Vietnamese fighter punches his way to Asian muay Thai gold

The gold was won in the men's 45 kg weight class by Le Hoang Duc, who edged out Iran's Amirhossein Zolfi by a single point.

Duc won the first two rounds each with a score of 10-9, and Zolfi went for a knockout in the final round but in vain. The Vietnamese won the bout 29-28.

It was Duc's first gold medal in the A Class at an international tournament. In 2017 he had won a gold medal in the B Class in the World Muay Thai Championships.

A Class is the elite group for the world’s best fighters while B Class is for fighters from less experienced countries.

Huynh Hoang Phi, Trieu Thi Phuong Thuy, Huynh Ha Huu Hieu, and Nguyen Thi Phuong Hau won silver medals at the tournament, which ended last Saturday.

The bronzes were won by Nguyen Doan Long, Truong Cao Minh Phat, Nguyen The Huong, Nguyen Thi Nguyet, Nguyen Xuan Phuong, Mai Thi Bang, and Bui Yen Ly.

The Asian Muay Thai Championship of the International Federation of Muay Thai Associations, an annual amateur competition, attracted fighters from 35 countries and territories this year.