Strong competition day for the Indians in Pueblo
Twenty-four contests were held at the World Boxing’s U19 World Boxing Championships in Pueblo, United States where the winners are now guaranteed medallists.
The total number of the boxers is 165 from 25 nations in the United States where 20 champions will be crowned after the finals. India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, and Thailand are the participating Asian countries in Pueblo. Boxers who were born in 2006 and in 2007, are eligible to participate at the U19 World Boxing Championships in the United States.
There were interesting contests at the women’s bantamweight (54kg) which is a strong category in Pueblo and well-prepared boxers in the line-ups. Several of the Indian boxers started slowly their bouts in the recent days but Supriya Devi Thokchom kept the focus against Canada’s Victoria Vergos from the opening seconds. The Indian was too strong for her opponent and she managed the pathway to the next stage of boxing.
Rishi Singh eliminated one of his main opponents, Kyrgyzstan’s Asian silver medallist Zafarbek Kamilov and in the first competition day and the Indian continued his winning path in the next session. He landed multiple combinations against his Canadian opponent, Randy Polines, and the speedy Indian won all of the three rounds against his North American rival at the men’s 50kg weight class.
India’s Hemant Sangwan is only 17-year-old but he has excellent achievements in the international stage from the last one year. The Indian prepared well against a dangerous Italian, Aharon Corona who claimed European medals in his previous career. The Indian was better in closer and longer ranges as well and he advanced to the semi-finals of the men’s 90kg weight category.
India’s Sumit made a strong comeback and a final round against United States’ Malachi Ross to win their 70kg quarter-final in Pueblo. The South Koreans sent a full male team to the championships and their Park Sang In at the 90kg weight class impressed in the third day of boxing. The two-time National Champion Seoul-based Korean worked hard from the first seconds to beat Algeria’s Tarik Benhaddad in Pueblo today.
India’s Rahul Kundu robbed into the world of boxing last year when he spent his second year among the junior boxers. The middleweight (75kg) talent was included to their youth national team immediately and he bagged a silver medal at the 2024 ASBC Asian Youth Boxing Championships. The 17-year-old Indian knocked down his opponent from Japan, Ritshuki Philemon Obijiaku and he the Hungarian referee stopped their contest immediately.
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