Thailand dominated the ASEAN Youth Championships in Saraburi
The historical first edition of the ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships was finished with its final day in Saraburi, Thailand where ten champions have been crowned. The host country of the event won nine gold medals while Vietnam was the lone nation which could get a title in the ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships.
Among the Southeast Asian nations Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam are taking part in the competition in Saraburi. Women boxers can take part in the ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships in four weight classes: 51kg, 57kg, 60kg and 75kg. The men talents have got six weight classes in the ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships: 49kg, 52kg, 56kg, 60kg, 64kg and 69kg. Boxers who were born in 1999 and in 2000 are eligible to compete in the ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships.
Indonesia’s Maluku Governor Cup silver medallist Ainun Azizah moved up to the flyweight (51kg) but she adopted the level of the category quickly and opened her participation with a success against Vietnam’s Nguyen Thanh Thom. In her second contest on Day3 she was able to continue the winning path and defeated Thailand’s Thanchanok Phanan winning the key semi-final by unanimous decision. Her final opponent was another Thai talent, Chiranchaya Phunsang for the gold but her rival found her weak points in the first round therefore the host country could win the first title in Saraburi.
Vietnam’s women’s boxing life developed well enough in the recent years and their next future hope could be Pham Thi Mai who defeated Thailand’s strong favourite Porntip Buapa in the semi-final of the featherweight (57kg). Her opponent for the title was Thailand’s Bunyanut Machai who was able to control their final and won all of the rounds as the scoring of 10:9 in Saraburi.
Vietnam’s superb gold medal in the ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships was delivered by Do Hong Ngoc at the lightweight (60kg) where the young talent was able to beat her teammate, Nguyen Thi Loan in the final. Following Vietnam’s great success Thailand’s Thanchanok Saksri defeated Vietnam’s Hoang Ngoc Mai in the final of the women’s middleweight (75kg) in Saraburi.
Thailand’s Thitisan Panmod delivered the first success for the host nation in the whole ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships on Day1 when he was too strong for Laos’ Viengxai Akhalith at the light flyweight (49kg). Panmod continued his winning path against a top rival, Philippines’ Milenino Anduyan in the semi-final and defeated for the gold his teammate Sattawet Srisung which was a key bout for him.
Thailand’s second gold medal in the men part of the ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships was achieved by Niwat Khitwanna who is a strong flyweight (52kg) hope in the Asian continent. The 17-year-old talent launched lethal punches in the first round of his final against Thailand’s Wanchaloem Saehan and the Vietnamese referee confirmed his RSC success after two minutes of fight.
Thailand’s ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championships bronze medallist Pluem Wangkhlaklang is member of the national team since 2014 therefore he had more than enough experiences to advance to final of the 1st ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships. He was able to beat Malaysia’s Amirul Hakim Bin Sakila in the quarter-final of the bantamweight (56kg) on Day2 and continued his winning path against Laos’ Khamphou Houngaloun in the semi-final of the event. The 17-year-old top talent was able to beat his teammate for the title Chonnati Yodyoi who moved up two weight classes in the recent months.
Philippines’ Children of Asia Games winner Criztian Pitt Laurente was awarded the Best Asian Junior Boxer of the Year 2016 and began his participation in the 1st ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships with amazing performance against Laos’ Alek Lekhoth who claimed silver in their Junior National Championships. The 17-year-old Filipino lightweight (60kg) boxer was not enough shape in the semi-final of the event against Thailand’s Atichai Phoemsap who delivered the main sensation of the competition winning the bout by unanimous decision in Saraburi. Phoemsap had hard job in the final with Nanthacha Phumkhonsan but he could beat his rival in a hectic bout.
Thailand’s next youth hero Anan Thonkrathok competed at the 2015 AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships and also in the 2016 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships therefore he is the main favourite of the light welterweight (64kg). He had a strong rival Laos’ newcomer Koung in the quarter-final but after that success he was much better against Singapore’s Tan Jun Jie in the semi-final today. In spite of his previous results Thailand’s Bannaphon Pannon won the gold medal in Saraburi and now he is near to compete in the international youth events in 2017.
Thailand’s Thanayut Faphimai competed at the 2016 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan and at the 2016 AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia. Since then he moved up to the welterweight (69kg) and started well enough in the ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships where he was too smart for Indonesia’s Alfino Caisar Nanlohy in the semi-final. For the gold of the last men’s weight class his skills were not enough to beat Thailand’s new sensation Phiraphat Yeasungnoen.
List of the winners in the ASEAN Youth Boxing Championships
Women’s 51kg: Chiranchaya Phunsang, Thailand
Women’s 57kg: Bunyanut Machai, Thailand
Women’s 60kg: Do Hong Ngoc, Vietnam
Women’s 75kg: Thanchanok Saksri, Thailand
Men’s 49kg: Thitisan Panmod, Thailand
Men’s 52kg: Niwat Khitwanna, Thailand
Men’s 56kg: Pluem Wangkhlaklang, Thailand
Men’s 60kg: Atichai Phoemsap, Thailand
Men’s 64kg: Bannaphon Pannon, Thailand
Men’s 69kg: Phiraphat Yeasungnoen, Thailand