Punjab and Haryana dominated the proceedings as the preliminary rounds concluded at the third junior women’s national boxing championships at Rohtak on Tuesday.
Haryana’s Preeti Dahiya (60kg) and Punjab’s Gagandeep Kaur (57kg) were among the boxers who progressed to the quarter-finals.
A month after winning a gold medal at the third Nation’s Cup in Vrbas, Serbia, Dahiya advanced when her bout against Mizoram’s Lal Remsangi was abandoned in round one. Kirti (57kg), Lashu Yadav (66kg), Komal (80kg), Khushi (63kg), Sneha (70kg) also brought wins for Haryana on day three.
From Punjab, Gagandeep blanked Karnataka’s Shivani Prakash 5-0 to march into the last-eight. Vishakha (63kg), Anjali (70kg), Khushi (75kg) put Punjab on the winners’ column as well.
Chandigarh’s Harnoor Kaur (63kg) was declared the winner after an RSC verdict in round one. Diya Negi (60kg), also from Chandigarh, got a walkover. Andhra Pradesh’s Peddada Kavya put up a spirited effort in 57kg to secure a 3-2 win over Tamil Nadu’s Zeenath N Kolukula Krishna Veni (63kg). Gangula Sri Harika (60kg) also made it to the quarters.
Mizoram’s Naom Chingsannuami (57kg) claimed a 3-2 win over Delhi’s Khushi Mann. Manipur’s Hudirom Ambeshori Devi also entered the last eight through a one-sided 5-0 victory over Assam’s Kalpana Singh in 57kg.
Kalpana Singh’s statemate Tingmelhing Chongloi (63kg) got a walkover into the quarters while Thongam Kunjarani Devi defeated Kerala’s K Anusha in 60kg by RSC.
Kimnunnem (66kg), meanwhile, was made to work hard for her 4-1 win over Maharashtra’s Hiral Makwana. Assam’s Gitimoni Bora (75kg) and Arunachal Pradesh’s Tsering Lahamu (66kg) were also among the winners.
The six-day tournament, which will pick the best of India’s rising female pugilists, has a total of 233 boxers participating from 27 states across 13 weight categories.