By Marcus Bellinger (@marcusknockout)
Over the last week or so both the men’s and women’s World Youth Championships have been taking place at the Duna Arena in Budapest, Hungary and today saw the semi-finals take place with plenty of Asian interest. In the men’s light flyweight (49kg) category Makhumd Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan lost a split decision to Jean Paul Rivera of Puerto Rico. The other light flyweight semi saw Jude Gallagher of Ireland go down via split decision to Thitisan Panmod of Thailand. At flyweight India’s Bhavesh Kattimani lost via split decision to America’s Asa Stevens. In the bantamweight (56kg) weight class Russia’s Vsevolod Shunkov defeated Thailand’s Noprharat Thakhui by split decision. The other semi saw Cristian Pitt Laurente of the Philippines beaten by unanimous decision by Abdumalikov Khalokov of Uzbekistan. At lightweight (60kg) Ankit of India lost a split decision to the excellent Atichai Phoensap of Thailand. At light welterweight (64kg) Cuba’s Idalberto Umara claimed a unanimous decision versus Jordan’s Bader Osman Majed Samreen. At welterweight (69kg) Thailand’s Peerapat Yeasungnoen was stopped by Kazak Yermakhan Zhakpekov in the first round. The other semi saw Dzhambulat Bizhanov of Russia take the split verdict over Japan’s Patrick Sho Usami. At middleweight (75kg) Navo Tamazov of Uzbekistan went down on a split decision to Nurbek Oralbay of Kazakhstan. At light heavyweight (81kg) Kazakhstan’s Sagyndyk Toganbay was victorious against Aliaksei Alferov of Belarus via walkover. At heavyweight (91kg) Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay claimed the unanimous decision over Algeria’s Mohamed Amine Hacid. The other semi saw Uzbek Javokhir Togaymurodov loose via split decision to Russian Igor Fedorov At super heavyweight (+91kg) Damir Toibay of Kazakhstan also won via walkover against Egypt’s Ahmed Elbaz Elsawy Awad. In the womens light heavyweight (81kg) category Guzal Sadykova of Kazakhstan was victorious via unanimous decision against Ukraine’s Karolina Makhno. In the other last 4 encounter Umesh Sakshi Gaidhani of India came up short against Russia’s Annastasiia Rybak via unanimous decision. In the womens heavyweight (+81kg) India’s Neha Yadav was defeated via unanimous decision by Ukraine’s Mariia Lovchynska. The evening session began in the women’s light flyweight (48kg) division as Thailand’s Millada Neekoon defeated Russia’s Kseniia Beschastnova via second round stoppage. The other semi saw India’s Nitu win the split decision versus Anel Kudaibergen of Kazakhstan. At flyweight (51kg) Heaven Garcia from theUSA got the split decision over Kazakhstan’s Zhansaya Abdraimova. In the other semi Kittiya Nampai of Thailand was unanimously defeated on points by Ananika of India. At bantamweight (54kg) Kazakhstan’s Aizada Yeslyangali was the unanimous points winner against Phonnapa Lapan of Thailand. At featherweight (57kg) Sakshi of India won a unanimous decision over Isamary Aquino from the USA. The other last 4 clash saw Croatia’s Nikolina Cacic take the unanimous verdict versus Japan’s Sena Iri. At lightweight (60kg) Russia’s Nune Asatrian took the unanimous decision over Jony of India. Up at light welterweight (64kg) India’s Manisha pulled off the split points win over Hungary’s Veronika Villas. Finally at middleweight (75kg) India’s Astha Pahwa was beaten via unanimous decision by Tallya Brillaux of France.
