HANGZHOU, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- China's Wu Yu beat Chuthamat Raksat of Thailand in the women's 50kg final on unanimous decision to clinch the first boxing gold of the Hangzhou Asian Games on Tuesday, while Davlat Boltaev of Tajikistan won the men's 92kg title.
Wu cruised into the final on unanimous decision in all of her three bouts, while Raksat advanced to the final on split decision in the semifinal. The two had a cautious start before beginning to exchange punches. Wu then outperformed her opponent in all three rounds en route to clinching the gold.
"I'm very honored to be able to compete at the Hangzhou Asian Games," said Wu, who was crowned world champion in New Delhi, India in March. "I've learned new stuff from every single bout."
"My mom has been my top supporter since the day I became a boxer. I haven't seen her for a long time. Now I just wanted to spend some quality time with her."
Having secured a berth for the 2024 Paris Olympics by reaching the last four in Hangzhou, Wu admitted that her opponents will be much stronger, adding, "I will keep my feet on the ground in my daily training and work harder."
Despite being knocked down by China's Han Xuezhen in the third round of the final, Boltaev avoided being counted out to eventually clinch the title on split decision.
"I could have done better in the final," said an emotional Han, who has also secured a Paris Olympics berth. "But the Asian Games is just the beginning. See you in Paris."
Six other Chinese boxers took bouts on Tuesday, with Chang Yuan, Li Qian and Yang Wenlu powering into the final of their respective categories.
Lyu Ping qualified for the men's 57kg semifinal on a 4-1 split decision, while Zhang Jiamao was eliminated from the men's 51kg after the quarterfinal loss. Bayikewuzi Danabieke was knocked out by Olympic champion Bakhodir Jalolov of Uzbekistan in the men's +92kg semifinal, settling for a bronze.
The boxing competition of the Hangzhou Asian Games offers a total of 34 Paris 2024 quotas, 14 for men and 20 for women.
