Indian boxers Gaurav Solanki and Sonia Lather produced brilliant performances on the opening day to kickstart their campaign on a winning note at the Bosphorus Boxing Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Solanki looked in complete control from the word go as he blanked his opponent Arapov Aidos of Kazakhstan 5-0 to enter the quarter-finals in the 57kg men’s category.
While the World Championship bronze medallist Lather also dominated her opponent Rosorio Milogros from Argentina before completing a 5-0 win in the women’s 57kg. The 27-year-old Haryana pugilist will now take on local favourite Surmeneli Tugcenaz in the second round.
Meanwhile, three other Indian boxers suffered losses in their respective opening bouts.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Naman Tanwar went down 4-1 against Turkey’s Baki Yalcin Muhammed in the men’s 91kg, while PL Prasad lost to Kazakhstan’s Abdikadyr Damir 5-0 in the men’s 52kg category. Prayag Chavhan (men’s 75kg) and Pooja (women’s 75kg) also fell short against Azerbaijan’s Sahsuvarli Karman and Russia’s Shamonova Anastasia respectively.
On the second day of the event, six more Indian boxers will be seen in action as they begin their campaign. World Championship bronze medallist Shiva Thapa (63kg), Duryodhan Negi (69kg), Brijesh Yadav (81kg) and Kishan Sharma (+91kg) will compete in the men’s category while Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and Parveen (60kg) will be seen in the women’s category.
A 13-member (eight men and five women) Indian boxing contingent is participating at the ongoing Bosphorus Boxing Tournament, which is scheduled from March 15 to 21, and they have strong competition in the presence of top boxing nations like Russia, Argentina and Kazakhstan.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!