Women’s Welterweight (-69kg)

By Cain Bradley

Another of the new weight divisions, it arguably lacks the strength of some of the smaller weights. Baison Manikon (Thailand) is one of the young talents, having won the best female at the 2019 Asian Youth Championships. Only 19, she is a tall southpaw, often looking to counter but throws dynamic combinations to the head and body. Another young boxer is Lovlina Borgohain (India), only 23. She has won bronze at the last two World Championships as well as at the 2017 and 2021 Asian Championships. A spiteful puncher, she has a number of big wins. Arguably her best win came against the lady who beat her in the 2018 semi and went on to win gold; Chen Nien-Chin (Taiwan). Chen used to compete at Middleweight, competing at Rio where she lost her opening bout. A classy competitor, she can switch stances and throw a variety of combinations. The older Asian contender is Gu Hong (China), who represents China ahead of Dou Dan and Yang Liu. Technically good, she keeps her lead hand relaxed and looks to counter. She was the Asian champion in 2019 and won silver at the 2018 World Championships. The other medalist at that World Championship, who Hong beat in the semi final was Nadine Apetz (Germany). It added to a bronze from 2016 as well as some bronzes in European tournaments. She is a patient boxer who boxes behind a tidy jab. In the opening round of the World Championships she defeated Acinda Panguana (Mozambique). She was a silver medalist at the 2019 African Games. Bronze medalist, but the winner of the African qualifiers was Oumayma Bel Ahbib (Morocco) who attacks behind a strong one-two. Probing with her lead, she switches precise attacks between head and body.

Winner of the European qualifiers was Busenaz Surmeneli (Turkey). She is the reigning world champion from 2019, improving on her European Championship bronze from the same year having come down from Middleweight where she competed in the 2018 World Championship. Surmeneli does it all, she is able to box in any manner and puts it all together with stylish flair. Moving the opposite way, coming up from Light Welterweight where she won the 2019 World Championship silver medal is Angela Carini (Italy). She has had success at this weight though, winning 2019 European Championship silver and repeating that at the under 22s earlier this year. Another classy operator, she has a relaxed stance often keeping both hands low. Carini relies on her fast hands to out land opponents: Oshae Jones(United States) is only 23 and was the Pan-American Games 2019 winner. She is a southpaw body puncher who reached the 2019 World Championship quarter final. The silver medal at the 2019 Pan-American Games was Myriam Da Silva (Canada). She is at the other end of the age scale at 37 and did reach the 2018 World Championship quarter final. Another southpaw, Da Silva looks to counter punch but has a strong jab and varied combinations. The two other medalists will also compete in Tokyo. Maria Moronta (Dominican Republic) has regularly lost when stepping up to this level. A short fighter she attacks from a crouched stance looking to get inside and land combinations.

Brianda Cruz (Mexico) is the other medalist but has arguably come closer to a big victory. She throws accurate punches when given time to pick her shots but moves backwards in straight lines. Another bronze medalist at continental championships is Elizabeth Akinyi(Kenya) who bronze at the 2017 African Championship. A patient boxer, she will likely find the sharpness of opposition too much here. Saadat Dalgatova (Russia) has a couple of World Championship medals. It was silver in 2014 before winning bronze in 2018. Dalagatova looks to constantly active, keeping on her toes whilst also feinting away with her lead hand. At 32, she has a number of wins over some of her major competitors. However one of her losses came at the Olympic qualifiers to Anna Lysenko (Ukraine). Lysenko landed crisp counter punches that day to take the victory. Dalgatova qualified through the box off after she defeated Karolina Koszewska (Poland). The only boxer to have fought professionally in this division she had a 12-1 record and fought for a world title in 2008. A 6’1 southpaw, she presents an awkward challenge for opposition with her long limbs and her ability to avoid pressure. 39 now, her comeback saw her win the European Games in 2019 and make the quarter finals in the World Championship. To make it there she defeated Shakhnoza Yunusova(Uzbekistan). She throws spiteful looking punches from her southpaw stance, most notably a looping left hand.

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