China's Chang Yuan competes in the boxing women's 54kg round of 16 against Jutamas Jitpong of Thailand at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Sept 24, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

HANGZHOU - Chang Yuan defeated Jutamas Jitpong of Thailand as China's first and only boxer competing at the Hangzhou Asian Games on Sunday, which also serves as a qualification series for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Making her second Asian Games appearance, Chang, the women's 51kg champion at Jakarta 2018, faced Jitpong in the 54kg category's round of 16.

Chang's agility was evident from the start, leaving little room for her opponent to capitalize. Her right swing in a counterattack garnered applause from the audience. Leading on three out of five judges' cards in all three rounds, she secured a promising start for the Chinese team with a 3-2 score.

The boxing tournament, which continues until October 5 at the Hangzhou Gymnasium, features 237 boxers from 38 countries and regions competing across 13 weight categories. Additionally, 34 qualification slots for the Paris 2024 Olympics will be awarded in Hangzhou.

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China's Zhang Jiamao, Yang Liu, and Wang Peicheng are set to show up in the men's 51kg, women's 66kg, and men's 71kg categories, respectively, on Monday.