Angkhan, who claimed the San Shou 65kg gold medal at the previous Games in Busan, South Korea, led the challenger all the way. After landing powerful left-right combinations on the face of Joven, Uzbekistani referee Sadir Shamahsudov counted eight three times in the third round. He decided to stop the one-sided fight through the CCL (compulsory count limit) and raised the Thai boxer's hands. Angkhan was leading 25-11 in the third round.

"It's a comfortable win. After the first round, I was quite confident of victory. I have never met him before. During the fight, I tried to maintain my concentration and punch him hard on his face. In the next fight, I will go up against Tajikistan's Sherali Mamadaliev. He is smaller than I and left-handed. I think I can beat him without much effort," Angkhan said after the bout.

Mamadaliev yesterday overwhelmed Mongolian Chuluuntumur Tumurhuyag 27-7 in second round before the referee stepped in to stop the lopsided contest.

On Tuesday night, Thailand suffered a major blow when medal hope Suriya Prasathinphimai lost to Shukuralla Atajanov from Turkmenistan after a second-round stoppage for a head injury in the middleweight 75kg preliminary bout at Aspire Hall.

The Thai fighter, a 2002 Busan Asian Games light middleweight 71kg silver medallist, was in the lead 12-4 in the second round, but a ringside doctor ruled he could not continue the fight because he believed Suriya had a serious cut over his left eye.

"I'm very sad and disappointed. My injury is not that bad. You could see that if I continued to box, I could win easily," Suriya, bronze medallist at the Athens Olympics, said.

"I was not happy with the doctor's decision and it makes me feel like stopping boxing. However, when I go back to Thailand, I will have a rest and then practise some more for the Olympic Games in 2008."

Injured Paradorn quits

nThailand's Paradorn Srichaphan pulled out of the Asian Games singles event yesterday as Thailand had to settle for the bronze in the men's team event.

The men's singles defending champion said after he lost to Japan's Go Soeda 7-6 0-6 4-6 in the semi-finals of the men's team competition that he wanted to rest his injured wrist for the Australian Open in January.

"I've pulled out of the singles, because the Australian Open is more important for me," said Paradorn who squandered a 4-1 lead over Soeda in the decisive set.

"I can't push myself too hard because of my wrist. I wasn't in fine shape. I was completely out of my game and he [Soeda] played well," the Thai said.

On Tuesday, the 27-year-old withdrew injured during Thailand's quarter-final match against Uzbekistan.

Paradorn rated pain in his wrist from an ongoing injury "7 out of 10" during his clash with Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.

His team lost the semi-finals to Japan 1-2 after Sonchat and Sanchai Ratiwatana went down to Takao Suzuki and Satoshi Iwabuchi in the decisive doubles 6-3 7-6. Thailand's lone point came from Danai Udomchoke who beat Iwabuchi 6-4 6-7 6-2 in the first rubber.

Paradorn, ranked 53 in the world, had been favourite to take gold in the singles and was expected to set-up a final showdown against South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik in a repeat of the last Asian Games in Busan four years ago.

Thai women's team had already crashed out since on Tuesday's night by losing to India 2-1. 

Preechachan     Wiriyanupappong

The Nation

Doha