>>incheon: Thailand cried foul after their boxer Sopida Satumrum lost in dubious circumstances at the Asian Games yesterday.
Sopida Satumrum, left, in action against China's Si Haijuan.
In the women's 57kg second round, two judges scored it a 38-38 draw while the third saw Sopida beat China's Si Haijuan 39-37.
However, the Chinese was declared the winner based on the International Amateur Boxing Association's (Aiba) rules.
There are five judges at a bout and only three scorecards are randomly used. In case of a draw, the five judges will determine the winner.
In Sopida's case, the bout ended in a draw because two of the three judges saw it that way, and the five judges then picked Si as the winner.
The Thai camp fiercely protested the outcome but the result stood.
Thailand head coach Oma Marago of Cuba said he had never seen anything like this before.
"I don't know how long it will take for the judging to become better,'' he said. "I feel sorry boxers who lost when they apparently did better than their opponents.''
Sopida burst into tears after the result was announced.
"This is very cruel to me because I did much better than my opponent. I am 100 percent sure that I won,'' she said.
"I am sad because I worked so hard for this tournament. It was not a fair decision. In this sport, we fight not only in the ring but also outside it.''
Thailand coach Oma Marago, right, protests Sopida’s defeat.
Sopida's questionable defeat is another blow for the Thai team of which boxers earlier lost in dubious manners.
Saylom Ardee and Anavat Thongkrathong were controversially eliminated from the men's tournament.
Olympic silver medallist Kaew Pongprayoon, a coach of the national team, said Thai officials must rebuild their relations with Aiba bosses if they want their boxers to become successful on the international stage.
"We have no power at Aiba and that is why our boxers often get unfair treatment,'' said Kaew.
"Without a Thai on Aiba's executive board or Thai judges at a tournament, we have to fight alone.''
Surprisingly, there are no Thai judges in boxing at the Incheon Games.
Kaew lost to China's Zou Shiming in the 2012 Olympic final and he and Thai officials believed he was robbed of victory.
In yesterday's women's 60kg, Tassamalee Thongjan was well-beaten by Yin Junhua of China in the women's 60kg.
"She was better,'' said the Thai. "It was not difficult for me to fight her because she is taller and faster.''
With her loss, there are not Thai female fighters left in the tournament.
In the men's 69kg, powerful Apichet Saensit stopped Elio Jenoveva of Timor Leste in the second round.
In the quarter-finals tomorrow, he will fight Jangra Mandeep of India who upset Liu Wei of China.
There are only three Thai boxers left in the tournament.