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Seventeen nations gearing up for the semi-finals at AIBA Asian-Oceanian Olympic Qualification Event

March 30th, 2016 / IBA

The fifth day of the competition featured 52 amazing quarter-final contests with all weight classes in action. Only 36 out of the 52 remaining women and men boxers will earn a quota for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games however all of them will be guaranteed a medal.

Seventeen countries are represented in the semi-finals with at least one boxer qualified. China is leading with eight boxers with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan just behind with seven athletes respectively still in the competition.

Kazakhstan’s Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games winner Ablaikhan Zhussupov got rid of two of his main rivals India’s Manoj Kumar and Korea’s Hyunchul Lim in the Light Welterweight class (64 kg) previous matches.

Japan’s Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Daisuke Narimatsu is also amongst the last four after his victory over Jordan’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Obada Mohammad Alkasbeh in the Lightweight (60 kg) bout.

Kazakhstan’s two-time AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist and Astana Arlans WSB Season V Champion Ivan Dychko easily dominated New Zealand’s Patrick Mailata as the bout ended in the first round. Dychko main rival Uzbekistan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Bakhodir Jalolov also secured his spot to the semi-finals after unanimous decision over China’s Haipeng Mu.

Uzbekistan’s two-time Olympian Elshod Rasulov could not repeat his previous performance and lost to Tajikistan’s Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Navruz Jafoev. Additionally, the Light Heavyweight (81 kg) semi-finals will host only boxers from Central Asia with Kazakhstan’s star Adilbek Niyazymbetov, Turkmenistan’s Aziz Achilov and Kyrgyzstan’s Erkin Adylbek Uulu.

India’s five-times AIBA Women’s World Champion icon Mary Kom Hmangte was able to replicate her performance in her preliminary bout to beat Philippines’ AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Nesthy Petecio and reach the semi-finals.

Vietnam’s Incheon 2014 Asian Games bronze medallist Thi Duyen Luu surpassed India’s former AIBA Women’s World Champion Laishram Sarita Devi at the Lightweight class (60 kg) while Australia’s Shelley Watts defeated Tajikistan’s London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Mavzuna Chorieva in another split decision quarter-final bout.

After a precedent encounter in 2014, Chinese Taipei’s AIBA Women’s Junior World Champion Nien-Chin Chen and Australia’s Caitlin Parker met again but Nien-Chin Chen was able to repeat her performance and won the bout while China’s star Li Qian also advanced to the semi-finals of the Women’s Middleweight class (75 kg).

China Dragons’ WSB boxer and Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist, Jianguan Hu demonstrated his skill against Turkmenistan’s Zarip Jumayev who could not resist the host nation’s talent in the Flyweight (52 kg) bout. The next round should be closely watched as the Chinese boxer will oppose Kazakhstan’s current ASBC Asian Confederation Champion Olzhas Sattibayev.

Uzbekistan’s unbeaten WSB boxer and defending ASBC Asian Confederation Champion Hasanboy Dusmatov brilliantly defeated Indonesia’s star boxer Cornelis Kwangu Langu in the Light Flyweight class (49 kg) while his main rival Filipino Rogen Ladon also qualified to the semi-finals.

“I was planning to use my footwork to get closer to my Indonesian opponent, this was the main tactic we discussed with my coaches. The Indonesian boxer was strong but I was faster than him today. It was not an easy match but I think I won all of the rounds. I need one more victory to achieve my goal and participate to the Olympic Games.” said Uzbekistan’s Hasanboy Dusmatov after his quarter-final bout.

India’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Shiva Thapa controlled the first part of her bout against strong Arashi Morisaka in the Bantamweight (56 kg) quarter-finals and despite the Japanese last round efforts, the Indian Boxer concluded the bout.

Thailand’s Saylom Ardee is getting closer to qualify to his third Olympic Games as he was strong enough in the opening two rounds to beat Syria’s 19-year-old Ahmad Ghosson in the Welterweight (69 kg) class. Philippines’ rising hope Eumir Felix Marcial, Uzbekistan’s Shakhram Giyasov and Mongolia’s London 2012 Olympian Tuvshinbat Byamba complete the line-up for the semis in this category.

The Heavyweight class (91 kg) quarter-final between Uzbekistan’s two-time AIBA World Boxing Championships Rustam Tulaganov and New Zealand’s Commonwealth Games winner David Nyika, was highly disputed but it ended with a victory of the Uzbek boxer.

Australia’s best boxer Daniel Lewis had a tough match against Turkmenistan’s Arslanbek Achilov in Middleweight (75 kg) quarter-finals but his experience prevailed and he is now ready to meet China’s Minggang Zhao.