India’s Sachin Siwach got off to a winning start at the 2nd Boxing World Olympic Qualifiers as he defeated New Zealand’s Alex Mukuka 5-0 by an unanimous verdict in the men’s 57kg Round of 64 in Bangkok on Friday.
Siwach made his intentions clear in the very first round as he went on the offensive early and took control of the bout with a couple of a combination of punches. If Mukuka was hoping for a breakthrough in the second round, his hopes were quickly dashed as the Indian continued to attack relentlessly.
With the first two rounds comfortably in his pocket, Siwach ensured that there was no chance of a fightback from his opponent and wrapped up the proceedings.
India has fielded seven men and three women in the competition and all boxers will have to at least make it to the semi-finals to stand a chance to book their berth for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
On Saturday, senior nationals bronze medallist Abhimanyu Loura will take on Bulgaria’s Kristiyan Nikolov in the opening round of the 80kg weight category.