Day two of the 2nd World Qualification Tournament at the Indoor Arena Huamark witnessed 47 fierce matches across four weight divisions: Women’s 50kg, Men’s 51kg, Men’s 80kg, and Men’s +92kg.
In the first session of the day, Luis Fernando DELGADO VERA (ECU) and Federico SERRA (ITA) were the first to jump into the ring. SERRA did everything he could to secure a spot in the Olympics for the first time in his boxing career. He was one of the top favorites after having narrowly missed qualification via the European Games and the 1st World Qualifier in Busto Arsizio. DELGADO started strong in the first round, and while SERRA tried to fight back in the second and third rounds, it wasn’t enough to secure victory in his Men’s 51kg round-of-64 bout.
Meanwhile, there was a tough battle between Irish boxer Sean MARI and Pakistani boxer Muhammad FAHEEM in the same weight division. Exceptional combinations were executed by both, especially in the first two rounds. In the third and decisive round, the 24-year-old from Dublin was dominant, earning a 10/9 from all five judges to seal a 4:1 split decision victory.
The 2021 South Asian Games gold medallist Rogen LADON (PHI) faced a tough opponent in the Spanish young talent Rafael LOZANO SERRANO (ESP), alias “Balin”. It was a close battle between the two athletes, with the experienced Filipino boxer displaying brilliant tactical skill and Lozano showing good footwork and powerful blows. The boxer from Madrid, following in his father’s footsteps as a boxer, advanced in the tournament via a 4:1 split decision victory.
Rio 2016 silver medallist Yuberjen Herney MARTINEZ RIVAS (COL) met expectations in his bout against Chandra Bahadur THAPA (NEP). The Colombian, who also qualified for Tokyo 2020, adopted an attacking strategy, troubling his opponent and securing a convincing 5-0 decision win.
The inaugural match of the tournament in the Men’s 80kg weight division ended quickly. It took about a minute for Edwin Okong’O OWUOR from Kenya to send his rival Mohamadou GORY (MLI) to the canvas with a powerful blow, forcing the referee to stop the contest in Round 1 at 1:59.
In the Men’s 80kg event, Meysam GHESHLAGHI (IRI) kept his Olympic hopes alive by outclassing Jinjea KIM (KOR). In a high-intensity match, both boxers showcased their best moves and potent offensive tactics. GHESHLAGHI refused to give up, sealing a hard-fought 4:1 split decision victory.
Moments later, Osaro Lucky AIMUFUA(AUT) and Cristian Javier PINALES (DOM) also advanced in the qualifying event, defeating Roman VINEY (TGA) and Desmond AMSTERDAM (GUY), respectively. The Austrian and Dominican boxers will now face each other on May 27.
Abhimanyu LOURA became the second Indian to move forward in the 2nd World Qualification Tournament, emerging victorious via a 3-0 points win after a hard-fought bout against Kristiyan NIKOLOV of Bulgaria. Both boxers were aggressive, but the 19-year-old Loura had the edge. In the upcoming round-of-32, Loura will meet Kelyn CASSIDY from Ireland, who defeated Delil DADAEV of Germany by 4:1.
Two intense bouts took center stage in the Men’s +92kg weight division: Colombia’s Willys MENDOZA was determined, effective, and powerful, defeating Morocco’s Younes BOUHDID with a 3-0 points victory. Meanwhile, Kennedy Joseph ST PIERRE from Mauritius beat Mark AHONDJO (GHA) by unanimous decision with scores of 5-0, impressing the judges.
It took less than one round for Rita SOARES of Portugal to secure her first victory of the tournament. Soares was too strong for her opponent, Sze Man LEE (HKG), who had to surrender when the referee stopped the contest at 0:49 in Round 1. The same fate for the 23-year-old Nicole DURIKOVA, who lost her bout when the referee halted the match against Nazym KYZAIBAY of Kazakhstan in the second round at 2:48.
In the Men’s 51kg class, Baresham HARUTYUNAN (ARM) used his attacking technique and strong jab to score early points against Tunisia’s Ala Eddine ZIDI. After forcing his opponent to three standing counts throughout the second and third rounds, the Armenian earned the victory by RSC in Round 3. With the same scoreline, Hamza ESSAADI of Morocco advanced in the tournament after a dominant performance against Chand NEHAL of Fiji, who was unable to counter Essaadi’s quick punches.
Moments later, Carlos RAMIREZ of Guatemala and David DE PINA (CPV) earned two devastating KO victories, dashing the hopes of Nigeria’s Moussa Sahabi GADO and Serbia’s Omer AMETOVIC, respectively.
In the Men’s 80kg weight division, Boxing Refugee Team’s Eldric SELLA triumphed over the 19-year-old Michail TSAMALIDIS from Germany. Despite suffering a cut to his forehead, Sella fought bravely, continually pushing his rival onto the back foot. In the end, the refugee boxer landed cleaner shots to take a 3-2 split decision victory.
The crowd at the Indoor Stadium Huamark enjoyed the performance of home hero Weerapon JONGJOHO (THA) against the 2022 Mediterranean Games gold medallist Vladimir MIRONCHIKOV of Serbia. The Thai boxer dominated his rival from the start, maintaining pressure throughout the bout. Jongjoho left everyone in awe with a nearly perfect performance, securing a unanimous 5-0 decision victory. In the upcoming bout, he will face off against Robby “Rahim” GONZALES from the United States, who earned a commanding 5-0 victory against Ahmed BADRANI (MAR).
Competition at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament is due to resume tomorrow with two sessions, at 13:00 and 18:30 (Bangkok local time), featuring 64 exciting bouts in the Men’s 63.5kg and Men’s 71kg weight categories.
Stay tuned for the latest updates, photos, and results, which will be posted online on the Athlete 365 Boxing Corner website at the tournament page.
Find additional information about the event on the Thai Boxing Association website.
