Chapter 6: Asia in the AIBA World Championships Among the 204 previous champions Asia had 22 gold medallists in the recent eighteen editions of the AIBA World Boxing Championships. Asia’s first gold medal was achieved by Korea’s Sung Kil Moon in 1986 while ’s legend Rufat Riskiyev claimed gold still in 1974 but for the Soviet Union as the Central Asian nation was not an independent one until 1991. Altogether our continent achieved 129 medals in the history of the AIBA World Boxing Championships since 1974 until 2015.

Asia hosted the AIBA World Boxing Championships at the very first time in Bangkok, in 2003, in Mianyang, in 2005 and in Almaty, in 2013 therefore the new edition in was the fourth venue in our continent. The event in was the first AIBA World Boxing Championships in Asia when the competition has been combined with Olympic qualifications.

Kazakhstan is No.4 in the overall medal table of the AIBA World Boxing Championships with 10 golds in spite of the fact the Central Asian country is taking part in the event since 1993 short after their independence. Bolat Dzhumadilov was their first gold medallist in Houston in 1999 while their stars such as and also secured titles in the AIBA World Boxing Championships. Kazakhstan was the first Asian nation which could win the team rankings in the history of the event in 2013.

Uzbekistan is also in the overall Top8 of the medal rankings and No.2 in the Asian continent with 30 medals including five golds. Their first gold medal in the history of the AIBA World Boxing Championships was Ruslan Chagayev who defeated Cuban legend Felix Savon in the final of the 1997 edition in Budapest. Uzbekistan’s Sydney 2000 Olympic Champion Makhammatkodir Abdullayev, Utkirbek Haydarov and Abbos Atoyev also claimed gold medals in the AIBA event.

China received the right to host the Beijing Olympic Games in 2001 and following that their boxing life turned to the golden age. Zou Shiming claimed three gold medals in the event, the first one in 2005 and following that he could get the title in 2007 and also in 2011. His teammates were able to win further eight medals since 2005 therefore China is the No.3 in the ranking among the Asian nations.

Korea claimed two gold medals in the history of the AIBA World Boxing Championships, the first one in 1986 while the second in 2005 when Lee Ok Sung claimed the gold medal at the class in Mianyang. Their first medal in the history of the event was a bronze which was achieved by Chung Kim Chil in 1978.

Mongolia was there in the first edition in 1974 and their first medal, silver was bagged by Rawsalyn Otgonbayar four years later. The current General Secretary of the Mongolian Boxing Federation Purevdorj Serdamba won their lone gold medal in Milan in 2009 while veteran and still active Uranchimeg Munkherdene secured two bronze medals in two previous editions in Milan and in Almaty.

Thailand secured one gold medal in the history of the AIBA World Boxing Championships which was achieved by their Olympic Champion Somjit Jongjohor. Their last medalists were our current two ASBC Asian Champions, Chatchai Butdee in Almaty in 2013 and Wuttichai Masuk in Doha in 2015.

DPR Korea claimed three medals in the Moscow edition in 1989 while their total number of medals is 7 in the event. Philippines claimed its first medal in Budapest in 1997 when Roel Velasco bagged valuable silver at the class (48 kg). Philippines secured all of their five medals in the lowest weight category. Harry Tannamor was able to get a bronze in 2001 and following that he could achieve two further medals in Bangkok and in Chicago while Rogen Ladon won their last one in Doha in 2015.

Japan claimed three medals and their lone silver was achieved by London 2012 Olympic Champion Ryota Murata in 2011 while their first podium place was achieved by Ishi Koki in 1978. Tajikistan achieved three bronze medals in the previous editions: Abdusalom Khasanov in 2003, Sherali Dostiyev in 2005 and Anvar Yunusov in 2011.

India bagged also three bronze medals in the history of the AIBA World Boxing Championships: in 2009, Vikas Krishan Yadav in 2011 and Shiva Thapa in 2015. Pakistan is the twelfth Asian nation which could get a medal in the previous editions. The independent could not achieve any medal in the history of the AIBA World Boxing Championships since 1993 yet but the current ASBC Vice-President Mr. Orzubek Nazarov was able to win bronze in 1986 as a Soviet Union boxer.

The last edition of the event was held at the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships in the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena. Asia achieved finally 13 medals in the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships. The LOC of the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships divided the finals into two parts same as in the semi-finals. In the two days of the finals the three Uzbek boxers claimed three silver medals for Asia while Kazakhstan was also able to get two runner-up places in the end of the Doha 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships.

Asian medals in the AIBA World Boxing Championships (1974-2015) Event Venue Total Gold Silver Bronze

1. AIBA World Boxing Havana, 0 0 0 0 Championships, 1974

2. AIBA World Boxing Belgrade, 0 0 2 2 Championships, 1978 Yugoslavia

3. AIBA World Boxing Munich, 0 3 1 4 Championships, 1982 Germany

4. AIBA World Boxing Reno, USA 1 0 1 2 Championships, 1986

5. AIBA World Boxing Moscow, 0 0 3 3 Championships, 1989 Soviet Union

6. AIBA World Boxing Sydney, 0 2 2 4 Championships, 1991 Australia

7. AIBA World Boxing Tampere, 0 1 2 3 Championships, 1993 Finland

8. AIBA World Boxing Berlin, 0 1 3 4 Championships, 1995 Germany

9. AIBA World Boxing Budapest, 1 2 2 5 Championships, 1997 Hungary

10. AIBA World Boxing Houston, USA 3 2 2 7 Championships, 1999 11. AIBA World Boxing Belfast, 1 2 2 5 Championships, 2001 Northern Ireland

12. AIBA World Boxing Bangkok, 3 2 7 12 Championships, 2003 Thailand

13. AIBA World Boxing Mianyang, 4 1 6 11 Championships, 2005 China

14. AIBA World Boxing Chicago, USA 3 4 9 16 Championships, 2007

15. AIBA World Boxing Milan, Italy 2 2 8 12 Championships, 2009

16. AIBA World Boxing , 1 4 8 13 Championships, 2011

17. AIBA World Boxing Almaty, 4 3 5 12 Championships, 2013 Kazakhstan

17. AIBA World Boxing Almaty, 4 3 5 12 Championships, 2013 Kazakhstan

18. AIBA World Boxing Doha, Qatar 0 5 8 13 Championships, 2015

The Asian medal table of the AIBA World Boxing Championships 1974-2013 Debut in the Country AIBA World Gold Silver Bronze Total Championships 1. Kazakhstan 1993 10 10 14 34 2. Uzbekistan 1993 5 10 15 30 3. China 1991 3 1 9 13 4. Korea 1978 2 3 7 12 5. Mongolia 1974 1 4 4 9 6. Thailand 1978 1 3 5 9 7. DPR Korea 1982 0 2 5 7 8. Philippines 1989 0 2 3 5 9. Japan 1974 0 1 2 3 10. Tajikistan 1995 0 0 3 3 11. 1989 0 0 3 3 12. Pakistan 2003 0 0 1 1