3 Taiwanese women through to finals of World Boxing Cup in India

Greater Noida, India, Nov. 20 (CNA) Three Taiwanese female boxers advanced to the finals of the World Boxing Cup in India on Wednesday, including Olympic bronze medalists Wu Shih-yi (吳詩儀) and Chen Nien-chin (陳念琴).

Competing in the 65-kilogram division against Neeraj Phogat of India, the 28-year-old Chen fell behind in the first two rounds of the semifinals on Wednesday but came out firing in the third round to pull off a comeback victory and secure a place in the finals.

Chen lost in the first round but worked to wear down her opponent in the second round. Although she ended the round still slightly behind on points, she appeared confident going into the final round, as she launched an aggressive offensive, earning 10 points from all five judges to win the match.

After the match, she told CNA that although she got off to a slow start, she knew she had the skills to win and just needed to adjust her approach.

"I just had to win," Chen said, who had won a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

She will come up against Dione Burman of England in the finals, which Chen said will give her a chance to end the season "on a perfect note" and propel her to next year's Asian Games.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Guo Yi-xuan (郭怡萱) of Taiwan also advanced to the finals of the World Cup tournament in Greater Noida on Wednesday, with a 4-1 win over Zhansaya Rakhymberdi of Kazakhstan in the women's 51-kg semifinals.

Guo came out strong in the first round, exchanging close-range punches to earn a slight lead. She maintained her strategy in the second round, countering effectively. Despite a warning and a point deduction in the third round, she attacked fearlessly to secure victory.

Boxing coach Ko Wen-ming (柯文明) said Guo's tactics were very well executed.

Although she is small in stature, her quick footwork allowed her to close the distance and strike her opponent with each step, Ko said. The win against Rakhymberdi will surely boost Guo's confidence, as Kazakh boxers are known to be generally very skilled, he added.

The third Taiwanese boxer to advance to the finals was Wu Shih-yi (吳詩儀), who secured a strong 5-0 victory over South Korea's Park Ahhyeon in the 57-kg semifinals at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex.

"I'm happy to reach the final, but I'm a bit nervous, as I'll be facing a home-favorite Indian boxer. I just hope I can perform well," Wu told CNA after the match.

A bronze medalist at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Wu will face off against Jaismine Lamboria, who won gold at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool in September.