Hong Kong boxer Rex Tso wins first bout in Asia/Oceania qualifiers but takes on world champion next
- The 32-year-old ‘Wonder Kid’ next takes on world champion Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov for a place in Tokyo
- The Hong Kong boxer received a first-round bye and is competing in the Olympic qualifiers for the first time
Hong Kong boxing star Rex Tso Sing-yu has taken a big step towards reaching the Tokyo Olympics when he won his first bout at the Asia/Oceania qualifiers in Amman, Jordan on Saturday.
The 32-year-old “Wonder Kid”, who reverted to amateur status more than two years ago after a glorious career as a professional, defeated Tajikistan’s Bakhtovar Sagizov by split decision in the last 16 bout.
Tso was an undefeated professional with 22 straight victories and he had his first taste of what the Olympics are all about as he entered the ring in front of a near empty stadium.
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Amman was chosen to host the qualifiers after it was moved from coronavirus-hit Wuhan in January.
Tso was leading on the judges’ scorecard in the featherweight contest (57kg) from the get-go, registering several good hits with his left hook wobbling his opponent midway in the opener. Tso took the first round by a 3-2 split but dominated the second round 4-1 after scoring accurate punches while making Sagizov miss a few of his.
Tso showed better composure overall although Sagizov came back strongly in the third and final round with a good right-left combination that snapped Tso’s head back. But it wasn’t enough to overturn the deficit as the Hong Kong boxer came through, winning by split decision 3-2.
Tso raised his arm in jubilation after the referee declared him the winner and he will have 48 hours to recover before he is put to the test again in what is looking to be the most important bout of his career. A win on Monday will guarantee him a place for Tokyo. He is aiming to become the first Hong Kong boxer to compete at the Olympics in 56 years. The last time Hong Kong sent boxers to the Games was at the 1964 Tokyo Games when Law Hon-pak and Lee Kam-wah represented the then-Colony.
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The Hong Kong boxer takes on world featherweight champion Mirazizbek Mirzakhalilov, who is the No 1 seed in the featherweight division in Amman. The Uzbek is also the reigning Asian champion but he was made to struggle against India’s Gaurav Solanki, with the world champion taking the last-16 bout by split decision.
Six boxers from the featherweight division qualify for Tokyo.
