Despite their recent defeats, Indian boxers Prachi Tokas, Hardik Panwar, and Amisha Keretta secured silver medals at the IBA Junior World Boxing Championships held in Yerevan, Armenia.
In a closely contested match on Sunday, Hardik, the 80 kg Asian junior champion, faced a tough opponent in Russian Ashurov Bairamkhan, losing by a narrow score of 2-3. The match was gripping as both competitors displayed active strategies, capitalizing on every opportunity to score points. However, the Russian managed to secure a victory by doing just enough.
Amisha (54 kg) and Prachi (+80 kg) both faced defeats in their latest bouts with scores of 0-5. Amisha was defeated by Kazakh Ayazhan Sydyk, while Prachi faced a challenging match against the two-time Asian junior champion Sobirakhon Shakhobiddinova from Uzbekistan.
Also Read : Wisconsin volleyball team leaked unedited
In the ongoing tournament, India has amassed a total of 17 medals, including five bronze. Nine national pugilists, namely Payal (48 kg), Nisha (52 kg), Vini (57 kg), Shrushti (63 kg), Akansha (70 kg), Megha (80 kg), Jatin (54 kg), Sahil (75 kg), and Hemant (80 kg+), are set to compete for gold on Monday, marking the final day of the event.
Earlier in the quarterfinals, Neha (46 kg), Nidhi (66 kg), Pari (50 kg), Kritika (75 kg), and Sikandar (48 kg) secured bronze medals. Pari (50 kg) and Nidhi (66 kg), previous gold winners in the Asian junior boxing championships, progressed to the quarterfinals with unanimous 5-0 decisions over their opponents from Romania and China Taipei, respectively.
Prachi Tokas’s dominating performance at 80+kg led to the referee intervening in the first round of her match, resulting in a stoppage against Russian opponent Osipova Mariia. In another impressive bout, Megha (80 kg) secured victory in round three against Tseng An Chi from Chinese Taipei. Vini (57 kg), Akansha (70 kg), and Shrushti (63 kg) advanced to the finals with 5-0 unanimous decision wins against their opponents from Ireland, Kazakhstan, and Greece, respectively.
Nisha (52 kg) bounced back from a second-round loss, defeating Russia’s Sikstus Diana 4-1. The boys showcased a strong performance, with four out of five boxers securing victories. Heavyweights Hardik Panwar (80 kg) and Hemant Sangwan (80 kg+) reached the finals with 5-0 unanimous decision victories against opponents from Belarus and Armenia.
Also Read : Rajkot updates news when will the tesla phone be released
In the 54 kg category, Jatin overcame early challenges to prevail 4-1 against Russian boxer K Pavel. The bout between Sahil and Russian boxer D Vladimir was intense, with both demonstrating a deep understanding of each other’s moves and counterattacks. Despite the uncertainty, Sahil emerged victorious with a 3-2 split decision.
At the IBA Youth Men’s and Women’s World Championships, Indian boxers Devika Ghorpade and Preeti Dahiya progressed to the quarterfinals after securing decisive victories.