New Delhi: Shiva Thapa (60kg) and Mandeep Jangra (69kg) were among the four Indian boxers to make the semifinals as country’s tally of expected medals swelled to eight at the Ulaanbaatar Cup in Mongolia, Friday.
Shiva, a world bronze-winner, notched up a clinical unanimous win over Kyrgyzstan’s Ravshanbek to make the semifinals. He will square off against local hope Battumur Misheelt in the last-four stage. Also advancing was former Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Mandeep. He defeated Mongolian Batkhuyag Sukhkhuyag in his quarterfinal bout. Joining the established duo after recording victories were debutant Vanhlimpuia (75kg) and Etash Khan (56kg).
However, the experienced L Sarita Devi (60kg), a former World and Asian champion, lost a closely-contested quarterfinal bout to Chinese Taipei’s Shih Yu Wu to go out of the tournament.
In the men’s draw, Salman Sheikh lost a close quarterfinal contest to local favourite Gankhuyag Gan-Erdene. Vanhlimpuia defeated Korea’s Song Myong Su in a unanimous verdict.
India were earlier assured of four medals through world and Asian silver-winner Sonia Lather (57kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), Himanshu Sharma (49kg) and Ashish (64kg) as they advanced to the semifinals.
3 pugilists in semis
New Delhi: Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Mohammed Hussamuddin (56kg) was among the three Indian boxers to make the semifinals Friday but two others lost in the quarters of the Chemistry Cup in Halle, Germany.
Hussamuddin, Madan Lal (56kg) and Narender (+91kg) advanced to the last-four stage, thereby assuring themselves of at least a bronze medal each.
Hussamuddin defeated Jordan’s Mohammad Alwadi 5-0. Madan, on the other hand, got the better of Slovakian Viliam Tanko by a similar margin. Narender edged past Moldova’s Alexei Zavatin 4-0.
However, two-time CWG medal winner Manoj Kumar (69kg) and Manish Panwar (81kg) bowed out with quarterfinal losses. Manoj was beaten by Russia’s Andrei Zamkovoi, while Manish lost to Slovakia’s Matus Strnisko. Both were defeated by identical 0-5 margins.