Thais dominate ring again, boost number of finalists to seven

Thais dominate ring again, boost number of finalists to seven

The number of Thai finalists in the 2019 SEA Games boxing competition shot up to seven after four more fighters from the Kingdom won their semi-final battles on Sunday.

Three other Thais -- Chatchai-decha Butdee (men's 56kg), Wuttichai Masuk (men's 69kg) and Nilawan Techasuep (women's 54kg) -- had booked their places in the final earlier on Friday.

The Thais did not get the start they had been hoping for as the day began with a loss in the women's 51kg semi-finals at PICC Forum in Manila, where Jutamas Jitpong was outpointed 4-1 by Irish Magno of the Philippines.

However, Ammarit Yaodam put on impressive show in the men's 52kg to beat Jose Quintas Da Silva Barreto of Timor Leste 4-1 and march into the final.

Ammarit's next opponent will be host country's Rogen Ladon, a 5-0 winner over Mohamed Hanurdeen Hamid of Singapore on Sunday.

Khunatip Pidnuch became the second Thai boxer to make it to the title showdown on Sunday following an overwhelming 5-0 victory over Farrand Papendang of Indonesia in the 60kg division.

Khunatip is also scheduled to meet a Filipino fighter in the final after Charly Suarez of the host nation blanked Thanh Dat of Vietnam 5-0 in the other last-four clash.

Sudaporn Seesondee, one of the Kingdom's top prospects for the gold medal, proved too strong for Sreykhouch Vy of Cambodia, winning their battle for a place in the women's 60kg gold medal match 5-0.

Sudaporn will lock horns with the Philippines' Riza Pasuit, who beat Huswatun Hasanah 4-1 on Sunday, in the final.

In the men's 81kg semi-finals, Anavat Thongkrathok defeated Azmi Khir Akyazlan of Malaysia after claiming 29-27 wins on four cards and a 28-28 tie on the fifth to set up a title clash with Troung Dinh Huang of Vietnam.

Atichai Phoemsap was another Thai fighter who failed to make it to the final on Sunday after going down 4-1 to James Palicte of the Philippines 4-1 in the men's 64kg semi-finals.

Thailand are hoping to win five gold medals from the boxing competitions of the Games.

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