Five Indian boxers enter U19 Asian Championships semifinals, assure medals

NEW DELHI: India’s medal tally at the U19 Asian Boxing Championships rose to 12 after five male pugilists powered their way into the semi-finals with impressive victories in their respective weight categories on Thursday.Joining their seven female counterparts who had already made the last four, Shivam (55kg), Mausam Suhag (65kg), Rahul Kundu (75kg), Gaurav (85kg), and Hemant Sangwan (90kg) delivered dominant performances to seal their spots in the semi-finals and guarantee at least bronze medals.The U19 and U22 Asian Boxing Championships are being held simultaneously, and India is also assured of 13 medals in the U22 category, with five boxers already in the gold medal bouts.Shivam set the tone for India’s successful day with a clinical 5:0 victory over Uzbekistan’s Abdulaziz Abdunazarov in the morning session. Mausam Suhag faced a stern test in the 65kg quarterfinals but held his nerve to edge past Kyrgyzstan’s Mukhammed Alimbekov with a narrow 3:2 verdict.Rahul Kundu made a powerful statement in the 75kg category, forcing the referee to stop the contest against South Korea’s Eunjo Jeong due to his relentless attack. Gaurav followed suit in the 85kg class, grinding out a hard-fought win over Kuang-Yao Cheng of Chinese Taipei.Hemant Sangwan capped off India’s strong run by outclassing Uzbekistan’s Muhammadrizo Siddikov in the 90kg quarterfinal, raising hopes of a clean sweep for India’s male boxers on the day.However, India’s final bout didn’t go in their favour as Krish fell short in a closely contested 90+kg clash against Iran’s Abbas Gharshasbi, narrowly missing out on a semi-final berth.