New Delhi: Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen, Priya, and Preeti Pawar advanced to the semifinals of the Asian Boxing Championships, ensuring India at least three medals at the competition in Ulaanbaatar.
Competing in the women’s 51kg category, Nikhat produced a dominant performance in her quarterfinal bout. The Indian boxer secured a first round RSC victory over Xian Baguhin of the Philippines, with the referee stopping the contest after Nikhat controlled the bout from the start. She will now face a tough challenge in the semifinals against Wu Yu, the Olympic gold medallist from the 2024 Summer Olympics.
In the women’s 60kg division, Priya delivered a composed performance to defeat China’s Chengyu Yang by a 4-1 split decision. The win booked her place in the semifinals, where she will take on Mongolia’s Namuun Monkhor for a spot in the final.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 54kg category, Preeti Pawar registered one of the most convincing wins of the tournament so far. The World Boxing Cup Finals gold medallist outclassed Mongolia’s Mungun Tsetseg with a unanimous 5-0 decision to move into the semifinals. She is set to face Im Ae-ji in the next round.
However, India’s campaign in the men’s 70kg category ended after Deepak suffered a 1-4 defeat against Jordan’s Zeyad Eashash in the quarterfinals.
With three boxers now in the semifinals, India has already secured a minimum of three medals and will look to convert them into finals appearances in the upcoming bouts.
