Asian Games: Shin Jong-Hun Claims First Boxing Gold for South Korea

Light flyweight Shin Jong-Hun gave hosts South Korea a flying start to finals day Friday by taking the first boxing gold of the Asian Games.

Shin, a highly controversial winner over Mark Anthony Barriga of the Philippines in Thursday's semi-final, dominated Kazakhstan's Birzhan Zhakypov in an energetic display leaving no doubts about the judging.

All three judges deservedly scored it 30-27 in Shin's favour.

"I thought I would cry if I won the gold medal. But now, I just can't think of anything and I can't cry," Shin said.

"I don't know why, but I guess it's because I am so happy that my tears won't drop. I still can't believe it," added Shin, who danced around the ring draped in the Korean flag after the verdict was announced.

Barriga had no hard feelings towards Shin despite his heart-breaking semi-final defeat.

"I congratulated Shin on his gold medal and for fighting very well in the final," the Filipino told AFP after being presented with his bronze medal.

Kazakhstan had seven boxers in Friday's finals and they soon got over Zhakypov's disappointment when Ilyas Suleiminov won the flyweight title minutes later.

This was a much tighter affair as his opponent, Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan, matched him blow for blow.

The judges could gone either way but in the end the Kazakh just took the gold on a split decision.