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By Marcus Bellinger (@marcusknockout) A hectic weekend of fistic action turned out to be a fruitful one for Japan with a new world champion crowned, the consummation of a tasty looking all Japanese dustup and an anticipated super bantamweight clash that produced a world title contender. We begin at the Civic Center in Kissimmee, Florida as Masayuki Ito took on Christopher Diaz for the vacant WBO super featherweight strap. Ito had started slow in some of his recent fights but the visitor was out of the gate quickly, landing with solid body shots and right hands. Diaz was often standing in mid-range without letting his hands go and was a sitting duck for the right hand and it was this punch that dropped him in round 4 and a knockout win for Ito looked a strong possibility. To his credit the Puerto Rican not only rallied in the 4th but arguably had his best round in the 5th. Ito controlled the majority of the rest of the contest, repeatedly tagging Diaz with right hands, causing his left eye to shut. Whilst the home man never stopped trying there was no doubting the result at the final bell and Ito deservedly got the unanimous decision. The narrative throughout the ESPN+ broadcast that Diaz was the more seasoned fighter was baffling considering that Diaz had never gone passed 8 rounds and had never fought anyone of any real quality whilst Ito had had a number of 10 and 12 round bouts with solid domestic and regional foes. This seasoning which is pretty much the norm in Japanese boxing certainly prepares them properly for the step up to world level and although certainly not every boxer from the land of the rising sun is victorious, very rarely are they embarrassed or blown out in a few rounds. As for where Ito goes next then unless Top Rank were suitably impressed enough to sign him the most logical move appears to be a spot on one of the high profile cards at home until a big often comes in from abroad. The division at the moment is pretty thin in terms of depth but things can change very quickly below lightweight. As part of a world title doubleheader in China, Sho Kimura successfully defended his WBO flyweight crown against Froilan Saludar. The challenger actually began pretty well, countering effectively over the first 2 rounds leaving the champion slightly confused. Kimura’s pressure then began to tell and the Filipino struggled under the weight of the body shots and it was a blow to the mid-section which saw proceedings come to an end in round 6. Kimura now takes on former 105 and 108 lb champion Kosei Tanaka in Nagoya on September 24 in a fascinating matchup of boxer puncher versus all out pressure fighter. The rise of Kimura has been a remarkable one, from 10/1 underdog against Zou Shiming to now a world champion who’s made 2 successful defenses and is now in a far better financial position. Tanaka looked impressive on his flyweight debut against Ronnie Baldonado in March but having been dropped more than once during his career and having suffered fairly serious injuries against Palangpol CP Freshmart it will be intriguing to see how he copes with the brute strength of Kimura. Tanaka’s huge edge in speed should be telling early on but things could get very interesting in the second half of the bout as Kimura’s non-stop pressure and size could come into play. The less said about the other world title fight on the show the better as Knockout CP Freshmart and Xiong Zhao Zhong served up a dire 12 round shit fest that wasn’t befitting of some of the truly great fights at strawweight over the last decade. Knockout came away with the unanimous decision but a listless display with stretches of laziness that have been evident in recent bouts didn’t enhance his reputation at all. There was talk of an offer being made to Tatsuya Fukuhara but it now seems that mandatory challenger Byron Rojas will be next. The likes of Fukuhara, Tsubasa Koura and Masataka Taniguchi should be queuing up to take on the Thai who looks to be a champion ready to be taken. Over at a jam packed Korakuen Hall Yusaku Kuga and Shingo Wake squared off for the Japanese super bantamweight title. The fight was built as a potential world title eliminator so there was a lot on the line for both men. Wake proved to be too sharp and too skilful for Kuga who was dropped early on and never really got to grips with the sharpshooting southpaw. As the defending champion tried to turn the tide this only left more openings for Wake and eventually the towel came in during the 10th and final stanza. Kuga is definitely young enough to come again and as for Wake, he stated afterwards his desire for a world title tilt on New Year’s Eve. With champions Ray Vargas and Daniel Roman having deals in the US these seem out of the question but if Ryosuke Iwasa comes through his mandatory defense against TJ Doheny in August then that maybe plausible. Also Isaac Dogboe who faces Hidenori Otake in August has shown a willingness to travel so maybe tempted by a trip to Japan. As a huge advocate of more all Japanese bouts of significance at all levels it was great to see Kuga and Wake face each other as both could have gone in different directions and given the electric atmosphere that was created hopefully we see more of these type of clashes. At super bantamweight alone there’s the likes of Hinata Maruta of the Morioka Gym, Ryo Matsumoto from the Ohashi and Woz Boxing's Shohei Omori attempting to progress their careers. Speaking of Omori, the hard hitting southpaw returned with an excellent second round stoppage of Brian Lobetania which should give him a real confidence boost. On the same card in Osaka, Masayoshi Nakatani made the 10th defense of his OPBF lightweight strap, eventually stopping Izuki Tomioka in 11 rounds and again a world title fight was mentioned but frankly seeing will be believing given how he has remained at regional level. Sho Ishida scored a 4th round knockout of Richard Claveras but in a crowded 115 lb weight