appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Unus Alladin

Hong Kong star boxer Rex Tso Sing-yu put up a game fight but it wasn’t enough to stop world featherweight champion Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov, of Uzbekistan, in the quarter-finals of the Asia/Oceania Olympic qualifiers in Amman, Jordan, on Monday night.
Tso knew he would have it extremely tough and although he boxed valiantly, his Uzbek opponent proved too good, scoring a convincing unanimous 5-0 victory at the Prince Hamzah Hall.
Mirzakhalilov, who was the No 1 seed in the tournament and was also last year’s Jakarta Asian Games gold medallist, was too quick and powerful for 32-year-old Tso, who reverted to amateur status more than two years after concluding a glorious career as an unbeaten professional.
However, Tso proved no match for the 25-year-old Uzbek champion who scored punches almost at will, impressing in the third and final round with a burst of body shots to Tso’s stomach.

Tso showed glimpses of brilliance and even put his opponent momentarily on the canvas but the Uzbek was never in trouble. Mirzakhalilov was in control from the opening bell in the featherweight (57kg) contest and although Tso tried to stay in the fight with a few shots of his own, the Hong Kong champion couldn’t keep up.
Tso has one more chance to make it to Tokyo on Wednesday and he remained upbeat despite the setback, vowing to give his all in the fifth/sixth place box-off.

“I was feeling great. From the very beginning, I could feel his power and speed. He was much faster than me and his experience was there, too. I wanted to fight back in the second round but he threw a lot of combinations,” said Tso after the fight.
“I tried to counterpunch and avoid his punches. He got in at least six times. His frequency was very high and I couldn’t counterpunch. I could take his power and my fitness was good but he was too fast,” said the Hong Kong star.
“I’m sorry to Hong Kong people that I lost. I vow to continue fighting hard. I still have one more fight [in Amman] and I will try my best.”


The Uzbek also threw double and triple uppercuts in the third round, solidifying his reputation as an Olympic gold medal prospect in Tokyo. Six boxers from Amman in the featherweight division automatically qualify for Tokyo.
At the end of the bout, both fighters hugged to show respect for each other.
I was moved when Hong Kong won, says Rex Tso after reaching Olympic qualifying quarter-finals
Tso will have another chance to qualify on Wednesday night against’s Iran’s Daniyal Shahbakhsh, who retired in his previous fight. Losing that he will have one last throw of the dice in a World Olympic Qualification Event in Paris from May 13-20. The Amman qualifiers had been moved from coronavirus-hit Wuhan in January.
Tso is aiming to become the first Hong Kong boxer in 56 years to take part in the Olympics since Law Hon-pak and Lee Kam-wah represented the then-colony at the 1964 Tokyo Games.


Diving into a new life: Olympic champion Zhang Jiaqi defends choices on reality TV show

Ex-Olympic weightlifter fails to make clean getaway after trying to snatch eggs from shop

Chinese authorities investigating ‘malicious’ cyberbullying of diving star Quan Hongchan

Olympic diving champion Zhang Jiaqi defends career switch, says she has to ‘find new job’

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

Hong Kong boxer Rex Tso no match for world champion in Amman Olympic qualifiers

Rex Tso looks dejected as world champion Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov, of Uzbekistan, is declared the winner in the Asia/Oceania Olympic quarter-final qualifiers in Amman. Photo: Olympic Channel

Rex Tso hugs his opponent after the fight

Rex Tso

I was really moved when Hong Kong won, says Rex Tso after reaching Olympic qualifying quarter-finals

Rex Tso awaits the judges’ decision after his last-16 bout in the featherweight contest at the Asia/Oceania Olympic qualifier in Amman, Jordan. Photo: Olympic Channel

Members of the delegations wear face masks during Asia and Oceania boxing qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 Olympics at the Prince Hamzah Hall in Amman, Jordan, March 3, 2020. REUTERS/Muhammad Hamed

Hong Kong boxer Rex Tso wins first bout in Asia/Oceania qualifiers but takes on world champion next

Rex Tso is declared the winner in Amman, Jordan. Photo: Olympic channel

Tokyo 2020: Hong Kong’s boxing team dented early at Olympic qualifiers in Jordan

The Asia and Oceania boxing qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are being held at the Prince Hamzah Hall in Amman, Jordan. Photo: Reuters

Sport

Hong Kong

Boxing


The 32-year-old Hong Kong champion outclassed by Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov
The ‘Wonder Kid’ gets another chance to qualify for Tokyo in fifth-sixth place box-off on Wednesday night



The 32-year-old Hong Kong ace is outclassed by Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov but the ‘Wonder Kid’ gets another chance in fifth-sixth place box-off on Wednesday.


Hong Kong boxer Rex Tso no match for world champion in Amman Olympic qualifiers

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;} The 32-year-old Hong Kong champion outclassed by Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov The ‘Wonder Kid’ gets another chance to qualify for Tokyo in fifth-sixth place box-off on Wednesday night

The 32-year-old Hong Kong champion outclassed by Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov

The ‘Wonder Kid’ gets another chance to qualify for Tokyo in fifth-sixth place box-off on Wednesday night