’ No.1, Khamsathone Khamphouvanh which means that he is a finalist in Phnom Penh.
Thailand produced impressive competition days in the Cambodian capital and their team’s smallest male boxer, Natthapong Thuamcharoen also joined the finals. The 21-year-old talent had a hectic bout against Vietnam’s promising Nguyen Linh Phung but he managed to win this minimumweight (48kg) semi-final in Phnom Penh.
Philippines’ Carlo Paalam is the reigning ASBC Asian Champion at the men’s bantamweight (54kg) who competes at the SEA Games with huge confidence. The Tokyo Olympic Games silver medallist is one of the stars of the whole competition and his smart strategy was dominant against East Timor’s Edgar Foe Quintas Da Silva.
Aldoms Suguro is a Southeast Asian Games winner from 2017 but in the recent years he was not able to repeat that performance. The Indonesian boxer returned to the national team after a short break and his hard work delivered for him a place in the final against Vietnam’s Tran Van An at the bantamweight (54kg).
Cambodia’s Davit Touch knocked out a strong opponent at the 2022 Thailand Open International Tournament and after that he suffered a KO loss in Phuket one year ago. The same happened with the local boxer in the SEA Games where he was knocked out by Philippines’ Paul Julyfer Bascon in the second round of the lightweight (60kg) semi-final. Touch opened his campaign with a KO triumph in the front of the home crowd but he made a lot of risk in this semi-final bout.
Thailand’s Rujakran Juntrong, the 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist, worked hard in the previous one year to regain his place in the national team. The 27-year-old lightweight (60kg) boxer started the first round better than Malaysia’s Muhammad Ridzuan Bin Mohamed Johari and he was able to keep the difference until the last gong. Cambodia’s Abdulla Rajapov is a 20-year-old ex-Uzbek boxer, who earned a historic medal for his new nation at the ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships in Bangkok earlier this year. The Cambodian boxer had a brilliant performance against Thailand’s Kitipat Prueksena and he marched to the finals as next from the home country’s team. Rajapov’s final opponent will be Vietnam’s Nguyen Manh Cuong who stopped Philippines’ newcomer Markus Cezar Tongco in the last four.
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