Hitesh, Sakshi book semifinal berths

Hitesh Gulia and Sakshi entered the semifinals at the World Boxing Cup in Astana, securing podium finishes and boosting India’s medal tally, with more boxers still in the fray

Hyderabad: Hitesh Gulia and Sakshi secured semi-final spots and guaranteed themselves podium finishes on Thursday, adding to India’s burgeoning medal count at the World Boxing Cup – Astana, Kazakhstan.

Hitesh, a gold medalist from the Brazil leg earlier this year, delivered a dominant 5:0 win over Kazakhstan’s Almaz Orozbekov in the men’s 70kg quarterfinal, ensuring another medal to his name.

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In the women’s 54kg category, Sakshi put on a composed display to beat Brazil’s Tatiana Regina de Jesus Chagas via unanimous decision.

They now join guaranteed medalists Minakshi (48kg) and Pooja Rani (80kg), as well as Sanju (60kg), who confirmed a podium for herself on Wednesday after advancing to the semifinals.

Anamika (51kg) also remains in contention after reaching the quarters.

With several medals guaranteed and more boxers still in the mix, Team India’s campaign in Astana continues to build toward a strong finish ahead of the World Boxing Cup finals in New Delhi.