Zhang Jiamao (L) of China competes in boxing men's 46-51kg preliminaries round of 32 at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)
Chinese boxers kept on with their winning ways on the event's second competition day at Hangzhou Asian Games.
HANGZHOU, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- The second day boxing competition at the Hangzhou Asian Games here on Monday witnessed three Chinese boxers advancing to the next round.
Zhang Jiamao punched Tajikistan's Mehron Shafiev in the jaw with a heavy blow within just one round, and the referee stopped the contest as Shafiev was ruled not in the condition to continue, thus resulting in Zhang's progression in the men's 51kg round of 16.
Yang Liu, who lifted the title in the elite 63-66kg welterweight category at the 2023 IBA Women's Boxing World Championships, faced Arundhati Choudhary from India in the round of 16 of the 66kg category. Yang constantly disrupted her opponent's pace with her agile footsteps and waited for opportunities to counterattack. She got five 10-9 favorable scores from five judges in all three rounds.
Yang Liu (R) of China punches during boxing women's 60-66kg round of 16 match against Arundhati Choudhary of India at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sept. 25, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhan Yan)
"I was excited at the moment when the bout started. The next bout will probably fall on October 1 after a relatively long interval, I hope that I can keep sharp for the following week," she said.
34 qualification slots for the Paris 2024 Olympics will be awarded in Hangzhou, and only two will be offered in the women's 66kg category.
"My first goal at the Hangzhou Asiad is to grab a slot for the Paris 2024, which means I need to advance to the final, and then my second goal is to win the final," she said.
In a late night bout, the Hangzhou native Wang Peicheng was warmly cheered and welcomed by local audiences. Lee Sang-min from South Korea took an early lead in the bout with his experience, but Wang managed to fight back and advanced to the men's 71kg round of 16. ■