Asian U15 & U17 Boxing Championships:
Pishevar wins boys’ U15 gold
Abolfazl Pishevar got Iran off the mark at the Asian U15 & U17 Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, by grabbing gold in the boys’ U15 contests on Thursday.
The young Iranian, who had beaten Kyrgyzstan’s Umar Asanbaev in the semifinals, outmuscled Kazakhstan’s Zhaksylyk Yermekuly via a unanimous 5–0 points decision (30:27, 30:27, 29:28, 30:27, 30:27) to claim the top prize in the 35kg weight class.
In a touching and symbolic gesture, Pishevar entered the ring with a school bag slung over his shoulder – a tribute to the memory of the 168 victims, including 120 schoolchildren, who were killed by a U.S.-Israeli airstrike on the Shajareh Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, southern Iran, on February 28.
Coached by Sina Belansh, the Iranian squad features six boxers apiece in the under-15 and under-17 boys’ categories, as well as two female U15 boxers at the competition.