Amateur boxers were crowned as Asian champions at IBA's ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan. There were 242 bouts in the tournament, with seven countries (India, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Chinese Taipei) producing female champions. The male champions came from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Jordan and the Philippines. Fifteen countries earned at least one medal, but the big star was Hasanboy Dusmatov from Uzbekistan, a 2016 Olympic champion and an established junior flyweight contender in the professional ranks. Dusmatov returned to the Uzbeki national team and claimed his third Asian title, having previously won in 2015 and 2017. Including the World Series of Boxing, Dusmatov is 19-0 as a pro.
Dusmatov had to go through Saken Bibossynov of Kazakhstan, who won the world amateur flyweight title (51kg) in 2021. These two boxers previously met each other in the final of the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships and both used the same tactics as in Belgrade one year ago. Bibossynov was patient in the first round and worked from longer distance to take a short lead after three minutes. The 29 year-old Uzbek worked hard in the second round while the Kazakh was too static. Dusmatov continued his performance in the same way in the third and won his third Asian title. “I am so grateful to my coaches that I could make the people in Uzbekistan proud. This is my third Asian gold after this hard battle,” said Hasanboy Dusmatov after one of the top finals of the day.
Kazakhstan's Sanzhar Tashkenbay won his first Asian elite title at the age of 19. He won all of the main youth competitions in 2021 and this year he replaced Elite World Champion, Temirtas Zhussupov on the national team. The southpaw had a strong final opponent, Japan's Kazuma Aratake who claimed a silver in the ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships in Tashkent. Tashkenbay found his rhythm earlier than the Japanese athlete and looked confident in all of the exchanges. The Kazakh opened the third round with a massive jab and he was a hard target for the attacking Japanese boxer. And the first gold medal of the Championships went to Tashkenbay. “I worked hard in the first round to take the lead on the scorecards therefore I could do my best strategy in the second. I won the Asian youth title in 2021 and now I won the gold among the elites as well,” said Tashkenbay after his success.
The two best boxers of the Asian continent at the featherweight (57kg), Uzbekistani Abdumalik Khalokov and Serik Temirzhanov from Kazakhstan met in the finals. The World [amateur] Boxing Championships silver medallist Khalokov moved down to this weight category this year and looked confident in the first round against the world champion Kazakh who also found his best tempo. Khalokov moved ahead more in the second round and both landed a few effective jabs but the Uzbek was active enough to build up a tight advantage after six minutes and then did enough in round three to take home the title. “My opponent was seriously good, I prepared against him in the whole championships. After the first round, which I lost 3-2, my coach said “no worries, relax, do your tactics as we discussed” and the third round decided our contest,” commented Khalokov.
Abu Jajeh of Jordan exceeded all of the previous expectations to win lightweight gold. Mongolia's Erdenebat Tsendbaatar won the last two editions of the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships at the lightweight (60kg) but his replacement, Buyandalai Bayarkhuu also advanced to the finals. The Mongolian was patient and had the same fighting style as Abu Jajeh who felt the strong support of the crowd. The 24 year-old Jordanian returned to the national team and boxed above his previous level this time and due to his second and third rounds. he won a title for the host country. “The Mongolian boxer was a good final opponent but I felt that I am in top shape and I can beat him. This was my very best performance, I prepared for this moment in my entire life.” said Abu Jajeh.
At light welterweight, Uzbekistan's Ruslan Abdullayev was too strong for India's Shiva Thapa. Abdullayev won the gold medal at the ASBC Asian U22 Boxing Championships this January and arrived in Amman to repeat that success. The 20-year-old Uzbek was amazing in the semi-finals of the light welterweight (63.5kg) and had a strong start in the first round against India's six-time medallist Shiva Thapa. Abdullaev took the lead in all of the five judges’ scorecards in the opening period and knocked down the 29-year-old Indian in the second. Thapa’s right leg was injured and the ringside doctor stopped the bout and confirmed Abdullayev’s RSCI victory. “I won two big Asian championships this year but I still have a lot of work this year, the Uzbekistan National Championships where I will meet my main rival, Mujibullo Tursunov once again,” said Abdullayev.
Here is the list of the winners at the ASBC Asian Men’s Boxing Championships
48kg: Sanzhar Tashkenbay, Kazakhstan
51kg: Hasanboy Dusmatov, Uzbekistan
54kg: Carlo Paalam, Philippines
57kg: Abdumalik Khalakov, Uzbekistan
60kg: Mohammad Adnan Abu Jajeh, Jordan
63.5kg: Ruslan Abdullayev, Uzbekistan
67kg: Bunjong Sinsiri, Thailand
71kg: Aslanbek Shymbergenov, Kazakhstan
75kg: Saidjamshid Jafarov, Uzbekistan
80kg: Hussein Iashaish, Jordan
86kg: Jakkapong Yomkhot, Thailand
92kg: Aibek Oralbay, Kazakhstan
+92kg: Lazizbek Mullojonov, Uzbekistan
The participating nations at the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships:
Afghanistan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, host Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Syria, Chinese Taipei, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Vietnam
