WORLD SILVER MEDALLIST BEATEN ON EVENTFUL EVENING AT OLYMPIC BOXING QUALIFIERS

World silver medallist Wenlu Yang was stunned on the second evening of the Asian/Oceanian Road to Tokyo 2020 Boxing qualifying event in Amman.

The Chinese fourth seed in the women’s 60kg weight was beaten by the brilliant Sudaporn Seesondee, of Thailand, on a unanimous decision following three sizzling rounds.

“I felt pressure because I was fighting such a good opponent but I moved well in the ring and felt I controlled the fight,” said Seesondee, who will fight Shih-Yi Wu, of Chinese Taipei, in the quarter-final. “My mission is to win gold in Tokyo so I will remain focussed this week.”

Also in the 60kg division, The Philippines’ Riza Pasuit won a split decision against Japan’s Saya Hamamoto, while India’s Simranjit Baath took the final quarter-final spot with a win over Rimma Volossenko, of Kazakhstan, in one of the fights of the tournament so far.

Earlier in the evening, the women’s 57kg second seed Yu-Ting Lin, of Chinese Taipei, and third seed Skye Nicolson made their ways through to the quarter-final alongside China’s Olympic silver medallist, Junhua Yin, and Mongolia’s Bolortuul Tumurkhuyag.

“For my first fight I did OK but will need to improve,” said Lin, the 2018 World Champion. “I have targeted the gold medal in Tokyo so I will keep working hard and get better.”

The performance of the evening came from Thailand’s 2018 World Youth Champion, Thitsan Panmot, who demolished Bhutan’s Tashi Wangdi in the men’s 52kg class. Aldoms Suguro, from Indonesia, also made his way through to the last 16 where he will face reigning Olympic and World champion, Shakhobidin Zoirov, of Uzbekistan.

In the 69kg weight, there were wins for Nursultan Mamataly, of Kyrgyzstan, Wuttichai Masuk, of Thailand, and Misheelt Battumur, Mongolia.

The qualifiers, which run until March 11, has attracted 221 of the best fighters from 35 countries with 63 Olympic spots up for grabs.

The event is being broadcasted live on the Olympic Channel web site.

For the full session results, visit: https://boxing.athlete365.org/the-5-qualification-events/asian-oceanian-qualifying-event-amman-jor-3-11-march-2020