Thai Boxer Focus Advances to Asian Games Semifinal

NISHIO, Japan — Thai boxer Natnicha "Focus" Jongprongklang secured at least a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games after beating Uzbekistan's Nigina Uktamova by split decision in the women's 54kg quarterfinals in Nishio, Japan on 27 September.

Four Thai boxers competed in the quarterfinals on 27 September. Focus started strongly, landing accurate left punches in the opening round while Uktamova tried to close the distance and fight on the inside. Focus finished the round with a 3-2 lead.

The Uzbek boxer increased the pressure in the second round, but Focus continued to control the distance and counter effectively. After two rounds, the Thai boxer was ahead on three judges' scorecards, with one judge having the bout level and another giving the advantage to Uktamova.

Focus continued to fight on the back foot in the final round but was warned and had a point deducted. Uktamova then stepped up her attack.

After a tense finish, the judges awarded Focus a 3-2 split-decision victory, sending her into the semifinals, where she will face Japan's representative on 29 September. The result guarantees Focus at least a bronze medal.

"I was very nervous before going into the ring because this was the bout that would decide whether I won a bronze medal," Natnicha said after the fight. "I put a lot of pressure on myself. In the first round, I stayed composed and performed well. I thought I had won the round clearly."

She said Uktamova was physically strong and changed her tactics to fight at close range, forcing the Thai coaching team to adjust its strategy. "The coach told me to stay on the outside and not let her get into close range," she said.

Natnicha said she expected her next bout against the Japanese host boxer to be easier than the fight against Uzbekistan, but added that she could not afford to be careless.

Janjaem exits after straight-round defeat

In the women's 65kg quarterfinals, Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng faced Chen Nien-chin of Chinese Taipei, whom she had previously trained with at a camp in Thailand. Janjaem struggled to match Chen's speed throughout the three rounds and lost 0-5, with all five judges awarding the bout to the Chinese Taipei boxer.

Janjaem said she had not had enough time to regain full fitness after recovering from injury. "After recovering from the injury, there wasn't enough time for me to get back to 100 percent," she said. "If I want to come back and win, I have to train much harder. I know that my punching power and strength were not enough."

Despite the defeat, she said she remained determined to return stronger. "When I don't box well and cannot compete, I have to accept it. But I will definitely not give up," Janjaem said.

Sakda loses late lead

In the men's 60kg quarterfinals, Thailand's Sakda Ruamtham faced South Korea's Jang Dong-hwan. Sakda appeared to have the upper hand through the first two rounds, blocking punches effectively and landing the clearer shots to build an advantage. However, Jang increased his pressure in the final round.