Heading into the highly anticipated bout at the 2026 Asian Games on Wednesday, Balkibekova was considered a tough challenge for Tam.

Nguyen Thi Tam (L) during her match against Alua Balkibekova in the Asian Games women's 51kg boxing semifinal at Nishio City Arena, Aichi Prefecture, Japan on Sept. 30, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Quy Luong

The Kazakh boxer previously won gold in the 50kg class at the 2025 IBA World Championships and captured the 51kg world title at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, England.

However, the 32-year-old Vietnamese started strong, constantly moving to find space and strategically keeping distance while effectively using her left jab to counter Balkibekova's attacks. Four of the five judges scored the opening round 10-9 in Tam's favor.

As Balkibekova increased the pressure in the second round, Tam maintained her mobility and prevented her opponent from closing in. She secured another 10-9 win from four judges heading into the final round.

Tam fought with composure in the third round, earning 10-9 scores from all five judges. Ultimately, three judges scored the bout 30-27 and two scored it 29-28, resulting in a unanimous 5-0 victory for the Vietnamese boxer.

Tam’s run at the 2026 Asian Games includes a 5-0 victory over Nepal's Ramisha Shrestha, a 4-1 win over Taiwan’s Guo Yi-xuan in the Round of 16, and 5-0 sweeps against South Korea's Bak Chorong and Balkibekova.

By reaching the final, Tam has guaranteed herself at least a silver medal. This marks a significant upgrade from her previous Asian Games in Hangzhou, where she suffered an early exit in the Round of 32.

A two-time Asian champion and 2023 World Championship silver medalist, Tam previously won a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta.

In the gold medal bout scheduled for 11 a.m.. (Hanoi time) on Oct. 2, Tam will face China's Wu Yu, who advanced after defeating Uzbekistan's Feruza Kazakova 5-0 in the other semifinal.

Wu is a formidable opponent, having won the women's 50kg gold medal at the Paris Olympics 2024. Since moving up to the 51kg division, the Chinese boxer has achieved massive success, capturing gold at the 2026 Asian Championships in Ulaanbaatar and winning the World Boxing Cup in China.

She entered the 2026 Asian Games as the world number one in the 51kg category. Her path to the final included unanimous 5-0 victories over Sri Lanka's Nadeeka Pushpakumari Ranasinghe Arachchige, Mongolia's Oyuntsetseg Yesugen, and Kazakova.

Also on Wednesday, Vietnam's boxer Luu Diem Quynh secured a bronze medal in the women's 75kg category after falling 0-5 in the semifinals to China's Bao Zi Yi. Quynh had previously defeated Iran's Khoshkhabar Parmida 5-0 in the quarterfinals to advance.

This marks Quynh's second consecutive Asian Games bronze medal, making her the first Vietnamese boxer to win medals at back-to-back editions.

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