class, opportunities at world level are few and far between. Finally Tatsuya Fukuhara won a 10 round decision over Naoya Haruguchi to keep himself in the minimumweight mix and is capable of giving anyone in the division a hard nights work. (Image courtesy of Sumio Yamada) By Marcus Bellinger (@marcusknockout) On a busy week for Asian fighters with a world title doubleheader from China and a fabulous all Japanese super bantamweight dustup at the Korakuen Hall, Masayuki Ito has the chance to become a world champion when he takes on Christopher Diaz at the Kissimmee Civic Center this Saturday for the vacant WBO super featherweight strap. Having been in and around the top few spots in the WBO for a while now, Ito finally gets his shot against the undefeated Puerto Rican and the man from Japan has already travelled out to America earlier this month to acclimatise to conditions. Ito has also taken part in training camps in the US so the environment won’t be totally alien to him. Having turned pro in May 2009 with the little known Banryu Boxing Gym, Ito was held to a 4 round split draw by Tsuyoshi Tameda in September 2011. After defeating Masaru Sueyoshi in July 2012 Ito went on to claim the all Japan Rookie of the year crown at featherweight, overcoming the unbeaten hard hitting Kosuke Saka in the final 5 months later. A point’s win over Taiki Minamoto followed and given that Minamoto, Saka and Sueyoshi have gone on to win the national title and Tameda is close to a title bout and is part of the thriving Ohashi gym, these wins for Ito look even better in hindsight. An 8 round decision victory over the dangerous big punching Masao Nakamura in July 2014 further cemented Ito’s position as a future potential domestic champion. Eventually his crack at the Japanese 130 lb crown came against unbeaten Rikki Naito in February 2015. There was barely anything to separate the pair over the 10 rounds but it was Naito who got the majority verdict to hand Ito his first career loss. 6 months later Ito returned and showed no ill effects from the Naito defeat as he confidently out boxed and then stopped Dai Iwai in 10 rounds for the vacant OPBF title. An assured performance saw him score a wide 12 round unanimous decision against Shingo Eto in December 2015. An 11th round knockout of Ernie Sanchez came in July 2016 before Ito added the WBO Asia Pacific belt to his collection with a dominant points triumph over the rugged Takuya Watanabe on the last day of 2016. In his only defense of the WBO regional bauble Lorenzo Villanueva was stopped in 9 rounds in April 2017 and Glenn Enterina and Vergil Puton were seen off inside the distance in non-title contests. Inside the ring Ito as a smart boxer with excellent movement and foot work. He relies on a solid jab to set up his attacks and whilst certainly not being a concussive hitter he’s a sharp puncher with the right hand being his main offensive weapon. He can be a slow starter which may cost him against the aggressive Diaz who will surely come out all guns blazing to try and make a statement. At 27 Ito is probably nearing his prime and given his experience against solid domestic and regional operators he should be very confident of coming away with the belt even on away soil. Diaz has showed promise in recent fights but is untested at this level so we don’t know how good the 23-year-old is just yet. If Ito can get the win then the chance of appearing on big bills at home would become a distinct possibility and also future opportunities in the US could also come into play. (Image courtesy of boxmob.jp) By Marcus Bellinger (@marcusknockout)
With the amount of International, Intercontinental, Silver and other rather spurious fringe belts available these days the sanctioning bodies rankings can often look distorted with boxers rated on wins over handpicked opponents to claim one of these minor trinkets rather than actual ability or victories against quality fighters. This can lead to champions being forced to make mandatory defenses which leaves fans groaning or saying who? In regards to the mandatory challenger. There will be no such feelings at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California this Saturday night as Jerwin Ancajas makes the 5th defense of his IBF super flyweight strap against mandatory contender Jonas Sultan but this goes way beyond a mandatory and is a significant historical occasion for Filipino boxing. The clash between Ancajas and Sultan is the first all Filipino world title tussle for 93 years with the last one coming when reigning flyweight kin Pancho Villa took on Clever Sencio in Manila back in 1925. Being from the UK this statistic is quite frankly mind boggling as all British world title contests are an essential bedrock of the boxing business and it’s hard to imagine the sport being anywhere near as relevant without them. It’s hard to fathom why all Filipino bouts are such a taboo for a section of the boxing community and as participation has fallen and coverage of the sport has decreased the attitudes of the sceptics need to change not only at the world stage but at domestic level where solid matchups are crucial if a fighter is to properly develop and move up the ladder. This is a view shared by respected writer Ryan Songalia who told me through direct message on twitter, “I hope it does change attitudes about Filipino vs. Filipino fights. “Competition breeds prosperity, and only through vetting the top prospects and contenders domestically can the Philippines ensure the best fighters going to the world stage are the best they have to offer.” “The typical refrain used by regressive thinking observers is “the Philippines only has a small amount of world class fighters and they shouldn’t fight each other.” “That is both an insult to the fighters in the Philippines and wildly inaccurate.” “There is a ton of good talent in the Philippines now who aren’t getting opportunities, and by strong domestic competition that will be demonstrated.” 