Boxing

Nguyễn Thị Tâm (right) wins Việt Nam’s first gold medal, in the women’s 51kg class, at the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament that ended on Sunday in Phuket. — Photos of Asian Boxing Confederation

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam won two gold medals to place fifth at the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament that ended on Sunday in Phuket.

Vietnamese athletes also pocketed one silver and seven bronzes at the event, which lured powerful participants from a number of different countries.

World No 7 Nguyễn Thị Tâm had no worthy rivals in the women’s 51kg class. In the final, she overcame Aira Villegas of the Philippines 5-0 to take the first title for Việt Nam.

Tâm, a former Asian champion, showed excellent technical skills and found her rhythm in time to defeat the promising Filipino hope who won an SEA Games bronze three years ago.

Tâm’s teammate Võ Thị Kim Ánh won in the women’s 54kg category. In the final match, the 25-year-old beat world European U22 champion Sirine Charaabi from Italy.

Võ Thị Kim Ánh of Việt Nam (left) tries to punch Italian Sirine Charaabi in the women’s 54kg category. She won gold.

Following the first tactical round, the Italian opened the second with good shots, but she sometimes stepped into the ideal fighting distance of the Vietnamese boxer. The Italian southpaw moved forward, but Ánh had a successful counter-attacking tactic and her quick right-handed shots guaranteed Việt Nam’s second gold medal.

Earlier, Trần Thị Oanh Nhi grabbed a silver in the women’s 75kg after losing to Hergie Bacyadan of the Philippines.

Among the seven bronzes of Việt Nam, one was in the women’s class and six in the men’s.

Host Thailand topped the overall podium with four golds, six silvers and seven bronzes.

India and Kazakhstan came second and third, respectively.

The Thailand Open is one of the world’s biggest boxing events and took place for 130 elite boxers in Phuket from April 1 to 10.

There were six weight classes for women and seven for men.

Vietnamese athletes will continue training in Phuket in preparation for the 31st SEA Games and return home by the end of this month. — VNS