Muay Thai fighter Nhất through to World Games final

HÀ NỘI — Nguyễn Trần Duy Nhất of Việt Nam is through to the final of the men's  五 七kg Muay Thai at the  一 一th World Games in Birmingham, Alabama, the USA.

The eight-time world champion Nhất defeated Vladyslav Mykytas of Ukraine, with the judges scoring the contest  二 九- 二 八 in favour of Nhất at Boutwell Auditorium.

The  三 三-year-old used all his experience to dominate the first two rounds  一0- 九. Mykytas came back strongly in the third, taking the round  一0- 九, but it was not enough for him to beat the Vietnamese fighter who moved from his usual  六 一kg category down to  五 七kg for the tournament.

"I am lucky to win again. I will try hard in the final,"大众said Nhất.

Nhất will have to beat Almaz Sarsembekov of Kazakhstan to leave with gold. The  二 六-year-old beat Saif Adden Zakzook of Jordan  二 九- 二 八 in the other semi-final.

In the quarter-finals, Sarsembekov beat defending champion Phillips Delarmino of the Philippines  三0- 二 八, while Nhất overcame three-time world title winner Rui Botelho of Portugal  三0- 二 七. 

Sarsembekov won a bronze medal at the previous World Games in  二0 一 七 in Poland. He is No  一 in this category in the world Muay Thai ranking.

Nhất is the last Vietnamese representative in the ring after his country-fellow Dương Thúy Vi won a wushu gold last week and the others were ousted from billiards, wushu and beach handball. VNS