Asian Games 2018 gold medalist Amit Panghal started the season on a strong note, progressing to the semi-finals and assuring himself a medal after a closely contested 3-2 win to outclass Ukraine’s Nazar Kurotchyn at the 70th Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Sunday.
Along with Panghal, four Indian women pugilists too assured medals at the end of the third day.
Lovlina Borgohain, who won the bronze at the 2018 Women’s World Championships, put up a robust display to beat Brazil’s Soarez Beatriz in a unanimous 5:0 victory to assure the first medal for the women boxers. The Brazilian found no answer to Lovina’s attacking game as she secured her place in the top four.
Following suit was young boxer, Manju Rani who served Bonati Roberta of Italy the same fate, thrashing her with a unanimous 5-0 verdict. Manju, the current National Champion in 48 kg category sealed her berth in the semis.
Former world junior champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) lived up to the expectations as she outclassed Buryam Yana (BLR) with a 5-0 verdict and assured yet another medal for India.
In the day’s last game for the women boxers, Neeraj defeated Amelia Moore from USA with a similar result to confirm the fifth medal and berth in the semi-final.
2016 World Championship silver winner, Sonia Lather, however, succumbed to an unfortunate defeat going down to Ramirez Yarisel of USA by 4-1 in the 57 kg category on Sunday.
Earlier in the day, the men’s team too posted positive results.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gaurav Solanki (52kg) and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Naman Tanwar (91kg) both advanced to the quarter-finals.
The Strandja Memorial, Europe’s oldest international amateur boxing tournament, is the first competitive event of the season for the Indian pugilists. India had its best-ever medal haul from this tournament last year when they grabbed an impressive total of 11 medals that included a couple of golds delivered by Vikas Krishan and Panghal.