Two boxers defended their thrones in the Bhutan National Championships

The new edition of the Bhutan National Boxing Championships for the elite men athletes was held in the capital city of the highland country in Thimphu where two boxers were able to defend their titles. The competition was a historical one in Thimphu as the local national media put boxing into the spotlight and broadcasted the championships.
This is the very first time when a local TV channel was broadcasted the Bhutan National Boxing Championships in the history of the event. Bhutan Boxing Federation hosted their National Championships last time in 2014 and now in the new edition 67 men athletes took part in the competition from all regions of the Kingdom.
Bhutan Boxing Federation has been sending athletes to the AIBA and ASBC competitions since 2010 and their boxers raised their experiences in the international level. Bhutan sent boxers to the 2013 AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships to Kiev and their athletes have been there also in the Children of Asia Games in Yakutsk, Russia in 2012. Their young team competed well also in the 2016 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan.
National Championships bronze medallist Dorji Penjor defeated defending National Champion Thinley Phintsho in the final of the Light Flyweight class (49 kg) and secured the first gold medal in the competition. Bhutan’s promising talent Sonam Jamtsho was gold medallist in the 2014 edition and he was too smart for National Champion Phurpa who moved down from the Bantamweight class (56 kg) in the recent one year. Jamtsho will have the chance to compete in the upcoming international tournaments in Asia.
The winner of the Bantamweight class (56 kg) was Chimi who triumphed over experienced Kezang Wangdi who claimed his first national title still in 2009. Dorji Phub came from a real boxing family and did his very best in the new edition of the championships in Thimphu and subdued Dorji Kencho which meant after Sonam Jamtsho he defended his throne in the Bhutan National Championships.
Passang was only quarter-finalist in the last edition of the championships but following his great performance he was able to defeat all of his rivals in Thimphu this time. He was too strong for Kuenley Tshering in the final of the Light Welterweight class (64 kg) and won his first national title.
Sonam Thinley is member of the national team since 2009 and competed at the South Asian Games in 2010 and also in the Incheon 2014 Asian Games as well therefore his final success in the gold medal bout of the Welterweight class (69 kg) was an expected success in Thimphu. He defeated a talented boxer Nima by unanimous decision in the final of the National Championships. The gold medal of the Middleweight class (75 kg) went to Karma Wangchuk who defeated Kinzang Wangdi in the final.
Their currently best boxer Tashi Norbu was quarter-finalist in the last edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in Bangkok and qualified for the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships as first athlete from Bhutan. In his absence in the Bhutan National Boxing Championships a newcomer boxer Thinley won the gold medal at the Light Heavyweight class (81 kg) after beating Kencho Wangdi in Thimphu.
Sonam Tshering won his first national title still in 2009 therefore his experiences were enough to do big things once again. The veteran boxer had to meet in the final of the Heavyweight class (91 kg) with Dawa Tshering and he did his very best for the gold. He was able to defend his title in Thimphu winning the bout by unanimous decision.

Winners in the Bhutan National Championships
49 kg: Dorji Penjor
52 kg: Sonam Jamtsho
56 kg: Chimi
60 kg: Dorji Phub
64 kg: Passang
69 kg: Sonam Thinley
75 kg: Karma Wangchuk
81 kg: Thinley
91 kg: Sonam Tshering