In the morning session of Day 8 at the 1st World Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio, Italy, twenty-four electrifying bouts unfolded, showcasing extraordinary boxing. The action started at 13:00 (Italy local time), featuring intense bouts in the round-of-16 across Women’s 50kg, Men’s 51kg, and 80kg weigh categories.
In the Women’s 50kg event spectators witnessed a thrilling showdown between the resilient Korean JooHyung JUNG, and the formidable 2023 World Championship bronze medalist, Alua BALKIBEKOVA of Kazakhstan. Despite the effort from BALKIBEKOVA, JUNG’s relentless pursuit paid off, securing a hard-fought victory with a 4:1 decision from the judges. Meanwhile, MAXI CARINA KLOETZER of Germany showcased her dominance overpowering Yi-Xuan GUO of Chinese Taipei with powerful blows that forced the referee to stop the contest in the second round.
In another exciting bout, 20-year-old Sabina BOBOKULOVA of Kazakhstan clashed with Ireland’s Daina MOOREHOUSE in a battle of determination. Despite Moorehouse’s commendable effort to rally back, it was BOBOKULOVA who emerged victorious by the narrowest of margins, clinching a 3:2 split decision from the referees.
Colombia’s Olympian, INGRIT LORENA VALENCIA VICTORIA, left a mark in her round-of-16 bout against Susan Meylin AGUAS CHALA of Ecuador, exhibiting her commanding presence with an aggressive attack that led to a resounding 5:0 victory.
In the Men’s 51kg category, one of the most competitive weight classes, the 2022 Asian Games bronze medalist from Japan, TOMOYA TSUBOI, had a forgettable day as he was outclassed by today’s opponent, Yuberjen Herney MARTINEZ RIVAS from Colombia. TSUBOI started aggressively, throwing plenty of punches and targeting MARTINEZ’s face, clearly winning the first round. However, MARTINEZ’s counterattack in the following round was brilliant, as he edged the second round 3/2 and dominated the third and final round convincingly, winning over all the judges. As a result, RIVAS claimed a 3:2 split decision, advancing in the tournament.
In the Men’s 80kg event round-of-16 at the E-Work Arena, spectators were able to enjoy the heavy punches of Ireland’s Kelyn CASSIDY and Armenia’s RAFAYEL HOVHANNISYAN. Despite suffering a cut, the Armenian boxer fought bravely, continually pushing his rival onto the back foot. However, it was CASSIDY who landed the most effective punches, securing a 5:0 unanimous decision victory. Cassidy, who is now one win away from securing a quota place for Paris 2024, will face Nurberk Oralbay from Kazakhstan, who dominated his bout against Aliaksei Alfiorau from Ain with a commanding 5:0 unanimous decision victory.
Moments later, the Uzbek prodigy, TURABEK KHABIBULLAEV, emerged victorious with a 4:1 split decision against French talent YOJERLIN CESAR, setting the stage for an exciting clash with Colombian contender JUAN ORTIZ, who secured a unanimous decision win in his bout against Taj KAGHO of New Zealand.
Moving forward in the tournament, Korea’s JINJEA KIM and Turkey’s Kaan AYKUTSUN solidified their path towards qualification for Paris 2024 with impressive victories over their respective opponents.
The action at the 1st World Qualification Tournament in Busto Arsizio continues into the evening session at 20:00, promising more exhilarating matchups and unforgettable moments in the quest for Olympic dream.
Find all the results, drawsheets, and schedules on https://boxing.athlete365.org/boxing-road-to-paris-2024/1st-world-qualification-tournament/, and catch the action live on the Olympic Channel at https://olympics.com/en/sport-events/2024-boxing-1st-world-qualification-tournament-busto-arsizio.
