Chen Nien-chin Advances to Asian Championships Final; Coach Jokes About "First Power Outage Experience"

Taiwanese female boxing ace Chen Nien-chin faced India's Ankushita Boro in the women's 65kg semifinal today. In the first round, both fighters exchanged blows, but Chen Nien-chin earned the favor of three judges, receiving 10 points, giving her a slight 3-2 lead.

In the second round, Chen Nien-chin regrouped and gained an advantage by repeatedly hitting her opponent early in the round. However, with 1 minute and 15 seconds remaining, as Chen Nien-chin was cornered and taking a flurry of punches from her opponent, the venue suddenly experienced a power outage.

Although power was restored approximately 15 minutes later, the tournament officials decided that five judges would score the second round based on the situation before the power outage. All judges awarded Chen Nien-chin 10 points, allowing her to smoothly advance to the final with a 3-0 points victory.

Coach Ko Wen-ming, when interviewed by CNA reporters, laughed and said, "This is truly the first time we've encountered a power outage during a match. Although power was later restored, the organizers still made their judgment according to the rules for unexpected situations."

Ko Wen-ming emphasized that Chen Nien-chin had already gained an advantage early in the second round, but was cornered right before the power outage. "I was a bit worried that the judges might base their scores on the impression from that moment and award points to the opponent, but fortunately, we advanced smoothly."

After Chen Nien-chin advanced to the final, her opponent will be Hwang Hyo Sun (transliteration) from North Korea. Ko Wen-ming revealed, "Nien-chin's condition has been adjusted very well this time. Her movement speed, footwork, and timing of punches have all met expectations. She has a great chance to win the championship match." (Edited by Lee Heng-shan) 1150406