2018 has actually gotten off to a great start for boxing in the Philippines with a number of upset wins including Alvin Lagumbay’s stunning second round KO of Keita Obara in Japan and an exciting crop of youngsters such as Romero Duno, Reymart Gaballo, Jhack Tepora and Mark Anthony Barriga who are leading the charge as the next generation of talent from the country. The introduction of ESPN5 has also been a timely injection of much needed extra coverage and the likes of Ancajas and Barriga have already hugely benefitted from the extra profile boost. As for the fight itself neither man were privy to a privileged upbringing and both have had to earn their opportunities in their professional careers. Both are the same age at 26 with Ancajas enjoying a more notable amateur career than his countrymen. Ancajas lost a majority 10 round decision to Mark Anthony Geraldo in March 2012 but rebounded and found himself appearing on a couple of the Top Rank voyages in Macao. His big break came in September 2016 when he got home advantage against McJoe Arroyo for the IBF super flyweight crown. Ancajas grabbed the opportunity with both hands, dropping and completely outworking the Puerto Rican on the way to a unanimous decision. Unfortunately the bout received no TV coverage at all with a Rappler facebook live stream the only avenue to view the contest and a paltry purse was Ancajas financial reward but he now had a bargaining chip to play with going forward. The champion then went on the road, fighting in Macao, Australia and Northern Ireland stopping Jose Alfredo Rodriguez, Teiru Kinoshita and Jamie Conlan in the process. It was after the victory over Conlan that Ancajas signed a promotional deal with Top Rank with his first bout for the US outfit coming in Texas in February as he saw off Israel Gonzalez in 10 rounds. Sultan’s record of 14-3 9 Kos doesn’t look the most flattering but the ALA Gym fighter has been a working progress whilst learning on the job given his limited amateur career. After 2 early split decision defeats in 6 rounder’s Sultan’s first win of note came against Rene Dacquel for the national super flyweight title in July 2015 via unanimous decision. A mini set back then occurred 4 months later as on just a weeks’ notice Sultan lost a unanimous 10 round points verdict to Go Onaga in Japan A second trip to the land of the rising sun in March 2016 proved far more fruitful as Tatsuya Ikemizu was drilled in 2 rounds. South African Makazole Tete received the same treatment on home soil in December 2016 and by now Sultan was beginning to gain some real momentum. Sultan impressively took out forma flyweight champion Sonny Boy Jaro in 8 rounds last May and was inching himself up the IBF rankings. His acid test came in September 2017 when he squared off against Johnriel Casimero in a final IBF eliminator. Sultan was an underdog going in but fought a really smart fight, not allowing Casimero to set himself and it was he who took the unanimous decision to set up this historic clash with Ancajas. There has been no animosity during the build up and any sort of friction is highly unlikely before the first bell with both men respectful of the others ability but make no mistake both are acutely aware of the added significance of a contest that goes way beyond a normal world title fight. By Marcus Bellinger
Both the men’s and women’s Asian Youth Championships took place at the Indoor Stadium in Huamark, Bangkok from April 21/27. The tournaments also acted as a qualifier for the upcoming Youth Olympics and world Youth Championships. The winners were as follows starting with the men: At light flyweight (49kg) Makhmud Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan prevailed via split decision over Thailand’s Phitisan Panmod. There was a slight surprise at flyweight (52kg) with Sukthet Sarawut from Thailand claiming a split decision over the excellent Samandar Kholmurodov of Uzbekistan. At bantamweight (56kg) Uzbekistan won their first gold as Abdulmalik Khalokov defeated Filipino Christian Pitt Laurente via unanimous decision. The hosts second triumph came at lightweight (60kg) as Atichai Phoemsap overcame India’s Ankit via split decision. Up at light welterweight Kazakhstan picked up their second gold with Talgat Shaykenov scoring a unanimous decision over Saparmyrat Odayev of Turkmenistan. Ermakhan Zhakpekov picked up the gold at welterweight (69kg) as the Kazak overcame Thailand’s Phiraphat Yiasungnen by split decision. At middleweight (75kg) the hosts claimed their third gold with Jonhjoho Weeraphon taking the split decision against Nurbek Oralbay of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan’s Sagyndyk Togamtayev was victorious via split decision versus Temur Merzhanov of Uzbekistan at light heavyweight (81kg) It was yet another gold for Kazakhstan at heavyweight (91kg) as Aybek Oralbay beat Javokhir Tugaynuratov from Uzbekistan via split decision. Finally at super heavyweight (+91kg) Damir Toybay of Kazakhstan stopped Uzbekistan’s Dzhamshiddek Mukhamadaliyev in 2 rounds. In the women’s light flyweight (48kg) category India’s Nitu won a unanimous decision versus Thailand’s Nillada Neekon. At flyweight (51kg) Zhansaya Abdraimova of Kazakhstan prevailed via split decision against Anamika of India. North Korea’s Won Ung-Yong grabbed the gold at bantamweight (54kg), defeating Ayzada Islamgali of Kazakhstan by unanimous decision. At featherweight (57kg) Vietnam’s Do Hoong Ngoc was victorious against Kazakhstan’s Erkezhan Dauletzhankyzy as she was a unanimous point’s winner. Thailand’s Porntip Buapa took the lightweight (60kg) gold as she won a unanimous decision over South Korea’s Cho Ni-Yun. In the light welterweight (64kg) division, Manisha took India’s second gold with a split decision over Tajikistan’s Idimokh Kholova. Lalita made it 3 gold medals for India, recording a unanimous point’s victory over Maya Beysebayeva of Kazakhstan at welterweight (69kg) Kazakhstan’s Nadia Ryabets prevailed at middleweight (75kg) by overcoming South Korea’s Kim Ji-Ho via unanimous