Thailand Open Boxing: Five Indians set for quarter-final clashes on Wednesday

Bangkok, May 27 (IANS) India will have five boxers -- two men and three women -- in action in the quarter-final stage of the 4th Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament, all aiming for semi final spots, here on Wednesday.

In the men’s draw, Jugnoo (85kg) will face Kazakhstan’s Bekzat Tangatar, while Deepak (75kg) is set to take on South Korea’s Kim Hyeon-tae in two high-stakes quarterfinal bouts.

In the women’s category, Tamanna (51kg) will meet Liu Yu-Shan of Chinese Taipei, Priya (57kg) goes up against South Korea’s Park Ah-Hyun, and Anjali (75kg) will square off against Japan’s Naoka Kasahara.

India has fielded a 19-member strong contingent in the prestigious boxing tournament, held under the aegis of World Boxing-backed Asian Boxing, that has attracted talented boxers from powerhouses like China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, South Korea, and host Thailand.

Earlier in the previous rounds, the journey of five boxers came to a conclusion at the quarter final stage on Tuesday.

In the women’s draw, Yasika Rai (48kg) and Abha Singh (54kg) lost their bouts by unanimous decisions. Among the men, Pawan Bartwal’s strong run in the 55kg category came to an end, while Nothoi Singh (50kg) and Dhruv Singh (80kg) also suffered defeats.

Bartwal had cruised into the quarterfinals of the men’s 55kg category with a commanding 5-0 win over Cambodia’s Sao Rangsey on Sunday.

Hailing from Syupuri village in Uttarakhand, Pawan showed tactical maturity and ring control from the outset. He started cautiously, dodging early swings and waiting for his moment before landing a sharp punch to the face that set the tone.

An Indian Army man since 2017 and a National Championship silver medallist, Bartwal has been boxing since 2010. He now heads into the quarterfinals with strong momentum and eyes firmly set on a podium finish.

--IANS

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