Thanarat Saengphet: Thailand’s World Boxing Bronze Medalist
Thailand’s Thanarat Saengphet won bronze in the men’s 51 kg division at the 2021 AIBA World Championships in Belgrade. His run ended in the semifinals, giving him a place among the event’s medalists.
A teenage medalist in Belgrade
Saengphet was nineteen during the 2021 tournament. The IBA’s quarterfinal report noted that this was his first competition outside Thailand, following a youth national gold medal in Khon Kaen two years earlier.
His preparation included sparring with leading Thai boxers before travelling to Serbia. That background made his progress especially notable: he was testing himself internationally while still early in his senior career.
The bouts that secured bronze
Saengphet defeated Venezuela’s Miguel Ramos during the preliminary stages, using counterattacks to advance. He then faced Azerbaijan’s Masud Yusifzada in the quarterfinals. After falling behind in the first round, he adjusted his tactics and turned the contest around.
The quarterfinal victory guaranteed a medal. His semifinal opponent was Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossynov, who won their contest and subsequently took the championship. Roscoe Hill earned silver, while Saengphet and Akhtem Zakirov occupied the two bronze-medal positions.
The video above features the Ramos bout, an earlier step in the same campaign. It should be distinguished from the quarterfinal that secured his medal and the semifinal that ended his run. Together, those stages show how a first overseas tournament developed into a world championship podium finish for the young Thai flyweight.
Sources
- IBA: 2021 semifinal report
- Official 2021 championship results
- IBA tournament report
Career records and reporting: iba.sport.
Tags
Boxing, Boxing History
