Vietnamese boxers win WBO youth title

By Dong Huyen    November 5, 2019 | 06:00 am PT
Two Vietnamese boxers beat their Thai and Filipino opponents at the WBO Oriental Youth Title Match in HCMC.

Tran Van Thao defeated the Philippines' Ponciana Remandiman 3-0 in the men category on Sunday.

The Vietnamese boxer was the underdog against the Filipino fighter standing 74th in the World Boxing Organization (WBO) rankings, and coming into the match on the back of eight unbeaten bouts.

The Vietnamese fighter, on the other hand, was not at his best because he had spent six months recovering from a leg injury.

After taking some tough blows in the second round that left his eyelids torn and bleeding, he got more defensive in subsequent rounds, waiting for openings to launch a stream of punches and hooks.

Tran Van Thao (R) strike a punch towards Filipino boxer Ponciana Remandiman. Photo by VnExpress/Dong Huyen.

Tran Van Thao (R) lands a punch on Filipino boxer Ponciana Remandiman at the WBO Oriental Youth Title Match in HCMC, November 3, 2010 . Photo by VnExpress/Dong Huyen.

Thao succeeded in having his opponent fall to the floor several times, but could not deliver a knockout punch.

After six rounds, all three judges declared Thao the victor, extending the 27-year-old fighter’s winning streak to 12, including eight knockouts.

Thao shot into fame after defeating Indonesia's George Lumoly to become the first Vietnamese boxer to win a World Boxing Council (WBC) Asia title in November 2017, and has not lost any match since.

In the women's WBO Oriental Youth Title Match, Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi took the 48 kg title in quick time, knocking out Thai opponent Kannika Bangnara in just 16 seconds.

Nguyen Tran Thu Nhi (L) sends attacks on Thai opponent Kannika Bangnara. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Le.

Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi (L) attacks Thai opponent Kannika Bangnara at the WBO Oriental Youth Title Match in HCMC, November 3, 2019. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Le.

The 23-year-old Vietnamese boxer went on the offensive right from the beginning, landing a flurry of punches that floored her opponent immediately. This was Nhi’s third victory this year. She had beaten three-time world champion Gretchen Abaniel of Brazil in 2018.

The tournament this year attracted many local and overseas boxers from South Korea, Thailand, the Philippines, and Uzbekistan.

 
 
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