Dimitris Tofalos National Indoor Sports Hall was packed with hometown spectators to add to the electrifying atmosphere to book their tickets to the quarter finals.
In the Male division Vietnam, Lebanon, Sweden, Ukraine, AIN, Saudi Arabia, UAE, France, Australia, Algeria, Italy, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Peru, Palestine, Egypt, Canada, Iraq, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Iraq all had their hands raised in celebration of their advancement into the next round.
In the female division Malaysia, AIN, Vietnam, Germany, Turkey, Morocco, Greece, Austria, Philippines, Kazakhstan and Czech Republic all booked their places in the next round of the quarter finals.
The stadium was on fire when the national hero stepped into the ring, Dimos Asimakopoulos, in the male 67 kg division fought William Ortiz from Canada. Three rounds of world class muaythai with the stadium on fire and with the slightest of margins going to Canada.
In the female division, Greece’s Christina Xampoura put in a performance of a lifetime to beat the African Champion Ghofrane Swidi. In one of the most outstanding flights of the day Huynh Ha Huu Hieu of Vietnam, in the slightest of margins beat Arissara Noon-Eiad from Thailand. Both athletes received a standing ovation.
The VIP area was filled with representatives of the government and the Olympic Movement and record numbers on the national TV were recorded which is a great promotion for muaythai in Greece.
