The Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand (Abat) had sent fighters to compete in eight classes, but only three combatants made it to the finals.

The first gold came from Suban Pannon, who pulled off a dramatic victory over his Kazak opponent with a third round RSC-outclass in the light flyweight division.

Athens Olympic silver medallist Worapoj Petch-koom won another gold after overcoming another Kazak opponent 25-18 in the bantamweight category. Pichai Sayota secured the last gold for the kingdom, beating an Egyptian 27-10 in the lightweight class.

Somjit Jongjohor and Angkarn Chomphuphuang both won bronze in the flyweight class and the welterweight category respectively.

The Thai team took third place overall, while the crown and the runners-up spot went to Kazakhstan and Egypt respectively.

General Taweep Jantararoj, president of Abat, said he was happy with the Thai fighters' performance.

"It was a good chance for Thai boxers to gain experience from the much stronger Kazaks, who have a different style. The Thai squad will be fighting in the Asian Games in Doha," he said.

Taweep said if Abat had entered one more class, the Thai team might have won the team trophy since they lost Manus Boonjamnong in the light welterweight division due to lack of fitness. The Thai team's training schedule will begin in France later this month and then on to Cuba before departing for Qatar to prepare for the Asiad.

Hamed is released

Former world featherweight boxing champion Naseem Hamed was released from prison yesterday after serving 16 weeks of a 15-month sentence for dangerous driving.

The 32-year-old former IBF and WBO champ was jailed in May after he injured two people - including one man who suffered fractures to every major bone in his body - when his car crashed head-on into two other vehicles on the outskirts of Sheffield, northern England, in April 2005.