(NOV 9)  Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu Ting won the Best Boxer award as the 8th Edition of the ASBC Asian Championships came to a close in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on Wednesday but undoubtedly the ‘star’ of the finals day was the ‘evergreen’ Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte who took a record 5th Asian title to go with her 5 AIBA World titles.

"I have been feeling confident ever since I started training in the 48kg category a few months back. The federation has been very helpful in aiding my comeback into the ring, providing great training support, sparring partners, etc. I knew if I maintained my fitness throughout this tournament, I will be unbeatable. This is not overconfidence but belief in my ability," a delighted Mary told the ‘ Times Of India’ Wednesday.

Women’s boxing is getting stronger and stronger in Asia – as in Africa – and we are likely to see this trend continue when the 2017 AIBA Women’s Youth World Championships are held in India later this month. You’ll recall we recently published an AIBA Press Release confirming that Mary Kom had been appointed as the AIBA’s Special Ambassador for that tournament.

The ASBC tells us that altogether a record number of 107 boxers from 20 countries were competing for the medals Boxing Championships this year. Eleven countries achieved at least one medal in the continental event: China, Chinese Taipei, DPR Korea, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Mongolia, Thailand, Vietnam and Uzbekistan.
Eight countries had also at least one finalist in Ho Chi Minh City and among them a record number of seven won titles namely Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, South Korea and India who each won one gold medal in addition to the four that went to China.

This report from finals day in Ho Chi Minh City from the ASBC’s own staff in the Vietnamese capital and our sincere thanks to them.

“Light flyweight (48kg):
India’s five-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte returned to her original light flyweight (48kg) in the recent months to raise the number of her Asian titles. The 34-year-old Indian eliminated Vietnam’s Trinh Thi Diem Kieu, Chinese Taipei’s Pin Meng Chieh and Japan’s Tsubasa Komura on the road to the finals. Mary Kom met with DPR Korea’s Kim Hyang Mi in the final and she was able to keep her focus until the final bell and won their contest by unanimous decision. Mary Kom achieved her fifth Asian title and made an amazing comeback to her previous weight class.

Flyweight (51kg):
DPR Korea’s Pang Chol Mi won the gold medal in the Ulaanbaatar Box Cup where she defeated all of her rivals by large margin of differences. The young North Korean boxer eliminated already Japan’s Sana Kawano, India’s Neeraj and Kazakhstan’s two-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Nazym Kyzaibay in her previous contests. The 23-year-old North Korean met with Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam in the final and she started more aggressively than in her previous contests. The Vietnamese boxer worked well in the second part of the bout and she was celebrated her triumph after the final bell. Nguyen Thi Tam delivered Vietnam’s first ever gold medal in the history of the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships.

Bantamweight (54kg):
Vietnam’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Le Thi Bang eliminated China’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Liu Piaopiao in a superb quarter-final. The Vietnamese boxer eliminated also DPR Korea’s Kim Song Sim and tried to do her best against Chinese Taipei’s former AIBA Women’s Youth World Champion Lin Yu Ting in the final. Chinese Taipei’s No.1 attacked more than in her previous contests and she did amazing things in the second round when she launched several double combinations. Lin felt the fighting distance well enough in the whole contest and won gold medal for Chinese Taipei in Ho Chi Minh City.

Featherweight (57kg):
China’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games silver medallist and Asian Games winner Yin Junhua eliminated one of her main rival Vietnam’s AIBA Women’s Junior World Champion Vuong Thi Vy in the quarter-final and she had another close bout against Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao Wen in the last four. Yin, who moved down one weight class since her Rio 2016 Olympic Games, tried to overcame in the attacks her opponent, India’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Sonia Lather Singh. The Chinese boxer found the tiny holes on her opponent’s defence and won her country’s first title in Ho Chi Minh City,

Lightweight (60kg):
South Korea’s defending ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Oh Yeon Ji eliminated Kazakhstan’s National Champion Rimma Volosenko, China’s AIBA Women’s World Champion Yang Wenlu and India’s Priyanka Chaudhary during her road to the gold medal bout. The 27-year-old South Korean started better than Vietnam’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Luu Thi Duyen and took the lead after three minutes. Oh launched several right-handed hooks in the third round and her efforts were enough to defend her Asian throne after Wulanchabu.