decision. At light heavyweight (81kg) Guzalya Sadykova from Kazakhstan beat Sakshi Gaidhani of India via unanimous decision. Finally the (+81kg) gold was claimed by Kazakhstan’s Dina Islamdekova who defeated Neha Yadav from India by split decision. First of all the ASBC should be commended for once again providing an easy to find and excellent stream which gave people access to the whole tournament and AIBA and the WSB could certainly learn a thing or 2. As for the championships themselves, Kazakhstan’s men won 8 medals, Thailand and Uzbekistan claimed 7, India and Iran 3, China, Japan and the Philippines 2 and Jordan, South Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan grabbed a single medal. The women’s event had more of an even spread in the finals with both South and North Korea being represented and of course Vietnam achieving even a single gold was a fantastic feat. Overall Kazakhstan’s 10 gold medals certainly puts them at the top of the tree in Asia as the boxing mad nation continues to produce quality fighters. India’s women performed especially well and their tally of 8 medals proves that their outstanding success in last year’s world Youth Championships at home was no fluke and the country’s progress is still going from strength to strength. The hosts should be delighted with their 4 golds overall and it will be interesting to see if they can translate this form in future events away from home and with many of elite squad being 30 or above it’s great to see young Thai talent emerging. Lightweight Atichai Phoemsap was named male boxer of the tournament and Vietnam’s Do Hoong Ngoc who won featherweight gold was declared the female boxer of the tournament. Finally whilst not a powerhouse at elite level, Japan has a solid amount of success in the Youth and Junior ranks and after Hayato Tsutsumi, Sora Tanaka looks to be the next exciting youngster coming through. After winning Asian Junior gold last year Tanaka has recently move up to the Youth level and should only improve from his Bronze medal achievement in Bangkok and he has the power and raw ingredients to be the next superstar from the land of the rising sun. By Marcus Bellinger-
With a perfect blend of youth and experience there were heady expectations on the 12 strong Indian boxing squad that travelled to the recently concluded Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast in Australia and it’s fair to say those expectations were definitely met with the 3 golds, 3 silvers and 3 bronze medals far and away eclipsing the 4 silvers and a bronze gained 4 years ago in Glasgow in 2014. Of course the main focus should be on the boxers but the coaching staff deserve massive praise for all their hard work behind the scenes and the BFI also deserved huge credit for providing a stable environment and numerous opportunities for the fighters to compete in high level tournaments around the world since their inception in late 2016. With Mary Kom victorious in the light flyweight division and completing the set of winning a medal at every major tournament, it’s hard to know what to say what hasn’t already been said about not only a true icon of women’s boxing but someone who has inspired millions of young girls in her homeland. Even at 35-years-old she has shown she’s still able to compete at the top level and if she still possesses the hunger, passion and desire and her body allows her there’s no reason why she can’t try and win another Olympic medal in Tokyo. The number of women’s weight categories doubled from 3 to 6 from the last edition of the Commonwealths but no definitive plans have been announced to extend this to the Olympics as of now. The other 3 female boxers Pinki Rani, Sarita Devi and Lovina Borglhain will have been disappointed to not come away with a medal and with a burgeoning pipeline of talent coming through as was seen by the 7 golds claimed at last year’s world Youth championships in Guwahati, competition for places will be fierce over the next few years. The other 3 experienced members of the team, Vikas Krishan, Satish Kumar and Manoj Kumar all performed admirably with Krishan scalping middleweight top spot, Satish taking super heavyweight silver and Manoj grabbing Bronze at welterweight. Perhaps the most pleasing element from the Gold Coast was the outstanding displays of the 5 youngsters in Amit, Gaurav Solanki, Hussamuddin Mohammad, Manish Kaushik and Naman Tanwar. All these 5 are under 25-years-old and represent a bright future for Indian boxing going forward. Solanki took gold in the flyweight division but had to show real grit and determination in his semi-final contest against Sri Lanka’s M Vidanalange Ishan Bandara. He then boxed superbly in the final against experience campaigner Brendan Irvine of Northern Ireland. Amit proved his world class credentials in 2017, pushing outstanding Uzbek Hasanboy Dusmatov all the way in their 2 meetings at the Asian and world championships. The light flyweight southpaw had to settle for silver having been outhustled by England’s Galal Yafai but still expect Amit to be in the reckoning for medals at future world events especially if he can work on his inside game and using the jab more to keep fighters at range. Mohammad simply came up against one of the best in the world in England’s Peter McGrail in his bantamweight semi but the 24-year-old should use this as a real building block for future success. Having captured Bronze at the 2016 world Youth championships, Tanwar came in with real pedigree and should be fairly satisfied with his Bronze medal and should only excel given more top flite bouts. The 19-year-old has real swagger and is a born entertainer but given the likes of Vassiliy Levit and Erislandy Savon amongst others are in the heavyweight (91kg) division, defence will need to be a bigger priority at certain stages. Despite only coming away with silver Manish Kaushik really caught the eye and was undoubtedly the best newcomer at the games. Having defeated world class operator Shiva