These are the articles from the prestigious King's Cup tournament found at http://www.bangkokpost.com
I'm still in shock after reading Pichai Sayotha beat Alexey Tischenko who quit in the third round of their lightweight final when losing 33-21. After having seen them fight at the Chicago Worlds where the russian totally outclassed Sayotha (the bout was stopped on the outscored rule with Tischenko leading 24-4) I can only imagine Tischenko quit because he thought he was being robbed.
08/04/2008
Angkarn confident of King's Cup success against world champion
KITTIPONG THONGSOMBAT
Ambitious Angkarn Chomphuphuang booked a King's Cup semi-final showdown with world champion Matvey Korobov of Russia when he beat Taiwan's Kuo Tai Chin yesterday at The Mall Ngam Wong Wan.
Middleweight Angkarn, of the Thai B team, enjoyed an easy win over Kuo, who threw in towel while trailing 20-3 in the third round.
Korobov, who won gold in the 2007 World Championships in Chicago, took a third-round win over Munguntsooj Nandin-Erdene of Mongolia yesterday. Those credentials don't faze Lopburi-born Angkarn though.
"I can beat him even though he is the world champion," he said.
"Beating him in this event will give me more confidence at the Olympics."
Angkarn secured his Olympic berth after moving up from the 69-kg division. Thailand coach Kammanit Narirak believes Angkarn has a chance to win the semi-final fight and he has already prepared a gameplan.
However Gen Taweep Jantararoj, president of Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (Abat), said Angkarn should just try and enjoy the fight. "Taking on the Russian will give him valuable experience before going to the Beijing Games," he said.
"Beating the Russian would be a big boost for him when he does go to China."
Bakhityar Artayev of Kazakstan, who is the current Olympic gold medalist and Asian Games silver medalist, will today face Tuvshinbat Byamba of Mongolia in the other semi-final.
In the flyweight division, Somjit Jongjorhor yesterday clinched an easy 25-2 points win over Kyousuke Sawada of Japan to book a fight with Mongolian Luvsantseren in the semi-finals.
Also, entering the semi-final stage is Pichai Sayotha after he beat Hsieh Po Hung of Taiwan 17-0. Pichai will vie for a final berth with Longwang Xie of China.
Featherweight Sailom Adi, who will also represent Thailand at the Olympics, failed to live up to his usual high standards when he lost 18-6 to Otgondalai of Mongolia.
Other Thai A boxers who cruised into today's semi-finals were light-flyweight Amnaj Roenroeng and bantamweight Worapoj Petkhoom. Only Kaew Pongprayoon and Chatchai Butdee from the Thai B team are able to reach the semi-finals.
Light-flyweight Kaew will take on Ireedui Engkhjargal of Mongolia while Chatchai is placed against world champion Zou Shiming of China in the flyweight division.
The Abat president said that Thailand must win the gold in at least of four of the divisions to make sure the King's Cup trophy will remain in Thailand.
The semi-finals will start at 3pm and admission is free.
09/04/2008
Six Thais in King's Cup finals
Somjit in dream date with Chinese Zou
KITTIPONG THONGSOMBAT
Six Thais will be fighting in today's finals of the 30th King's Cup international amateur boxing tournament after registering victories in the semi-finals at The Mall Ngam Wong Wan yesterday. Flyweight favourite Somjit Jongjohor thrashed Zorigtbaatar Luvsantseren of Mongolia 20-2 to set up a dream final against China's Zou Shiming who beat Thai B's Chatchai Butdee 18-2.
Somjit, 2003 world flyweight champion, is a hopeful at the 2008 Olympics so is Zou, the current world light-flyweight title-holder who moved up to flyweight. ''We box in the same style. It will be an interesting bout,'' Somjit said.
Light-flyweight Amnat Ruenroeng defeated Kazuto Ioka of Japan 19-7. In the final, the hot favourite Thai faces Thai B's Kaew Pongprayoon who defeated Kreedui Enkhjargal of Mongolia 24-3.
