Huang Hsiao-wen advances to gold medal bout at World Boxing Cup Finals

Taipei, Nov. 30 (CNA) Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Huang Hsiao-wen (黃筱雯) secured a spot in the gold medal bout at the 2024 World Boxing Cup Finals in Sheffield, United Kingdom, on Friday.

Competing in the women's 54-kilogram division, Huang defeated Tatiana Chagas of Brazil 5-0. She faces Yesugen Oyuntsetseg of Mongolia, the third-place finisher at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, in the final on Saturday afternoon.

Regardless of the outcome, Saturday's bout will mark Huang's best performance since March 2023, when she clinched the World Championship title in New Delhi, organized by the International Boxing Association (IBA).

This tournament is Huang's first since the Paris Olympics earlier this summer, where she was eliminated in the round of 16 following a controversial judgment. After the loss, she returned to Taiwan for a short break before training in Japan.

In Sheffield, Huang advanced to the semifinals after receiving a bye in the round of 16 and defeating Thai boxer Apisada Tantawa on Thursday with a unanimous decision.

Also on Friday, another Taiwanese boxer, Liu Yu-shan (劉宇珊), received a bronze medal after losing to Hikaru Shinohara of Japan by unanimous decision.

The tournament, which runs from Wednesday to Saturday, features over 120 boxers from 20 countries vying for gold medals. Among them was Taiwan's Lin Yu-ting (林郁婷), who won an Olympic gold medal in the women's 57-kg division in Paris.

However, Lin pulled out of the event in protest over the raising of gender eligibility questions. Lin faced scrutiny during the Summer Games, along with Algerian boxer Imane Khelif, who eventually won the women's 66-kg event.

Commenting on Lin's withdrawal, Taiwan Sports Administration Director-General Cheng Shih-chung (鄭世忠) said, "The newly established World Boxing does not have clear policies and rules like the IOC to protect athletes, nor does it provide comprehensive information or procedures to ensure confidentiality for submitting Lin's medical records."

In response, the new international boxing organization stated that its current policy "does not prevent Lin Yu-ting from taking part in the World Boxing Cup" and emphasized that the safety and well-being of boxers remain "absolutely paramount."

World Boxing was established in April 2023 in a bid to replace the IBA and ensure boxing remains in the Olympic Games.

The IOC suspended the IBA in 2019 before revoking its recognition in June 2023 due to a lack of financial transparency and sustainability.

In mid-September, World Boxing announced plans to host its inaugural world championships in Liverpool in 2025. According to its latest update in early November, 55 national federations have joined the organization.