NEW DELHI: National champion Sachin Siwach (57kg) showcased an aggressive performance, securing a dominant victory over Alex Mukuka of New Zealand in the opening round of the 2nd Boxing World Qualifiers for the Paris Olympics in Bangkok on Friday.
Siwach, a gold medallist at the Strandja Memorial, maintained pressure on his opponent throughout the bout, earning a unanimous 5-0 decision from the judges and giving the 10-member Indian contingent a positive start.
From the outset, Sachin asserted his intentions with a series of left-right combinations, seizing control of the bout in the first round. Despite hopes for a comeback from Mukuka in the second round, Sachin continued his relentless attacks.
Having comfortably secured the first two rounds, Sachin ensured there was no opportunity for his opponent to mount a fightback, effectively wrapping up the proceedings.
India has entered seven men and three women in the second world qualifiers, with all boxers needing to reach at least the semi-finals to vie for berths in the Paris Olympics.
In upcoming bouts, senior nationals bronze medallist Abhimanyu Loura will face Bulgaria's Kristiyan Nikolov in the opening round of the 80kg category on Saturday. Notably, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Amit Panghal (51kg) and Asian Games bronze medallist Narendra Berwal (+92kg) received byes in their respective weight categories for the opening round.
The Indian boxers' performance in the previous world qualifiers in March was disappointing, with only Nishant Dev, a bronze medallist at the 2023 World Championships, progressing beyond the opening round.
Furthermore, Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) have already secured their spots for Paris through their performances at the Asian Games.
(With PTI inputs)The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the ...
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