Bangkok: Amit Panghal (52kg) and Kavinder Singh Bisht (56kg) remained on course for their second successive international gold medals this year as India looked good to notch up its best ever performance in the Asian Boxing Championships here Thursday.
Panghal and Bisht were the most impressive on a day when Shiva Thapa’s (60kg) unprecedented fourth successive semifinal appearance ended with a bronze after a gruelling battle which could have gone either way.
Deepak Singh (49kg) and Ashish Kumar (75kg) joined Panghal and Bisht in the men’s finals, while Pooja Rani (81kg) and Simranjit Kaur (64kg) advanced to Friday’s summit clashes in the women’s draw.
Panghal defeated China’s Hu Jianguan in a split verdict, while Bisht, on the other hand, turned in a lion-hearted show in a bloody battle which left him and his opponent – Mongolian Enkh-Amar Khakhuu – with bandaged right eyes. The draining fight ended 3-2 in the Indian’s favour.
Thapa came out all guns blazing too, against 2015 edition’s silver-medallist Kazakhstan’s Zakir Safiullin, but a loss of momentum in the final round ended up his hopes. Also finishing with a bronze among men were Ashish (69kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg).
While Ashish was beaten 0-5 by Uzbekistan’s Bobo-Usmon Baturov, Satish was forced to give a walkover to Kazakh Kamshybek Kunkabayev owing to an injury.
Settling for bronze medals among the women were veteran former champion L Sarita Devi (60kg), last edition’s silver-medallist Manisha (54kg), former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and world silver-medallist Sonia Chahal (57kg).
National champion Deepak got a walkover from Kazakhstan’s Temirtas Zhussupov due to injury while Kumar defeated Iran’s Seyedshahin Mousavi.
Pooja emerged triumphant against Kazakhstan’s Fariza Sholtay in a unanimous decision while Zareen gave it her all in the clash against Vietnam’s Nguyen Thi Tam before signing off with a bronze. Sonia lost to local favourite Nilwan Techasuep. Simranjit defeated Uzbekistan’s Maftunakhon Melieva 5-0.