10 indian boxers get bye in first round of World Boxing Championships
On the opening day of competition, Pawan Bartwal (men’s 55kg) kicked off India’s campaign against Brazil’s Michael Douglas Trindade, providing India a winning start
Hyderabad: The Indian contingent for the World Boxing Championships that gets underway at Liverpool, UK, later on Thursday, have been handed a decent draw with medal contender Hitesh Gulia (men’s 70kg), Abhinash Jamwal (men’s 65kg), Nikhat Zareen (women’s 51kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (women’s 70kg) avoiding tricky opponents early in the competition.
While Gulia, Jamwal, and Lovlina have a bye in the opening round, Nikhat Zareen will take on Jennifer Lozana of the USA.
Both Nikhat and Lovlina have not played any international events this year, but were impressive in the domestic circuit and dominated the trials.
Indian boxers have impressed in the two World Boxing Cup competitions in Brazil and Kazakhstan, winning a total of 17 medals, including four gold.
The World Boxing Championships will be the first time that both men’s and women’s competitions will be held together, and over 544 boxers from 68 national federations will be competing in 20 weight categories.
Among the other medal contenders in the fray for India, Sakshi (women’s 54kg) will open her campaign against Viktoriia Shkeul of Ukraine, while Jaismine Lamboria (women’s 57kg) will have a tough second-round battle against Brazil’s upcoming star boxer Jucielen Cerqueira Romeu once she gets past Daria-Olha Hutarina of Ukraine in the opening round.
Jaismine had got the better of Romeu in the final of the World Boxing Cup in Astana and should be confident of repeating that performance in Liverpool.
Hitesh and Abhinash have been placed in different halves of the draw from their closest challengers, Kainan Oliveira and Yuri Falcao (both from Brazil), respectively and should be favourites to reach the summit clash of their respective weight categories.
On the opening day of competition, Pawan Bartwal (men’s 55kg) kicked off India’s campaign against Brazil’s Michael Douglas Trindade, providing India a winning start as he got the better of Trindade, a Paris Olympian, in a close men’s 55kg bout.
Bartwal displayed his boxing acumen under pressure in the third and final round to keep his Brazilian opponent at bay and still impress the judges with his punches to win the first round bout 3:2.
The two boxers were deadlocked after the first two rounds, with Trindade nullifying Bartwal’s advantage in the second round.
Sakshi (women’s 54kg), the experienced Sanamacha Chanu (women’s 70kg) and Harsh Choudhary (men’s 90kg) will be in action in the evening session.
