Shiva Thapa (60kg) secured an unprecedented fourth successive medal while veteran L Sarita Devi (60kg) made to the semi-finals for the first time in the Asian Boxing Championships in nearly a decade to continue India’s stupendous run at Bangkok.
In all, eight Indian boxers – four women and four men – advanced to the medal rounds on day two of the quarter-finals.
The 25-year-old Thapa defeated Thailand’s Rujakran Juntrong in a one-sided lightweight (60kg) contest. He prevailed 5-0 and has a tough semi-final lined up against Kazakhstan’s Zakir Safiullin, a silver-medallist from the 2015 edition.
Thapa had won a gold in 2013, a bronze in 2015 and a silver in the 2017 edition of the marquee continental event. He is the first Indian to achieve the feat.
In the women’s draw, former world champion Sarita, who last reached the Asian semis back in 2010 and ended with a gold, defeated Kazakhstan’s Rimma Volossenko in a split-decision verdict to advance.
Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) too booked a semi-final berth, beating Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay – a two-time world champion – in the quarters.
Last edition’s silver-medallist Manisha (54kg) was also assured of atleast a bronze medal after defeating Filipino Petecio Zzaa Nice while former national champion Simranjit Kaur (64kg) edged past a gritty Ha Thi Linh of Vietnam to make the last four.
Joining Thapa in the men’s semi-finals were Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Satish Kumar (+91kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg) and Ashish (69kg).
Ashish Kumar got the better of Kyrgyzstan’s Omerbek Uulu Behzhigit in a unanimous verdict, while his namesake trounced Vietnam’s Tran Duc Tho 5-0, displaying an impeccable counter-attacking game.
In the evening session, Satish Kumar out-punched Korean Kim Dohyeon in an exhausting showdown that left the Indian heavyweight with a cut above his right eye. Thapa, who is also a former world championship bronze-medallist and a two-time national champion, opened the proceedings for India.
The Assamese had a spring in his step as he went about dismantling his opponent. The technically superior Thapa, something that Juntrong struggled to cope with.
Ashish, on the other hand, was locked in a messy contest with Bekzhigit but was clearly the more accurate of the two boxers. Sarita also endured a draining contest against Volossenko but the veteran from Manipur raised the bar when it mattered to move ahead.
The performance in the championship is a turnaround of sorts for the 37-year-old, who ended without a medal at the world championships in Delhi last year. However, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Naman Tanwar (91kg) bowed out after losing his quarter-final bout to Jordan’s Hussein Eishaish Iashaish 0-5.
In the women’s draw, it was curtains for Nupur (75kg) after she went down to North Korean Pak Un Sim in her last eight bout.