In bantamweight, Olympic silver medallist Worapoj Petchkoom took an easy 16-2 victory over Evgeny Volkov of Russia. ''I am not happy with my performance. I am not yet at my best,'' said Worapoj who meets Yu Gu of China in the final. ''He is very speedy. I can't underestimate the Chinese.''
Lightweight Pichai Sayotha beat Long Wang Xie of China in the first round after the Chinese suffered an injury.
In the final, Pichai is up against Russia's Alexey Tishenko who beat him at the 2007 World Championships.
Middleweight Angkarn Chomphuphuang reached the final without sweat after wolrd champion Matvey Korobov of Russia withdrew due to injury.
The Lop Buri native is handed a tough final assignment against Olympic gold medallist Bakhtiyar Artayev of Kazakhstan who won bronze at last year's World Championships.
In light-welterweight, title-holder and world champion Serik Spiyev of Kazakhstan meets Maiamitituersun Qiong of China in the final.
In welterweight, Bakhyt Sarsekbayev of Kazakhstan beat Byamba Tuvshinbat of Mongolia 14-7 for a final showdown against China's Silamu Hanati who beat Dimitriy Ivanov of Russia 19-5.
Taweep Jantararoj, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (Abat), said he had expected that five Thai A boxers would reach the finals.
Worapoj has the best chance of winning gold while Angkarn has the toughest task, Gen Taweep said.
He said most Thai boxers were impressive but Amnat and Sailom should have done better. ''Amnat and Sailom must improve if they want to win medal at the Olympics,'' he said.
Today's finals begin at 3pm and admission is free.
10/04/2008
Pichai wins King's Cup best boxer award
KITTIPONG THONGSOMBAT
Thailand clinched the King's Cup trophy for the eighth year in a row after winning all their five finals yesterday. The Thai winners were light-flyweight Amnat Ruenroeng, flyweight Somjit Jongjohor, bamtamweight Worapoj Petchkoom, lightweight Pichai Sayotha and middleweight Angkarn Chomphuphuang.
Pichai won the best boxer award although Angkarn looked more impressive with a victory over Olympic champion Bakhtiyar Artayev of Kazakhstan in Thailand's premier amateur boxing tournament.
Lop Buri-born Angkarn, who will make his Olympic debut in Beijing, upset the Olympic gold medallist 14-8. Artayev won the welterweight gold at the 2004 Olympics and has since moved up to middleweight.
''Beating him is a huge boost for me. I am now not afraid of anyone at the Beijing Games,'' said Angkarn, who won a gold medal in wushu at the 2002 Asian Games.
''I believe I can win an Olympic medal.''
Angkarn fought in the welterweight division but clinched an Olympic berth in the middleweight division after replacing Suriya Prasathinpimai in a qualifying tournament earlier this year.
Taweep Jantararoj, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (Abat), had high praise for Angkarn who has been fighting as a middleweight for just three months.
''He has made fast progress,'' Taweep said. ''He will become stronger at the Olympics.''
In light-flyweight, Amnat defeated Kaew Pongprayoon of Thailand B who quit in the second round after trailing 3-2.
Worapoj stopped Yu Gu of China in the third round in the bantamweight final while Somjit took the flyweight gold medal without sweat when his opponent Zou Shiming of China did not show up.
Pichai became the lightweight champion when Russia's Alexy Tishenko quit after three rounds when the Thai was leading 33-21.
It was sweet revenge for Pichai who lost to Tishenko in the quarter-final of last year's World Championships.
Pichai said his opponent was not in good shape and not well-prepared for the tournament.
The other three gold medals in the eight-division tournament yesterday went to featherweight Otgondalai of Mongolia, welterweight Silamu Hanati of China and Maiamitituersun Qioung of China.
Taweep said that his boxers did a great job as the participating countries were strong, although it was a pity that some of them failed to show up or quit in the finals for fear that they could get injured.