Boxer Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi won the WBO boxing championship

Thu Nhi and the coaching staff after winning. Photo: Manh Hung/VNA

The diminutive Vietnamese boxer Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi won the WBO boxing championship in a 10-round match that took place on the afternoon of October 23 at the Ansan Sports Arena in Gyeongi Province, South Korea.

Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi successfully defeated Japanese boxer Etsuko Tada by a close score of 96-94 to become the first Vietnamese boxer to win the world boxing championship belt in the mini-flyweight category.

It is impossible to describe the emotions of both Vietnamese and Korean fans at the Ansan arena on the afternoon of October 23 when Thu Nhi, despite not being highly rated against her Japanese opponent who is currently holding the championship belt, went through each round and won the final match.

Thu Nhi's victory made viewers more excited because right before that, Vietnamese boxer Sam Minh Phat, competing for the WBO Oriental minimum belt, could not overcome Filipino boxer Arar Andales and had to stop the match in the 7th round.

In an interview with reporters right after receiving the championship belt, Thu Nhi shared that she was extremely proud. This achievement is extremely valuable because during the past time, due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, Vietnamese martial artists have not been able to practice in the country.

Thu Nhi (left) strikes during the match. Photo: Manh Hung/VNA

Thu Nhi's group was sponsored by the organizer - Chairman of Cocky Buffalo boxing club (District 7, Ho Chi Minh City) - Mr. Kim Sang-bum (Korea) for a 2-month training trip in Uzbekistan.

Thu Nhi said that Japanese fighter Etsuko Tada has a lot of experience. Before the match, Thu Nhi was quite nervous, but after the first two rounds of probing, she quickly discovered her opponent's weak points and proactively moved quickly, approaching and delivering accurate blows, causing Tada a lot of difficulty.

The match became dramatic in round 9, when Thu Nhi suffered a torn right eyelid, bleeding profusely, forcing the referee to stop the match. And when the bell rang to end round 10, the victory belonged to the smaller Vietnamese boxer.

The WBO world title event taking place in Ansan this time has a total of 8 professional matches, of which 3 have Vietnamese boxers including Sam Minh Phat, Nguyen Thi Thu Nhi and Dinh Hong Quan.

According to VNA