Amman: In Boxing, Indian boxers Sparsh Kumar and Lakshya Chahar kickstarted India’s campaign at the Asian Boxing Championships 2022 in Amman, Jordan, by winning their respective bouts by identical 5-0 scorelines yesterday.
Sparsh Kumar (51kg) defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Diushebaev Nurzhigit in the round of 32 match. Lakshya Chahar (80kg) also defeated Shabbos Negmat of Tajikistan 5-0 in his round of 16 bouts and advanced to the quarter-finals. Sparsh Kumar will face Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossinov, in the pre-quarterfinals today. Commonwealth Games 2022 bronze medallist Mohammad Hussamuddin (57kg) will also be in action today in the pre-quarterfinal bouts.
Five-time Asian Medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) as well as seven other
Indian male boxers will begin their campaign in the pre-quarterfinals. Among the women’s boxers, Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain will start her campaign against 2016 world champion Valentina Khalzova of Kazakhstan in the quarter-final on Saturday. Lovlina who has changed her weight category from 69kg will be boxing in her first international tournament in the 75kg weight category in Amman.
Simranjit Kaur (60kg), will be up against Asian Games gold medallist and two-time Asian champion Yeonji Oh of Korea in the quarter-finals on Sunday. The Asian Boxing Championships 2022, being held in Amman, will see 267 boxers from 27 top boxing nations compete. India has sent a 25-member team to the meet.