Nagpur’s Samiksha, Akola’s Sanskar make final

Nagpur: Displaying composure and clinical precision, Nagpur's Samiksha Singh marched into the final of the U-17 National boxing championship at MLA Hostel, assuring herself of at least a silver medal and a shot at gold on Saturday.In a one-sided semifinal, Samiksha outclassed Himachal Pradesh's Harshita with a unanimous 5-0 verdict on Tuesday. From the opening bell, the local pugilist looked in complete control, dictating the pace and keeping her opponent on the back foot."My strategy was to stay calm and not rush into the bout. I focused on landing strong right punches, which helped me gain early points and boosted my confidence," said Samiksha after the win. Looking ahead to the final, she added, "I will stick to the same strategy but with more aggressive attacking shots."Samiksha will now face Navya of Services in the gold medal bout.Maharashtra enjoyed a productive day in the girls section, with several boxers advancing to the finals. Shanaya defeated Delhi's Yashika 4-1, Avantika drubbed Rajasthan's Priyanshi by an identical margin, while Ovi (5-0) and Mamta (5-0) registered commanding wins over Chandigarh's Shine and SSCB's Reet, respectively.In the boys' category, Akola's Sanskar Atram edged past Uttar Pradesh's Aadarsh in a closely fought 3-2 contest, showcasing grit and tactical awareness in a bout that went down the wire. Gopal, on the other hand, delivered a dominant performance, blanking Arunachal's Kenli 5-0 to enter the final.However, Sanji, Rugveda, Yugal, Samsher and Kaustabh settled for the bronze medals after suffering defeats in their respective semifinals.Olympian and Arjuna awardee Manoj Pingale, who is also the association's joint secretary, expressed confidence in the state's prospects. "Today's victories take Maharashtra one step closer to gold. The determination and hard work of these boxers will produce new champions for the country," he said.
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