(APR 30) Philippines’ Josie Gabuco impressed in the ASBC Asian Confederation Elite Boxing Championships in Bangkok, Thailand where she not only claimed the gold medal in the seven-day long event but won the Best Woman Boxer Trophy. Philippines’ most successful woman boxer has done a superb comeback to the international stage in Bangkok and became the one of the heroes of the competition.

The new edition of the ASBC Asian Confederation Elite Boxing Championships set up new records in terms of the number of the entering female and male boxers and also in the number of the participating countries in Bangkok. Altogether 304 athletes including 112 women and 192 men boxers attended from 34 nations in the ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships in the recent days.

Philippines’ Josie Gabuco was born in the island of Palawan on March 30 in 1987 and started her boxing career at the age of 17. She had her first international bout in 2005 and her first major event was the Southeast Asian Games in Korat, Thailand two years later. Gabuco won bronze medal at the 2008 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships and claimed gold at the 2009 Southeast Asian Games as her career start.

Philippines’ pride won gold medal at the Qinhuangdao 2012 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships but in the recent years she was not able to repeat that performance. Gabuco returned in top shape at the 2018 Indian Open International Boxing Tournament where earned silver and lost to only the most successful female boxer of the whole world, Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte in the final.

Following her gold medal at the Strandja Memorial Tournament the Filipino light flyweight (48kg) boxer impressed in Bangkok. She eliminated Bhutan’s Tandin Lhamo, Kazakhstan’s Alua Balkybekova and Mongolia’s 12-year-younger Mungunsaran Balsan during her road to the finals. Gabuco had to meet in the final with DPR Korea’s Kim Hyang Mi who is always dangerous for all opponents. The North Korean boxer was taller than the Filipino veteran but moved ahead more in the first two rounds. Josie Gabuco ruled the middle of the ring in the third round and celebrated her Asian title after the last gong in Bangkok.