New Delhi, Nov 9: Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain and Elorda Cup champion Alfiya Pathan produced power-packed performances to enter their respective finals at the ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan on Wednesday.
Up against Seong Suyeon of South Korea in her semifinal bout, Lovlina (75kg) effectively utilised her clever techniques and strategies to clinch a 5-0 victory by unanimous decision.
Lovlina, who has two Asian Championships bronze medals, is now guaranteed a silver in this edition, confirming her best-ever performance in the competition.
Alfiya (81+kg) was also commanding in her semifinal win as she cruised past the 2016 world champion Lazzat Kungeibayeva of Kazakhstan in a 5-0 win. This is the second time this year that Alfiya has defeated Lazzat, having stunned the Kazakh on her own turf in the Elorda Cup, in what was her senior international debut competition.
Lovlina will take on the 2021 Asian Championships silver medalist Ruzmetova Sokhiba, while Alfiya faces Islam Husaili of Jordan in the final.
In the other semifinal, Ankushita Boro (66kg) lost 1-4 to Khamidova Navbakhor of Uzbekistan to secure a bronze medal. The 2017 Youth Boxing Champion started well with her energetic approach and landed quick punches to have an edge over Khamidova but the Uzbek boxer rebounded well in the next two rounds to earn the win as well as her place in the final.
On Thursday, five Indian men boxers including six-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) and two-time Commonwealth bronze medallist Mohammad Hussamuddin (57kg) will be competing in the semifinals.
Thapa, who became the most successful Asian champion in the competition’s history with six medals, will be involved in a match-up against two-time Asian medallist Bakhodur Usmonov of Tajikistan, while Hussamuddin will face 2021 World Championship silver medallist Serik Temirzhanov of Kazakhstan. Other men pugilists in action will be Narender (92+kg), Sumit (75kg) and Govind Kumar Sahani (48kg). (PTI)
