Although Taiwanese boxer Kan Chia-wei (甘家葳) was unable to compete in the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games boxing finals for the 63.5 - 71 kgs men’s division, he still managed to win silver and qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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After defeating Turkmenistan boxer Bayramdurdy Nurmuhammedov in the 63.5 - 71 kg men’s division semi-final match on Tuesday, Taiwanese boxer Kan Chia-wei (甘家葳) advanced to the finals for the chance to win gold.
However Kan was disallowed from proceeding to the scheduled final match on Wednesday due to serious injuries he sustained from the previous fight. Although the finals match was terminated, Kan still gained a silver medal and a spot at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Upon learning of the results, he immediately contacted his first coach Chen Chih-hsiang (陳志翔) to share the good news.
Kan's journey began as a volleyball player, but after Coach Chen saw his potential, he invited Kan to consider joining the school’s boxing team. Kan began boxing during his middle school years. Along the way, he encountered many challenges. In addition to the demanding workouts, Kan struggled in his early international tournaments, pushing himself relentlessly to improve. He also faced the loss of his mother while preparing for the Asian games.
Coach Chen shared that Kan had been close to giving up on boxing and expressed his happiness at seeing how much he has achieved and how far he has gone in the sport.