Post by Dee Williams on May 11, 2006 23:06:31 GMT -5
Japanese female strawweight champ keeps title in bout against convict in Thai prison
mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/sports/news/20060511p2a00m0sp001000c.html
BANGKOK -- Japanese female boxer Nanako Kikuchi retained her World Boxing Council strawweight title Wednesday, winning a unanimous decision in a bout against a Thai convict in a prison in Thailand's capital, Bangkok.
The judges favored the 31-year-old champ 97-93, 96-94, 96-94 in the 10-round fight against challenger Siriporn Thaweesuk, who has served six years of a 10-year sentence for dealing drugs.
Prison authorities said they would have released 23-year-old Siriporn if she won the fight.
"If she had won the title then we could have freed her by suspending the rest of her jail term, because she would have had to defend her title outside the country," said Siriporn Chutigulang, chief of the Woman's Special Prison who also acts as the manager of its prison boxing camp.
"But even though she lost today, we will consider reducing her jail term because she is a good prisoner."
Siriporn had vowed before the fight at Klong Prem Central Prison that she would "fight my way out of prison."
The Japanese champion said afterward she felt bad about thwarting her challenger's dreams of freedom.
"I feel sorry for shattering her hopes to be free from jail sooner, but as a sportswoman I have to fight to win," she said.
Kikuchi, a 30-year-old former freelance photographer, took the vacant strawweight title in another Thai prison match against a different convict in November last year.
Referee Bruce McTavish of New Zealand praised the unusual proceedings.
"The WBC title fight in prison is unique and I think it is great to give people in jail a chance to have some career and job to do after they are released from prison," he said.
The arena for Wednesday's fight was built in the pre-release area of Klong Prem, which houses more than 4,000 prisoners, mostly for drug offenses. Some 500 well-guarded prisoners, mostly male, attended the match and loudly cheered the Thai challenger. (AP)
May 11, 2006
mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/sports/news/20060511p2a00m0sp001000c.html
BANGKOK -- Japanese female boxer Nanako Kikuchi retained her World Boxing Council strawweight title Wednesday, winning a unanimous decision in a bout against a Thai convict in a prison in Thailand's capital, Bangkok.
The judges favored the 31-year-old champ 97-93, 96-94, 96-94 in the 10-round fight against challenger Siriporn Thaweesuk, who has served six years of a 10-year sentence for dealing drugs.
Prison authorities said they would have released 23-year-old Siriporn if she won the fight.
"If she had won the title then we could have freed her by suspending the rest of her jail term, because she would have had to defend her title outside the country," said Siriporn Chutigulang, chief of the Woman's Special Prison who also acts as the manager of its prison boxing camp.
"But even though she lost today, we will consider reducing her jail term because she is a good prisoner."
Siriporn had vowed before the fight at Klong Prem Central Prison that she would "fight my way out of prison."
The Japanese champion said afterward she felt bad about thwarting her challenger's dreams of freedom.
"I feel sorry for shattering her hopes to be free from jail sooner, but as a sportswoman I have to fight to win," she said.
Kikuchi, a 30-year-old former freelance photographer, took the vacant strawweight title in another Thai prison match against a different convict in November last year.
Referee Bruce McTavish of New Zealand praised the unusual proceedings.
"The WBC title fight in prison is unique and I think it is great to give people in jail a chance to have some career and job to do after they are released from prison," he said.
The arena for Wednesday's fight was built in the pre-release area of Klong Prem, which houses more than 4,000 prisoners, mostly for drug offenses. Some 500 well-guarded prisoners, mostly male, attended the match and loudly cheered the Thai challenger. (AP)
May 11, 2006