Thapa twice in recent times there was a major curiosity for those who hadn’t seen him before. The 22-year-old had a tough route to the final but showed his class in overcoming England’s Calum French and gifted Northern Irish youngster James McGivern in the last 8 and last 4 respectively. The gold medal clash against Australia’s Harry Garside certainly could have gone either way but Kaushik looks like a future star and someone who is capable of winning world and Olympic hardware. It’s not only the women where there is genuine competition for places as in a number of divisions there is real depth amongst the men with the likes of Sachin Siwach, Kavinder Singh Bisht, Gaurav Bidhuri, Shiva Thapa and Sumit Sangwan not attending the Commonwealths and with this ever increasing pool of available talent all the boxers can only benefit from the high level sparring and poor performances will see fighters lose their place in the team. Finally apart from the WSB where the Indian Tigers still have a solid shot of making the play-offs the other significant tournament in 2018 is the Asian Games which take place in Jakarta in August and if the upward trajectory continues then expect many more medals in major competitions and India can be a powerhouse in AIBA boxing in the next decade. By Marcus Bellinger-
The final day of action from the Gold Coast saw the gold medallists crowned. Kicking things off were the women’s light flyweight (48kg) as India’s Mary Kom faced Kristina O’Hara of Northern Ireland. A tight and tactical opening round saw quality punches landed at a premium with neither fighter wanting to make mistakes. Kom edged forward on occasions in the second and did enough to take another fairly close round. Again both fighters found it pretty difficult to score with many meaningful shots in the last round but it was Kom who was victorious via unanimous decision to add to her bulging collection of gold medals. In the men’s light flyweight (49kg) category England’s Galal Yafai took on India’s Amit. Yafai immediately came out onto the front foot and forced Amit backwards throughout round 1. Yafai continued to dominate on the inside in round 2 and Amit simply wasn’t afforded any time and space to work. Amit attempted to turn the tide but Yafai never relented and the Englishman was declared the winner via split decision to take gold. Up at flyweight (52kg) India’s Gaurav Solanki squared off against Northern Ireland’s Brendan Irvine. Solanki picked off Irvine as he came forward in a quiet opening 3 minutes. Solanki caught Irvine with a big right hand at the start of round 2 and despite the Northern Irishman’s best efforts the Indian was in full control of the contest. Irvine began to find his range in the last round especially with the left hook but it wasn’t enough and Solanki claimed the gold with the split decision. At lightweight (60kg) India’s Manish Kaushik clashed with Australia’s Harry Garside. Garside scored with a nice southpaw left in an opening stanza where not much of note was landed. Both were looking to counter each other in a tight second round and the bout was beautifully poised. Kaushik may had shaded the third but overall there was nothing to split them and at the final bell it was Garside who got the split verdict to win gold but the 22-year-old Indian announced himself at this tournament as a future star for his nation. The final session saw India’s Vikas Krishan go up against Cameroon’s Dieudonne Wilfried Seyi Ntsengue in the middleweight (75kg) division. Both men enjoyed success in the opening round. Krishan targeted the body well but Ntsengue responded with plenty of quality shots of his own and it was all to play for going into the last round. Krishan landed the cleaner punches in the third and the Indian won the unanimous decision to win gold. The final fight of the games was at super heavyweight (+91kg) as India’s Satish Kumar tangled with England’s Frazer Clarke. Kumar was the aggressor in round 1 with Clarke looking to land the jab and fight at range. Kumar continued to press forward and take the fight to Clarke with both boxers scoring with plenty of punches in a close second stanza. The 2 men battled it out in an all action final 3 minutes but it was Clarke who got the unanimous decision in a cracking bout to end a thoroughly enjoyable Commonwealth Games where India really prospered. By Marcus Bellinger
Day 9 saw the finalist decided at the Commonwealth boxing at the Gold Coast in Australia. In the first light flyweight (49kg) semi Sri Lanka’s Thiwanka Ranasinghe took on England’s Galal Yafai. Yafai immediately forced his opponent on to the defensive and a left hand forced a standing 8 count and a cut round the Sri Lankan’s right eye only added to his mounting issues. Ranasinghe was clearly out of his depth and was given another count in round 2 as Yafai continued to pepper his man with crisp punches. Knowing he was miles behind, Ranasinghe charged out in round 3 but was given 2 more standing counts before the contest was brought to an end. The other light flyweight (49kg) semi saw Juma Miiro of Uganda up against Amit of India. Amit patiently stalked his opponent and Miiro walked onto some hard left hands in the opening stanza. Amit totally dominated with the left hand in round 2, causing a standing 8 count in the process. Amit forced another standing 8 count and cruised through the final round to book his place in the final and the clash with Yafai should be a cracker. Up at flyweight (52kg) India’s Gaurav Solanki tussled for a final spot against M Vidanalange Ishan Bandara from Sri Lanka. Bandara got off to the perfect start, dropping Solanki twice with left hooks in round 1 and a big upset was on the cards. Solanki recovered fairly well in round 2 but he was still up against it to try and secure victory. Solanki was really busy in the final 3 minutes and the strong finish from the Indian saw him sneak home via split decision and he’ll now take on Northern Ireland’s Brendan Irvine in the final. In the lightweight (60kg) category Manish Kaushik from India squared off against Northern Ireland’s James McGivern. Kaushik landed some good right hands to the body and some decent left hands in a pretty close first round with both men really thinking about what they were doing. Kaushik again enjoyed success to the body and the more eye-catching shots were coming from the Indian in what was another intriguing and tacticle round of boxing. McGivern had his best round in the third but Kaushik was overall quicker off the mark and he took the split decision and will vie for gold against Australia’s Harry Garside. India’s Naman Tanwar went up against Jason Whateley from Australia at heavyweight (91kg). Both men really let their hands go in a highly entertaining round 1 with Whateley landing some nice shots to both head and body. Whateley scored effectively to the body in round 2 and despite some late flurries and uppercuts Tanwar was behind and needed a huge last round. A point off for Tanwar at the end of the second really gave him a mountain to climb and it proved to be too big a task as Whateley claimed the unanimous decision to advance to the final however, the 19-year-old Indian proved his worth at this tournament and is no doubt a talent for the future. It was then on to the second session and England’s Peter McGrail squared off against India’s Hussamuddin Mohammed at bantamweight (56kg). McGrail was quick on his feet and darted in and out in round 1 whilst Mohammed did have some success of his own. McGrail kept up the terrific movement in round 2, landing with quality left hands on numerous occasions and a bad cut to the right eye of Mohammed only added to his problems. Mohammed upped the intensity and began the final stanza really well but the late rally wasn’t enough and McGrail advanced onto the final but the Indian youngster can be very satisfied with his Bronze medal. Up at welterweight (69kg) India’s Manoj Kumar took on England’s Pat McCormack. Kumar landed a nice right hand at the start of the contest before McCormack responded with some solid right hands in an enjoyable opening 3 minutes of action. Again Kumar had his successes in round 2 but the punch picking and sharp shots from McCormack were a delight to watch. Kumar continued to pose questions and push McCormack but the Englishman’s terrific variety of punches saw him claim a fully deserved unanimous points win in what was a wonderfully enjoyable bout. Vikas Krishan from India then clashed with Northern Ireland’s Steven Donnelly at middleweight (75kg). Donnelly simply out worked Krishan in the opening stanza with the Indian being slow out of the blocks. Krishan dramatically upped the tempo in round 2, scoring with some sizzling combinations to put himself right back in the contest. Donnelly began the last round brightly but a vicious body attack floored the Northern Irishman and from then on Krishan dominated to book his place in the gold medal bout where he’ll meet Cameroon’sDieudonne Wilfried Seyi Ntsengue. Lastly the super heavyweights (91+kg) came to the ring with Keddy Agnes from the Seychelles up against India’s Satish Kumar. Kumar scored well to the body and visibly hurt Agnes near the end of the opening round. Agnes also suffered a cut in round 1 and his corner threw in the towel at the start of the second, handing Kumar his chance at a gold medal and he’ll be up against England’s Frazer Clarke. By Marcus Bellinger
The 7th day of action from the Gold Coast saw the rest of the quarter-final bouts and some semi-finals. First up were the semi-finals in the women’s light flyweight (48kg) with Sri Lanka’s Anusha Dilrukshi Koddithuwakku up against India’s Mary Kom. Kom was happy to sit back and wait for openings which she had no problem finding in the opening stanza. Koddithuwakku showed more aggression in round 2 but Kom slowed the pace and assumed controlled from centre ring. The Sri Lanka tried her best in the third but Kom had too much experience and safely progressed through to the final via unanimous decision where she will vie for gold against Northern Ireland’s Kristina O’Hara. It was then onto the women’s lightweight (60kg) division as Australia’s Anja Stridsman faced Sarita Devi from India. Stridsman had great success with the jab and right hand in the opening round. Devi came out with intent but Stridsman took back control and dominated the rest of round 2. Devi needed a huge last round and gave it her best but it wasn’t enough and the Australian claimed the deserved unanimous decision to book her spot in the last 4. In the men’s flyweight (52kg) weight class Papua New Guinea’s Charles Keama squared off against India’s Gaurav Solanki. It was a busy first round from both with Solanki doing enough in the last 30 seconds to take it. Solanki upped the pace in round 2 and scored with numerous beautiful combinations and completely outboxed Keama. Keama was now a frustrated figure and couldn’t deal with the masterful boxing skills of Solanki who sailed through to the semi-finals via shutout. Staying at flyweight (52kg) Lesotho’s Thabo Molefe was up against Sri Lanka’s M Vidanalange Ishan Bandara. Bandara landed well to head and body early on and did enough to win the first round. The Sri Lankan seem to hurt Molefe in round 2 and was in total command. Molefe flung everything he had at Bandara but the man from Africa fell short and the Sri Lankan made it through to the last 4 with a split decision. Still in the flyweight (52kg) division Syed Muhammad Asif from Pakistan tangled with Scotland’s Reece McFadden. McFadden was content to fight off the back foot and had more and more success as the opening round progressed. McFadden was setting a puzzle that Asif was struggling to solve and both were deducted points in round 2. Asif came out swinging in the final stanza as the action became more untidy and some eye-catching shots in the final portion of the round sealed McFadden’s place in the last 4. Finally from the first session India’s Vikas Krishan clashed with Zambia’s Benny