Twenty-two Asians will compete for the title bouts in Nis today
Twenty-two Asian boxers succeeded in the quarter-finals at the IBA Women’s Elite World Boxing Championships in Nis, Serbia and all of them are now guaranteed medallists.
Nis is the third largest city in Serbia with the population of 260,000 with its suburbs and the administrative center of the Nisava District. Nis is a historic city, built by the time of the Roman Empire and it has a fortress, memorial park, chapels, monuments and other important sightseeing.
The women’s boxers are able to participate in all of the twelve official weight categories from the minimumweight (48kg) up to the heavyweight (+81kg) in Nis.
Uzbekistan’s Farzona Fozilova is the Seed No.1 at the minimumweight (48kg) and she impressed against Azerbaijan’s Anakhanim Ismayilova to take her first Elite World medal. Kazakhstan’s former World Champion Nazym Kyzaibay and DPR Korea’s Hong Kyong Ryong are also semi-finalists in the smallest weight division.
DPR Korea’s An Kum Byol is already 28 but this championship is her international debut therefore the medal which she earned in Nis is a career highlight. An, who has experience only from national events, eliminated Spain’s seeded Laura Fuertes and she will now meet Kazakhstan’s Alua Balkybekova at the light flyweight (50kg).
China’s Hu Meiyi is a 22-year-old talent who lost to Thailand’s ASBC Asian Champion Chuthamat Raksat a few months ago but she made a revenge in Nis. The Chinese light flyweight (50kg) boxer won one of the tightest bouts of the session and she will now meet Uzbekistan’s Sabina Bobokulova in the last four.
DPR Korea’s No.1, Pang Chol Mi is aiming for her second World Championships’ title after the 2018 New Delhi edition and she is on the best way to make that happen at the flyweight (52kg). Pang was smarter than Russia’s Anna Aedma and she will face Uzbekistan’s Feruza Kazakova in the semi-finals as next.
Thailand’s new ASBC Asian Elite Champion Natnicha Chongprongklang boxed once again brilliantly and she eliminated Venezuela’s Seed No.2, Johana Gomez at the bantamweight (54kg). Her teammate, Punrawee Ruenros also succeeded in the quarter-finals, she eliminated Tajikistan’s Mizhgona Samadova in a hectic featherweight (57kg) bout.
Kazakhstan’s Viktoriya Grafeyeva is the defending ASBC Asian Champion at the lightweight (60kg) who met a neighbour, Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova in her key quarter-final battle. The 24-year-old Kazakh used her perfect timing to land effective punches and she won the battle of the Asian Champions.
Uzbekistan’s two-time ASBC Asian Champion at the welterweight (66kg), Navbakhor Khamidova had the speed advantage and the routine to beat Morocco’s Mounia Toutir and she claimed her first ever World Championships’ medal.
China has strong boxers also in the heavier weight classes and among them Wang Xiaomeng stopped Kenya’s Elizabeth Andiego at the light heavyweight (81kg). Her teammate, Zhan Yilian is a newcomer at the heavyweight (+81kg) but she had the good counter-attacks to beat Russia’s Maria Kuchmanova by bout review.
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