Light welterweight (64kg):
China’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships quarter-finalist Dou Dan eliminated Chinese Taipei’s Lin Li Wei Hsien, Sri Lanka’s Galbokka Hewage Thanuja Nilakshi Dharmasena and India’s former AIBA Women’s World Champion Sarita Devi Laishram in the previous rounds. China’s experienced boxer met with Kazakhstan’s Silesian Women’s Open Tournament winner Madina Nurshayeva in the gold medal bout of the competition. The Chinese boxer started their contest better but Nurshayeva adopted the level of their final. Both boxers were patient and awaited for the best attacking moments but the Kazakh talent delivered stronger performance in the last round and won her first Asian title.

Welterweight (69kg):
China’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Gu Hong delivered strong performance in the competition and eliminated Uzbekistan’s Gavkhar Mirzaeva and Vietnam’s Tran Thi Linh in the road to the gold medal bout. Gu Hong had to meet with her old rival in the final, Kazakhstan’s defending AIBA Women’s World Champion Valentina Khalzova in Ho Chi Minh City. Their contest was the repeat final of the Astana 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships where Khalzova won that fight. The final verdict of their re-match was the opposite and this time Gu Hong was able to get the gold medal.

Middleweight (75kg):
China’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games bronze medallist Li Qian arrived to the venue of the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships as the main favourite of the middleweight (75kg). Li eliminated her main rival Kazakhstan’s defending ASBC Asian Champion Dariga Shakimova in the semi-final and dominated the first round against South Korea’s Seon Su Jin who is only 19. Li used her safest distance in the final but inexperienced Korean rival did a brave attempt to beat her with her pressurizing style. The Chinese boxer was tactically and technically stronger and won the title of this Olympic category.

Light heavyweight (81kg):
China’s two-time AIBA Women’s World Champion Yang Xiaoli eliminated India’s Pooja Rani in the quarter-final and Kazakhstan’s Moldir Bazarbayeva in the last four. The defending ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Chinese boxer caught her final opponent in the first round with tough punches therefore Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Huong had hard job in their gold medal contest. The Vietnamese boxer tried to do more in the second round but she received several punches from the Chinese side therefore Yang was able to defend her throne.

Heavyweight (+81kg):
Uzbekistan’s ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships silver medallist Guzal Ismatova advanced to the final of the event after beating India’s Seema Poonia in the last four. The Uzbek boxer had to meet with Vietnam’s three-time National Champion Tran Thi Oanh Nhi who eliminated Kazakhstan’s AIBA Women’s World Champion Lyazzat Kungeibayeva in the semi-final. Ismatova had the height and weight advantages in their final and caught Tran with powerful shots in the first round. Ismatova was stronger than her Vietnamese opponent and she was able to keep her rhythm until the end of the final bell and delivered Uzbekistan’s first ever gold medal in the history of the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships.

List of the winners in the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships
48kg: Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte, India
51kg: Nguyen Thi Tam, Vietnam
54kg: Lin Yu Ting, Chinese Taipei
57kg: Yin Junhua, China
60kg: Oh Yeon Ji, South Korea
64kg: Madina Nurshayeva, Kazakhstan
69kg: Gu Hong, China
75kg: Li Qian, China
81kg: Yang Xiaoli, China
+81kg: Guzal Ismatova, Uzbekistan


WBAN sends our congratulations to all the new Champions as well as to the ASBC and the Vietnamese organisers on a great tournament this year.

Finally, again courtesy of the ASBC – and ‘You Tube’ a link to all 10 finals in this year’s Championships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98Gmhm5a_Yg