Asians hold sway at world boxing championships

03:35 04/12/2013
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Mail
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • WhatsApp
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • Asian boxers generally enjoyed a fruitful day on the second day of an amateur boxing world championships which has been overshadowed by allegations of impropriety out of the ring.

    After the claims – which were hotly denied – last week that an Azerbaijani national paid a $9million bribe to ensure victories for the country’s fighters at next year’s Olympics further allegations of corruption surfaced on Tuesday.

    English newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported that Azerbaijan’s boxers had been given seeded positions at the world championships — the first Olympic qualifying event for boxing — that did not reflect their world rankings.

    However, The International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) denied any irregularities in the seeding process at the championships, saying that it conformed to competition rules available for public scrutiny on its website.

    In the ring, last year’s Asian Games flyweight champion Rey Saludar of the Philippines moved into the second round with a hard-fought 21-20 win over Canadian fighter Kenny Lally.

    Saludar, 23, had to hold off an impressive third round rally by Lally, who took the round 8-6 but it was not enough to deprive the Filipino of his place in the second round.

    However, the man he beat for Asian Games gold last year Yong Chang of China will not face him at these championships as he was beaten by Dagoberto Aguero of the Dominican Republic.

    The 28-year-old Aguero performed better in all three rounds (6-1, 7-4, 5-2) to clinch a place in the second round. Japan’s Katsuaki Susa, who won the Asian Games bronze medal, was an impressive winner over Duke Akueteh Micah, while another Asian Games bronze medal winner Suranjoy Singh of India defeated Hungary’s Zsolt Dobradi 24-8.

    Recommended