Glasgow, July 27: Former world youth champion Sachin Siwach moved within one win of a medal after defeating England’s William Hewitt 4-1 on points to reach the men’s 60kg quarterfinals at the Commonwealth Games here on Monday.
The 26-year-old Indian delivered a composed and tactically disciplined display against the home boxer, using sharp combinations and controlled aggression to dictate the pace throughout the three-round contest.
Sachin won the bout by a 4-1 split decision, with judges from Kazakhstan, Canada, Mexico and Morocco scoring it 29-27 in his favour. The Turkish judge, however, awarded the contest 29-27 to Hewitt.
The Indian made a strong start, taking control of the opening two rounds on four judges’ scorecards with accurate punching and effective ring movement. Although he was docked a point in the final round, the deduction did little to alter the outcome as he comfortably secured victory.
Sachin consistently landed clean punches while keeping Hewitt under pressure, producing one of his most assured performances of the tournament to advance to the last eight.
The victory keeps India’s medal hopes alive in the men’s lightweight category, with the quarterfinals offering the Indian boxer an opportunity to move into the medal rounds.
Standing in his way will be Botswana’s Treasure Moremi, who edged past Lesotho’s Toka Litabe by a narrow 3-2 split decision in another round-of-16 bout.
Sachin will now look to maintain his momentum as he bids to secure a place on the podium in Glasgow. (PTI)
