Asian Boxing Championships: Huang Hsiao-wen advances to final; coach praises her for withstanding point deduction pressure
World No. 1 Huang Hsiao-wen advanced to the women's 54kg final at the World Boxing (WB) Asian Championships after defeating China's Zhao Xuan 4-1 in the semifinals. Despite a dominant first round, Huang faced a setback in the second when the referee controversially penalized her for clinching, nearly erasing her lead. However, she regained her composure in the final round, using her reach advantage and counter-punching to secure the victory. Huang, who has previously won one silver and two bronze medals at the Asian Championships, will face India's Preeti Preeti in the final as she chases her first gold medal of the tournament.
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- 📰 Published: April 6, 2026 at 19:55
- 🔍 Collected: April 6, 2026 at 23:28 (3h 33m after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 7, 2026 at 00:23 (55 min after Collected)
Huang Hsiao-wen, the world No. 1 in the women's 54kg category of World Boxing (WB), faced Chinese standout Zhao Xuan in the semifinals today. The two displayed completely different fighting styles. In the first round, Huang utilized her height and reach advantage, consistently landing counter-punches and earning 10s from all five judges.
Starting in the second round, Zhao Xuan’s close-range attacks became more aggressive, as she almost constantly clinched Huang. Unexpectedly, the referee ruled that Huang was the one avoiding engagement and clinching, subsequently deducting a point from her. This left Huang with only a narrow 3-2 lead after the first two rounds.
In the crucial third round, Huang regained her dominance, continuously finding openings for counter-punches, ultimately securing a 4-1 victory on points to advance.
Coach Liu Zong-tai told CNA that the match provided valuable experience. "But I must praise Hsiao-wen. After the mysterious point deduction in the second round, she still withstood the pressure, remained calm in the ring, and stuck to the established strategy."
Liu mentioned that it might be because in the morning matches of Kuo Yi-hsuan and Lin Yu-ting, their opponents seemed to win by "charging in." "So Hsiao-wen's opponent followed suit, basically charging into our arms throughout the match, and unfortunately, the referee bought it."
Huang has won one silver and two bronze medals at the Asian Championships during her career. She is in top form this year and has successfully advanced to the final. Liu emphasized, "Her current form is really good, and she's found her rhythm. I hope she can maintain this until the final."
According to the bracket, Huang's opponent in the final will be India's Preeti Preeti. The two met in the semifinals of the WB year-end tournament late last year, where Huang, fighting through injury, lost 0-4.
Starting in the second round, Zhao Xuan’s close-range attacks became more aggressive, as she almost constantly clinched Huang. Unexpectedly, the referee ruled that Huang was the one avoiding engagement and clinching, subsequently deducting a point from her. This left Huang with only a narrow 3-2 lead after the first two rounds.
In the crucial third round, Huang regained her dominance, continuously finding openings for counter-punches, ultimately securing a 4-1 victory on points to advance.
Coach Liu Zong-tai told CNA that the match provided valuable experience. "But I must praise Hsiao-wen. After the mysterious point deduction in the second round, she still withstood the pressure, remained calm in the ring, and stuck to the established strategy."
Liu mentioned that it might be because in the morning matches of Kuo Yi-hsuan and Lin Yu-ting, their opponents seemed to win by "charging in." "So Hsiao-wen's opponent followed suit, basically charging into our arms throughout the match, and unfortunately, the referee bought it."
Huang has won one silver and two bronze medals at the Asian Championships during her career. She is in top form this year and has successfully advanced to the final. Liu emphasized, "Her current form is really good, and she's found her rhythm. I hope she can maintain this until the final."
According to the bracket, Huang's opponent in the final will be India's Preeti Preeti. The two met in the semifinals of the WB year-end tournament late last year, where Huang, fighting through injury, lost 0-4.