Boxing  

Athletes take part in the face-off session of the LEAD: WBA Asia Vietnam Tournament on August 11 in HCM City. — Photo courtesy of Shadow Entertainment

HCM CITY — A newly-branded event entitle LEAD: WBA Asia Vietnam Tournament will feature thrilling bouts on August 11 in HCM City.

Việt Nam is the first country in Asia chosen as the host of this the latest competition system to find the champion of each country members.

The tournament is one of activities of the WBA Asia Convention 2024, held for the first time in Việt Nam. It is jointly organised by the Việt Nam Boxing Federation's Việt Nam Boxing Commission, WBA Asia and Shadow Entertainment.

Eight fighters will compete in the super bantamweight (55.34kg) category's three-minute four rounds at the Saigon Sports Club. They are the strongest and potential boxers who are members of the national boxing hubs.

Boxer Lê Văn Hiển of HCM City is considered the first winner of the LEAD: WBA Asia Vietnam Tournament. He will face Lê Văn Cương of the Army in the super bantamweight category.

Lê Văn Hiển of HCM City will face Lê Văn Cương of the Army; Trần Đức Khoa of Bạc Liêu will punch Đinh Văn Lênh of MMA Sài Gòn; Sơn Hùng Vĩ of HCM City will see Lương Trung Nguyên from Hà Nội; and Trương Văn Vĩnh of the Army will play Cấn Minh Thái of Hà Nội.

The highlight of the night will be Arvin Jhon Paciones's third defence of his WBA Asia light flyweight (49kg) title, a Filipino member of the Saigon Sports Club, against challenger Nanthanon Thongchai of Thailand.

They will fight in a three-minute 12 rounds. 

Paciones, 19, competed nine pro matches in two years. He won all with five knockouts. Meanwhile, Thongchai, also 19, played 14 matches winning 13 with 11 knockouts and lost two in his four-year career.

Two co-main card matches will feature the WBA Asia East super lightweight (63.5kg) title between Chinese Wang Lequan and Thai Anuson Thonglueang; and the WBA Asia super welterweight title defence between Avzalbek Kuranbaev of Tajikistan and Wang Dacong of China. 

A poster of the LEAD: WBA Asia Vietnam Tournament which will be held on August 11 in HCM City.

The night will be heat up with three prelims bouts of young boxers: Nguyễn Thanh Giang vs Nguyễn Tiến Long in the all-Vietnamese 65kg class; Lâm Đại Phát of Việt Nam vs Arief Blader of Indonesia in the 61kg; and Chiến Vinh Tyson of Việt Nam vs Frengky Rohi of Indonesia in the 54.5kg.

The fight night will be attended by WBA President Gilberto Jesus Mendoza and many other wellknown people in the world boxing community such as Cecilia Communales, former female champion of the WBA Lightweight and referee Tony Weeks who has officiated nearly 900 pro matches along with more than 100 WBA Asia Convention 2024's delegates. — VNS