Davlat Boltayev is Tajikistan’s new hero
The eighteenth session of the Asian Games delivered Tajikistan’s first gold medal but Uzbekistan’s Olympic Champion Bakhodir Jalolov, Mongolia’s Chinzorig Baatarsukh and Kazakhstan’s Kamshybek Kunkabayev all were strong in Hangzhou.
DPR Korea’s Pang Chol Mi has already advanced to the finals of the Asian Games, and her teammate, Won Un Gyong followed her in the evening session. The former Junior World Champion North Korean had difficulties in the first round against Thailand’s Thananya Somnuek but she worked harder from the second. The 24-year-old Won had a successful mission against the Asian U22 Champion Thai and she remained her chance alive to take the gold medal at the women’s lightweight (60kg).
China’s Yang Wenlu was gold medallist already at the 2016 Women’s World Boxing Championships in Astana but she never qualified for any Olympic Games yet. Yang accomplished her minimum target in this Asian Games taking the spot for Paris but she was still hungry for a further success, to secure a place in the final of the women’s lightweight (60kg). The experienced Chinese won all of the three rounds against Chinese Taipei’s Wu Shih Yi and she joined the title bout after her teammate, Chang Yuan.
Uzbekistan’s Abdumalik Khalokov won all of his contests since the final of the 2021 World Boxing Championships. He is the reigning World Champion and Asian Champion with beautiful technical and athletic skills. The 23-year-old Uzbek was a hard target for Philippines’ Olympic Games silver medallist Carlo Paalam in the first round and he used his tricky style of boxing to catch the Southeast Asian. Khalokov won his third contest unanimously and he needs only one further step to qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Japan’s Shudai Harada joined the elite national team one year ago and after a few international competitions, he is now a medallist in the Asian Games. The 22-year-old Japanese enjoyed his good draw in Hangzhou and he kept the focus until the last gong against Bangladesh’s last remaining boxer, Mohamed Salim Hossain. Harada landed shots from all of the possible angles and he took the lead on the judges’ scorecards after three minutes. Hossain was Bangladesh’s first quarter-finalist in boxing since the 1990 Asian Games but Harada had better skills today.
Chinese Taipei’s Lai Chu En was Olympian boxer at the Rio 2016 Games at the age of 20 and after seven years of that event, he reached another highlight in his career. Lai had three victories in the previous rounds in Hangzhou but he looked still fresh enough to work well against Iraq’s Ali Qasim Hamdan Al-Sarray. Chinese Taipei’s light welterweight (63.5kg) pride used his counter-punches in all of the three rounds to stop his Iraqi opponent and after his hard work today, he followed Kan Chia Wei to the Olympic Games.
Mongolia’s Chinzorig Baatarsukh competed in the recent two Olympic Games and he managed to win the difficult bottom part at the men’s light welterweight (63.5kg). Following his successes over Hursand Imankuliyev, Ruslan Abdullayev and Yertugan Zeinullinov, the 32-year-old World silver medallist eliminated Thailand’s Asian Champion Bunjong Sinsiri today. Chinzorig followed Yesugen Oyuntsetseg for Paris which will be his third-in-a-row Olympic Games. The dream final has realized at the super heavyweight (+92kg) where the Olympic Games winner Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan and Kamshybek Kunkabayev of Kazakhstan will be able to meet in a repeat match. Tajikistan’s Asian U22 Champion Davlat Boltayev won the last bout of the evening session which was held for the title of the men’s heavyweight (92kg). The 24-year-old speedy Tajik controlled his final against China’s Han Xuezhen and he earned his nation’s first boxing gold medal in the Games since 2006.
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