After he suffered quite a few unexpected losses, AIBA World Boxing Championships silver medallist, Mogolian Tugstsogt Nyambayar, found the right track back at the AIBA Asian Olympic Qualifying Event in the capital city of Kazakhstan, Astana. His opponent was a top boxer, defending Asian Games winner from the Philippines, Rey Saludar, who travelled to Astana for a quota place. The 20-year-old Mongolian had an excellent first frame and was leading 10:3 while the referee stopped their contest before the second gong. Nyambayar advances to the last 16.
His next opponent will be former Asian Champion and Commonwealth Games winner, Indian Suranjoy Mayengbam Singh. In his opening contest, he had to fight against Bocskai Memorial Tournament silver medallist, South Korean Shin Dong Myung. The Korean opened the contest with a clear body shot, but Indian southpaw boxer secured a two points advantage after the first round. A lead that he managed to save until the final gong.
In the third flyweight contest of the opening day, AIBA Road to London participant, 20-year-old Turkmen Zarip Jumayev met Iran's Iman Tayebi. The Turkmen boxer was leading 4:2 after the first three minutes but the Iranian ringside changed its tactic and equalized the bout after six minutes. Zarip Jumayev got better and better in the final round of a spectacular contest to win 18:16. He will now fight against Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, Pakistanis Muhammad Waseem.
Shopokov Memorial Tournament winner, Kyrgyz Omurbek Malabekov who was close to qualify for London at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Baku 2011, eliminated Sri Lanka's Dumith Roshan Wijerathna in the preliminary stage of the bantamweight category. The Kyrgyz's left hooks shocked his rival in the first three minutes and resulted in a comfortable 10:2 lead to Malabekov. He then increased his advantage up to 22:9 and will now meet Arab Games silver medallist 18-year-old Iraqi Ammar Jabbar Hassan.
Asian Championships silver medallist, Mongolian Dorjnyambuu Otgondalai and Asian Games silver medallist, Chinese Zhang Jiawei had to compete for the last 16 in the bantamweight category. Otgondalai started better but received a warning in the second round thus Zhang could turn the battle. The final verdict was 13:12 to the Chinese and therefore Mongolia won't be able to defend its bantamweight throne at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Zhang Jiawei's next opponent will be Philippines's veteran Joegen Ladon who eliminated Jordan's teenager Seif Emad Qraish.
Two strong WSB boxers fought for the last eight in the lightweight division: Asian Championships bronze medallist, Tajik Madadi Nagzibekov and Southeast Asian Games winner, Philippines' Charlie Suarez. Following a very tactical first round, Nagzibekov was leading 2:1 before Suarez started to get really better and won the fight. His next rival will be AIBA World Boxing Championships competitor, Kyrgyz Abdylai Anarbay Ulu.
In Light welterweight, World Combat Games winner and Kyrgyzstan's greatest hope Ermek Sakenov eliminated the only Bangladeshi competitor of the event, AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships competitor, 17-year-old Mohammad Arif Hossain. The Central Asian boxer overwhelmed his teenager rival and will now face Thailand's Wuttichai Masuk who eliminated Chinese Taipei's Chang Wei Jen.
The first bout of the welterweight division was held between two traditional Asian boxing nations. South Korea's Kim Jung Won, a member of the national team since 2002, had to use all his experience to beat Southeast Asian Games winner 25-year-old Thai Apichet Saensit by a narrow 14:11. He will now meet Youth Olympic Games silver medallist and AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships silver medallist, Uzbek Ahmad Mamadjanov in the quarter-finals.
Current Asian Champion and Beijing Olympian Maimaitituersun Qiong of China also opened with a victory in Astana against Asian Games quarter-finalist Wilfredo Lopez of Philippines. The Xinjiang-based athlete demonstrated the same excellent footwork as previously and advanced to the last eight where he has to face AIBA World Championships quarter-finalist Kyrgyz Asadullo Boymuradov who eliminated World Combat Games bronze medallist, Tajik Navruz Jafoyev by accepted scores.
India's 18-year-old Sumit Sangwan who replaced Beijing Olympian Dinesh Kumar in the national squad offered a great performance against Southeast Asian Games winner Vietnam's Luong Van Toan in the preliminary round of the light heavyweight division. The Indian boxer defeated his Southeast Asian rival by 14:2 and can now prepare for his next contest against current Asian Champion South Korean Kim Hyeong Kyu who had a manly fight against Syria's Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Memorial Tournament silver medallist Manaf Asaad.
Jordan's best hope for London, Arab Games winner and Arab Champion Ihab Darweish Al-Matbouli who moved down from the heavyweight class stopped Nepal's top fighter, Asian Games bronze medallist Deepak Maharjan. The extremely strong 27-year-old Jordanian fighter will meet Turkmenistan's President's Cup silver medallist Rasul Yuldashev who demonstrated his power against Iraq's teenager, Davar Abdulrazzaq Sadiq.
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