Indian Boxers Excel at World Championships 2023

Liverpool, Sep 5 (PTI) Indian pugilist Sumit Kundu delivered a dominant performance to secure his place in the round of 16 at the World Boxing Championships. He achieved a unanimous decision victory over Jordan's Mohammad Al Hussein in the men's middleweight division on Friday. One of the nation's most promising talents, Sumit took control from the beginning, taking the center of the ring and putting Al Hussein on the defensive. Both fighters exchanged clean punches, but Sumit's relentless approach and heavier, accurate backhand penetrated Al Hussein's defense repeatedly. By the close of the second round, the Indian boxer had established a substantial lead, and though he eased up toward the end of the bout, his win was never in question. The Army man is now set to face a formidable opponent in the round of 16: reigning European champion and Paris Olympian Rami Kiwan from Bulgaria, who advanced with a first-round bye. In the women's 65kg category, Neeraj Phogat also started strong, narrowly defeating Finland's Krista Kovalainen 3-2 in a closely contested split-decision match. Earlier, Sanamacha Chanu advanced to the women's 70kg pre-quarterfinals with a 4-1 victory over Denmark's Ditte Frostholm late Thursday. Utilizing her height to her advantage, Sanamacha delivered numerous powerful punches to unsettle her seasoned opponent. The Manipuri boxer will next face Natalya Bogdanova of Kazakhstan, a gold medallist at the World Boxing Cup. Conversely, it was a disappointing outing for heavyweight boxer Harsh Choudhary, who bowed out in the first round of the men's 90kg category after a referee-stopped contest (RSC) defeat to Poland’s Tutak Adams. Asian Games medallist Narender Berwal (90+kg) and Commonwealth Games medallist Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) are set to begin their campaigns later today.

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