Uzbekistan's Hasanboy Dusmatov (right) and Thailand's Thitisan Panmot competes during the men's 46-51Kg boxing final at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, Thursday, Oct. 5, 2023. - AP
HANGZHOU, China: Hasanboy Dusmatov gave a boxing masterclass to win Asian Games flyweight (51kg) gold Thursday and complete his collection of major titles on a memorable night in the ring for Uzbekistan.
Olympic and world superheavyweight (+92kg) champion Bakhodir Jalolov also won his first Asian Games gold as the Uzbek little and large duo triumphed in Hangzhou.
But the highlight reel finish was provided by a third Uzbek, featherweight (57kg) world champion Abdumalik Khalokov, who battered Japan's Shudai Harada into submission inside two rounds.
Amateur boxing great Dusmatov, the current world and 2016 Olympic champion, easily beat Thailand's Thitisan Panmot on points.
"I have been working for this result all my career," he said.
"There's a time for everything. Today is my time at the Asian Games."
It was each boxer's third fight in a little over 48 hours but the 30-year-old Dusmatov had energy to burn, landing clean combinations and showing supreme defensive skills in a unanimous decision.
Khalokov overwhelmed the hapless Harada, who was given three standing counts in the first round-and-a-half.
As the Japanese fighter's right eye started to close Khalokov went for the kill and the referee had hardly begun a fourth standing count when the towel was launched into the ring by the Japan trainer.
Khalokov celebrated with his trademark back somersault to the delight of a raucous crowd.
The 2.00m (6ft 7in) tall Jalolov was rarely bothered as he trundled through the first two rounds against Kazakhstan's lumbering Olympic bronze medallist Kamshybek Kunkabayev.
The third was a different story as Kunkabayev suddenly found some reserves, but Jalolov held on to take a comfortable decision.
Olympic middleweight (80kg) bronze medallist Eumir Marcial settled for silver after losing a controversial points decision to Tanglatihan Tuohetaerbieke, who won China's first male Asian Games boxing gold since Guangzhou 2010.
- 'World is watching' -
Filipino Marcial, who has a 4-0 professional record, dominated the first round, but Tuohetaerbieke fought back to take the second.
Marcial was convinced he had won the third and the fight. "Everyone has messaged me that I should have won," he said. "We have judges and we need to respect their decision."
The Asian Games doubled up as Olympic qualifiers, with 20 women and 14 men earning their tickets to Paris 2024.
"I'm happy I got the silver and I qualified for the Paris Olympics," said Marcial. "So maybe there I will change this to gold."
The women's featherweight (57kg) final saw Lin Yu-ting get revenge over Karina Ibragimova of Kazakhstan to win Taiwan's first Asian Games boxing gold ever.
Lin lost to Ibragimova in the world championship semi-finals this year and was later stripped of her bronze for returning an abnormal pre-tournament gender test.
"I've cried an ocean of tears to get here," said Lin after sobbing through the medal ceremony.
Yang Liu of China beat Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng to win the welterweight (66kg) world title in March and the closely matched pair went toe-to-toe again with the same result.
"The gold medal at the Paris Olympics is going to be even tougher," said Yang.
"The whole world will be watching." - AFP
