Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China and Thailand shared the women’s titles in Chiang Mai

Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand and China shared the women’s titles at the ASBC Asian Elite Men and Women Boxing Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, host Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Vietnam are the 21 participating nations in the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships.

Uzbekistan’s Farzona Fozilova eliminated Kazakhstan’s Aigerim Sattibayeva in the semi-finals of the women’s minimumweight (48kg) and she met Vietnam’s teenager Ngo Ngoc Linh Chi for the gold medal. The 21-year-old Uzbek southpaw was a hard target for the younger Vietnamese and she found the best distance in the first round. Fozilova won youth and U22 titles during her career and after four years of hard work, she became Asian Elite Champion as well.

Thailand’s Asian Games silver medallist Chuthamat Raksat eliminate another Paris Olympian, Uzbekistan’s Sabina Bobokulova in the semi-finals of the women’s light flyweight (50kg) and she tried to gain the control immediately against Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tran. The 31-year-old Thai moved forward more than in her previous contests while the Youth World bronze medallist Vietnamese looked patient in her first ever big final. Raksat was better in all aspects of boxing than the 20-year-old Nguyen and she achieved the Asian title of the weight class.

“I am the happiest person in this championship, I was able to finally make that happen and crowned as Asian Champion,” said Chuthamat Raksat after the final.

Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kazakova won her first Asian Championships still in 2019 as a 16-year-old junior talent and she repeated that success at the youth and U22 age groups. The 21-year-old Uzbek tried to follow her coach, the former Asian Games winner Mr. Elshod Rasulov’s strategy in her final bout against Ukraine’s Svitlana Umanska. Kazakova was not enough shape in the first round but she stepped into the gas in time to keep her gold medal chance alive against the southpaw opponent. The younger Uzbek knocked down the Ukrainian in the third round and that moment determined her victory and gold medal in Chiang Mai.

Natnicha Chongprongklang is the youngest in the Thai female national team and she proved her strong progress in her first ever ASBC Elite Championships. The 20-year-old tried to keep Uzbekistan’s World bronze medallist Aziz Yokubova on long in the final of the women’s bantamweight (54kg). The 10-years-younger Thai started better than her Uzbek opponent but Yokubova attacked more in the second and her pressure was enough to equalize the scorecards. The promising Chongprongklang kept the focus in the last round and she won the tightest final of the competition day.

Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong is a two-time Olympian boxer who changed her name to Punrawee Ruenros in the previous months. She eliminated Kazakhstan’s 19-year-old Ulzhan Sarsenbek in the semi-finals with impressive performance and she planned to repeat that against Uzbekistan’s Nigina Uktamova in the final. The 26-year-old Thai and her Uzbek opponent have just moved up to the featherweight (57kg) but they had a wonderful final in Chiang Mai. Ruenros used her height advantage and the world-class footwork to beat the young Uzbek who was also an Olympian in Paris.

Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Grafeyeva moved up to the lightweight (60kg) this year and she defeated several of the top boxers in her recent competitions. The tall Kazakh used her distance well in the first round against China’s new national team member Li Qiange and she had the advantage on the scorecards after three minutes. The 23-year-old Kazakh had the better technical skills and she proved her amazing future potential in her first Asian Elite Boxing Championships which she won immediately.

Vietnam’s Ha Thi Linh qualified for the Paris Olympic Games and she advanced to the final of the light welterweight (63kg) after beating Mongolia’s Ganzorig Badmaarag. The 31-year-old Vietnamese used the same strategy against Kazakhstan’s Aida Abikeyeva but her opponent well-prepared to this fight. Ha moved forward more from the second round but that was perfect for the Kazakh’s counter-attacking style and Abikeyeva won her first Asian title.

Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova, the reigning Asian Champion at the women’s welterweight (66kg), eliminated Thailand’s Olympic medallist Janjaem Suwannapheng in the preliminaries and no one could stop her in Chiang Mai. The 23-year-old Uzbek was waiting for the best attacking angles in her final against China’s Yuan Huiping but her opponent also had some effective hooks in the first round. The younger Uzbek was able to keep her best rhythm until the last gong and she won their final bout, defending her throne in Asia.

Thailand’s two-time Olympian Baison Manikon won Asian youth and U22 titles but she fought for her first ever elite gold medal today. The 23-year-old boxer moved down to the light middleweight (70kg) successfully to this event but she looked nervous against Kazakhstan’s Natalya Bogdanova in the first round. The Asian Games bronze medallist Kazakh started in better rhythm and she landed more punches than the local favourite therefore she had the advantage on the scorecards. The tough Bogdanova delivered her best ever performance with perfect timing and she defeated Manikon today.

China’s 2018 World Champion Wang Lina regained her place in the national team following Li Qian won the title of the middleweight (75kg) at the Paris Olympics. Wang was confident in her previous contests and she had the same technician style of boxing in the final against Uzbekistan’s 20-year-old Aziza Zokirova. The more experienced Chinese had the great stopping jabs in all of the three rounds and her strategy paid off in the final today.

Kazakhstan’s Gulsaya Yerzhan made a fantastic finish in the semi-finals of the light heavyweight (81kg) and she eliminated Uzbekistan’s Sokhiba Ruzmetova, turning back that fight. Yerzhan met for the gold with Ukraine’s Karine Airapetian and she began the final with energetic attacks to take the lead on the scorecards. The 23-year-old Kazakh was silver medallist in the last Amman 2022 edition which she upgraded into gold in Chiang Mai.

Uzbekistan’s Oltinoy Sotimboyeva moved up to the heavyweight (+81kg) and the 19-year-old talent defeated Ukraine’s Maria Lovchynska in the semi-final stage. The Uzbek teenager met Kazakhstan’s Yeldana Talipova for the gold medal and she tried to use her quick jabs to control the first round. Talipova had the weight advantage in the last female final of the championships and she won that challenge.

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