Muziyo at middleweight (75kg). Muziyo made a concerted effort to target the body but failed to land with anything significant in the opening round as Krishan showed a good defence. Krishan upped his offense slightly in round 2 whilst still managing to repel the attacks of the Zambian. Krishan landed some nice left hands to the body and stayed out of harm’s way to seal his spot in the semi-finals with a unanimous point’s victory. The second session began in the women’s flyweight (51kg) division with England’s Lisa Whiteside up against India’s Pinki Rani. Whiteside had great success with straight shots in the opening stanza before Rani responded well in round 2 in what was a highly competitive bout. Whiteside landed some nice chopping right hands and left hooks in the third and her cleaner punching saw her take the split decision and progress onto the semi-finals. Staying in the women’s flyweight (51kg) category Sri Lanka’s Dulani Jayasinghe took on Christine Ongare from Kenya. The first round saw more missing than actual punches landed and an ankle injury to Jayasinghe was a visible issue. The second round became rather farcical with the Sri Lankan having no balance and eventually after going down for a second time the contest was brought to a halt. In the quarter-finals of the lightweight (60kg) division India’s Manish Kaushik was up against England’s Calum French. Kaushik flew out of the blocks in the opening round landing with sharp shots to head and body before French came back into proceedings and it was clear this was a battle of highly skilled operators. The pair went tit for tat in round 2 with French probably just edging it. The final 3 minutes was again riveting viewing but the extra work rate in the last round saw Kaushik claim the unanimous decision to move onto the semi-finals. Finally in the last 8 at light heavyweight (81kg) Pakistan’s Awais Ali Khan took on Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali from Samoa. The bout was honestly lacking in both drama and quality but it was Plodzicki-Faoagali who got the unanimous decision in a fight that could have gone either way. Courtesy of Marcus Bellinger-
(Ed's note - Sorry this has gone up 1 day late) The last few days have seen the Commonwealth boxing being staged at the Gold Coast in Australia with today seeing a number of quarter-final bouts taking place. The first fight of the day had Asian involvement as Sri Lanka’s Keshani Hansika took on New Zealand’s Alexis Pritchard in the women’s 57 KG category. Throughout the 3 rounds both women landed plenty of shots with the right hand proving effective for Hansika and the left hook for Pritchard. After an entertaining contest it was the Kiwi who progressed on a unanimous decision, guaranteeing herself at least a Bronze medal. In the first of the light flyweight (49 kg) quarter-finals Berry Namri from Vanuatu went up against Sri Lanka’s Thiwanka Ranasinghe. Defences were at a premium over the first 2 rounds with both men going toe-to-toe and Ranasinghe suffering a cut. The Sri Lankan moved a lot more in the final stanza as Namri tired and it was Ranasinghe who got the unanimous decision and will meet England’s Galal Yafai in the semi-finals. Also at light flyweight India’s Amit faced Aqeel Ahmed from Scotland. Both had their successes in a tight opening round. Ahmed fell short too often in round 2 which allowed Amit to counter effectively and score repeatedly with the southpaw left hand. The Scotsman gave it a go in the final 3 minutes but the quality punches came from Amit who was victorious via split decision and will now meet Uganda’s Juma Miiro in the last 4. Up at light welterweight (64kg) Sri Lanka’s Dinindu Ponnawela Vidanalage Don squared off with Jonas Jonas from Namibia. Jonas dominated the opening stanza and showed off some nice skills with Vidanalage Don being made to look pretty ordinary. The Sri Lankan struggled to get to grips with the unorthodox approach of Jonas and at the final bell there was no doubting the winner with the Namibian strolling to a unanimous points win. In the heavyweight (91kg) division India’s Naman Tanwar had Samoan Frank Masoe in the opposite corner. Masoe struggled with Tanwar’s fabulous movement in round 1 and the Indian teenager continued to dazzle in round 2. To his credit Masoe never stopped trying but Tanwar was simply too good and breezed through to the last 4 via unanimous decision and he will next take on Australia’s Jason Whateley. In the second session of the day at bantamweight (56kg) Evristo Mulenga from Zambia went up against Hussamuddin Mohammed from India. Mohammed scored well with the right hook in the first round before both struggled to connect with anything significant in a close second. Mulenga showed a decent amount of ability but it was Mohammed who went through to the semis on points where he’ll meet Englishman Peter McGrail. At welterweight (69kg) Australia’s Terry Nickolas took on Manoj Kumar from India. Nickolas was the aggressor from the off but Kumar scored well with left hands to shade the opening round. The experienced India then upped the gears and began to enjoy himself in round 2 with Nickolas unable to close the distance. The home did enjoy some success in the final stanza but it proved not to be enough as Kumar claimed the deserved split decision to move on to a semi-final matchup with England’s Pat McCormack. Lastly the big men at super heavy (91+kg) entered the ring with India’s Satish Kumar clashing with Nigel Paul from Trinidad and Tobago. Paul managed to land with a solid jab in round 1 with Kumar throwing a number of flurries and showing an excellent work rate for a man of his size. Paul scored with some terrific uppercuts in the second but Kumar to his credit showed no signs of slowing down. Another uppercut from Paul was the highlight of a scrappy final 3 minutes but it was the Indian who got the verdict and he will be up against Keddy Agnes from the Seychelles in the semis. |
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