• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Chapter 8: Women boxing in Asia AIBA has announced its congress that boxing will be separated into male and female events in 1994. The first official international tournament for women boxers were held in 1998 while the historical first edition of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships was scheduled in Scranton, United States in 2001. In Asia, the first demonstration women bout was held during the 8th edition of the South Asian Games in the capital city of Nepal, in Kathmandu in 1999. The pioneers of the women boxing in the Asian continent were India, China, North Korea, Thailand, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Sri Lanka and Philippines. They competed at the first Asian Women’s Championships in Bangkok and that event was held in August 2001. The North Korean squad achieved five gold medals while China took two gold, host Thailand and Philippines both claimed one top position in the Bangkok event. Following that continental event Hong Kong, Mongolia, Indonesia and South Korea also started to prepare their selected female fighters and launched their own national events. The first Japanese Women National Championships were held in 2003, while the historical Kazakh national female event took place in 2005 despite of the fact that the Central Asian country has sent a boxer to different international events three years earlier as well. The second edition of the AIBA Women's World Championships was held in Antalya in 2002 where North Korea, India and China claimed gold among the Asian nations. One year later, at the 2nd Asian Women's Championships in Hisar, the host nation, India topped the team rankings and their star Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte claimed her first gold medal in the history of the event. Year of 2005 was very busy for the women boxers, firstly the next edition of the Asian Women's Continental Championships was held in Chinese Taipei's second biggest city, in Kaohsiung where six qualified Asian athletes could defend their throne. Next to the Indian, North Korean and Filipino gold medals in the continental event, Chinese Taipei secured its first ever championships title in a big woman competition. 1 Russia was the host nation of the 3rd AIBA Women's World Championships and only India's Chungneijang Mary Kom could win the gold medal from Asia while DPR Korea claimed incredible four silver medals in Podolsk in 2005. A new Asian nation in the map of women boxing, Mongolia made its debut at the championships, but their best female fighters missed the podium places in Russia. In the same year, in 2005 the Indian Boxing Federation organized the first national event for their youth and junior women competitors to set up even more and successful background of the sport and increased the experiences of their young boxers. In our present days several multi-sport events are proud of the fact that women boxing were included to its official competition programs but firstly the organizers of the Southeast Asian Games were added the female side of our combat sport still back in 2005. Philippines claimed excellent four gold medals in the front of the home crowd while Thailand won one weight class in the historical SEA Games. The continent's leading women boxing nation, India secured the right to organize the 4th AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships as first among the Asian countries. The local boxers shocked the world and finally Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte, Sarita Devi Laishram, Jenny Lalremliani and Lekha Kozhummel Chettadi reached the top of the podium in the front of the home crowd while North Korea's Ri Jong Hyang and Yun Kum Ju also secured gold medal in the championships. Two years later, following the great success of the Indian and North Korean boxers, record number of 85 boxers from twelve nations competed for the medals at the 4th Asian Women's Continental Championships in Guwahati, India where China were crowned in the team ranking just before DPR Korea and the host nation. The continent's hegemony continued at the 5th edition of the AIBA Women's World Championships and that event was also held in Asia, more precisely in the city of Ningbo, China. Following the Indian boxers' great performance the Chinese ladies also did their best in the front of the home crowd and achieved five gold medals. Their rising stars such as Ren Cancan and Li Jinzi were also among the gold medallists. 2 India's strong Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte defended her throne in Ningbo while DPR Korea's Kim Hyung Ok also found the way to the final glory in the event. The historical first medal of the Kazakh women boxers in worldwide championships was acquired by Yelena Koltsova and that result improved the strength of the female side of boxing in the Central Asian nation. Following the revolutionary IOC decision in August 2009 when women boxing were officially added to the approved Olympic program the female part of the sport turned into a highly developing stage. Women athletes approved to compete in London in three divisions, at the Flyweight (51 kg), Lightweight (60 kg) and Middleweight class (75 kg). Short after the positive IOC message Vietnam became the host of the Asian Indoor Games in October 2009 where women boxing were included to the official schedule. Five strong nations such as China, India, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam's sensation, young Ngo Thi Phuong claimed the gold medals in the Games. Under the extremist Taliban rule women in Afghanistan were forbidden from competing in any sport but after that they could change the stereotype images. The Rahimi sisters tried our combat sport in the gym in Kabul back in 2007 and the Afghanistan Boxing Federation has decided to form a female boxing team which has already competed in several international tournaments since then. There are more than 60 registered women boxers in the Islamic country and they have been preparing to the major international competitions and took part in the recent AIBA and ASBC events as well. Next to Afghanistan, several new Asian nations launched their developing programs in women boxing; they were Jordan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Each of these nations has got powerful and successful men team therefore the coaching background has been guaranteed the development in these countries. Record number of sixteen nations entered to the 5th edition of the ASBC Asian Women's Continental Championships which took place in the capital city of Kazakhstan, Astana. The renewed and strong local squad claimed four gold medals on home soil while China, India and DPR Korea each secured two top positions in the championships. The biggest surprise of 3 the event was delivered by Tajikistan's youth fighter, Mavzuna Choriyeva who took the first place at the Lightweight class (60 kg) in Astana. The best Asian female fighters had to travel to the far side of the world to take part at the 6th AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships because the event was held in the picturesque Caribbean island, in Barbados. India's Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte secured her fifth World Championships’ title while China's Ren Cancan and DPR Korea's Yun Kum Ju could win their weight classes in Bridgetown, Barbados. The continent's best female fighters could show their skills in the Olympic weight classes at the very first time in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou due the women boxing were also added to the program. Nine nations could reach at least a bronze medal in the Games but only China could achieve the top of the podiums in Guangzhou. Three other Asian nations joined to the female boxing in the international level in 2011, they were Syria, Malaysia and the continent's traditionally strong nation in the men part of the sport, Uzbekistan. The first Syrian Women's Elite and Junior National Championships were held with big success in Damascus in March 2011 while their young fighters have already competed in the international level short after that national competition. The Asian Boxing Confederation organized its first edition of the Asian Women's Cup in Haikou, China where only the selected and best fighters were invited to take part in the event. As expected the host nation finished as first in the team ranking but the legends of the continent's boxing life also performed well in Haikou. AIBA launched its first historical Women's Youth and Junior World Boxing Championships in Antalya, Turkey in May 2011. India secured four golds, China took three, while Japan, Kazakhstan and Vietnam claimed each of them one top podium place in the Turkish city while Chinese Taipei and Kyrgyzstan secured historical bronze medals in the championships. The next edition of the ASBC Asian Women’s Continental Championships was hosted by the capital city of Mongolia, Ulanbaatar where China shined and topped the team rankings. The host nation of the event Mongolia secured its first historical gold medal in a major women event. The competition was held before the first qualification event for the London 2012 Olympic Games in March 2012. 4 Qinhuangdao hosted the 7th edition of the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in May 2012 where record number of boxers took part and fought for not only the medals but the quota places for London as well. The Asian continent secured five out of the ten gold medals and host China won the medal rankings in the global event. Besides to China’s Ren Cancan, Yuan Meiqing and Li Yunfei, Philippines’ Josie Gabuco and DPR Korea’s Pak Kyong Ok also secured gold medals. Eight Asian top women boxers could qualify to the London 2012 Olympic Games which was more than a historical event for the ladies.

Load more

  6

Copy Link