[Asian Games] North Korea's Boxing Bang Cheol-mi Wins Women's 54kg Gold Medal... Criticized for Skipping Press Conference

Defeated China's Changyuan to Win Gold Medal
Victory in 2018 Asian Games Rematch

North Korea's boxing star Bang Cheol-mi salutes after winning the gold medal in the women's 54kg boxing final at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games held on the 4th in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. On that day, Bang Cheol-mi won a 3-2 decision against China's Chang Yuan.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

North Korea's boxing star Bang Cheol-mi avenged her pain from five years ago by reclaiming the gold medal in the women's 54kg category at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.

On the afternoon of the 4th, at the Hangzhou Gymnasium in Zhejiang Province, China, Bang Cheol-mi won the women's 54kg final by a 3-2 decision against China's Chang Yuan. The scores from the five judges were ▲27-28 ▲29-26 ▲29-26 ▲28-27 ▲27-28.

Bang Cheol-mi (166cm) and Chang Yuan (165cm) had an official height difference of only 1cm. However, due to Chang Yuan's longer reach, she tried to penetrate inside and engage in close combat. In response, Bang Cheol-mi stepped back to maintain distance but launched rapid attacks with a flurry of punches whenever she charged forward.

In the first round, Bang Cheol-mi was narrowly behind with a score of 47-48. Several judges favored Chang Yuan, who aggressively pressed forward and even scored a knockdown against Bang Cheol-mi. However, from the second round onward, Bang Cheol-mi closed the distance once and unleashed continuous strikes each time she charged, leaving no chance for Chang Yuan to counterattack.

The judges awarded Bang Cheol-mi the second round with a total score of 49-45. Maintaining her offensive in the third round, Bang Cheol-mi secured victory with a score of 49-46. Immediately after the win was announced, Bang Cheol-mi ran to her coach in the corner to share her joy.

Avenging the Pain from Five Years Ago... Bang Cheol-mi's Controversy Over the Decision Led to Local Police Intervention

On the afternoon of the 23rd of last month, the North Korean delegation, led by flag bearers Bang Cheol-mi (boxing) and Park Myung-won (shooting), entered the stadium at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games opening ceremony held at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium in China. [Image source=Yonhap News]

With this, Bang Cheol-mi succeeded in avenging her defeat from five years ago. The two fighters had also faced each other in the women's 51kg category at the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games, where Chang Yuan won by a 3-2 decision. Believing she had performed better in that match, Bang Cheol-mi refused to leave the ring after the result was announced. She even sat down in the ring and took off her shoes. North Korean coaches also entered the ring to protest to the judges.

As a result, Indonesian police were called to the scene. When Bang Cheol-mi and her coach continued their protest on the ring despite the judges' attempts to stop them, the police escorted them out of the venue.

Bang Cheol-mi drew criticism for not attending the post-match press conference. North Korea had previously skipped press conferences after losses in table tennis and basketball, and this time, even after winning the gold medal, they did not participate.

Meanwhile, Bang Cheol-mi defeated South Korea's Lim Ae-ji (Hwasun County Office) in the round of 16, and won unanimous decisions against Nguyen Thi Ngoc Tran (Vietnam) and Nigina Ukhtamova (Uzbekistan) in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively. Representing the Kumgangsan Sports Team, Bang Cheol-mi was the 2019 Asian Championships women's 51kg champion and also claimed the top spot at last year's North Korean 'Republic Championship.' At the opening ceremony of this tournament on the 23rd of last month, she served as one of North Korea's flag bearers alongside shooter Park Myung-won.