Vietnam take two golds at Asian young boxing championships
Vietnam won two historic golds from the ASBC Asian U22 & Youth Boxing Championships in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on May 23.
Among 19 boxers taking part in the tournament, six of them advanced to the finals and two topped the podiums.
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tran made her career's milestone in the women's U22 50kg class.
Trân, the ASBC Asian Elite Championships silver medallist, tried to work from longer distance in her light flyweight bout against Kazakhstan’s tough Gulnar Turapbay.
The 21-year-old former world youth bronze medallist landed a strong right-handed jab in the first round and Turapbay was counted.
Trân continued her technician performance in the second and third rounds to take the first gold for Vietnam. It was Tran's first Asian level title after three participations. Previously she bagged bronze in 2023 and went home empty-handed last year.
Song Thi Kim Ngan was strongly inspired by teammate in the later match of women's 52kg class.
She also exceeded her previous expectations and she defeated Kazakhstan’s Tomiris Myrzakul in the tightest final in Colombo to secure the second gold for the Southeast Asian country.
Later Ngo Thi Mai Chuc could not make it when she was defeated by Kazakhstan’s Elina Bazarova, the world youth champion, in the women's 54kg.
Three other silvers went to Vu Thi Thom in the women's youth 54kg, Nguyen Thi Bich in the women's youth 57kg and Truong Ha Vy in the women's youth 70kg.
The Vietnamese team also pocketed 11 bronzes in other weight classes. Their achievement made it Vietnam's most successful tournament ever.
"This is one of the times that such a high number of Vietnamese young boxers advanced to the finals of the Asian championships for youth," said coach Nguyen Nhu Cuong.
"My boxers faced strong and potential rivals from different countries and territories. Like us they came to accumulate experience and grasp more expertise. We hope that from this arena, my young athletes will be more confident in the international competitions in the future."
Vietnamese female boxer claims bronze at World Boxing Championships
Vietnam’s female boxer Ha Thi Linh secured a bronze medal at the World Boxing Championships, which concluded on March 16 in Serbia.
