Bartwal storms into quarters at Thailand Open boxing meet

Bangkok, May 25 (PTI) Indian boxer Pawan Bartwal stormed into the quarterfinals of the men’s 55kg category at the 4th Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament with a commanding 5-0 win over Cambodia’s Sao Rangsey here on Sunday.

Bartwal, a National Championship silver medallist, dominated the bout with superior ring craft and tactical maturity, securing his second consecutive win in the tournament.

Hailing from Syupuri village in Uttarakhand, Pawan started cautiously, dodging early swings and waiting for his moment before landing a sharp punch to the face of his rival that set the tone.

The 26-year-old repeatedly pinned his opponent in the corners, and a brilliant bob-and-weave move midway through the second round opened the door for another clean strike.

With tight defence and calculated aggression, he kept Rangsey on the back foot and sealed a unanimous decision—his second consecutive win of the tournament.

India has fielded a 19-member squad in the prestigious tournament, organised under the aegis of the World Boxing-backed Asian body, and featuring top boxers from China, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, South Korea and hosts Thailand.

Bartwal, who has been boxing since 2010, heads into the last-eight stage with strong momentum and his eyes firmly set on a podium finish. PTI ATK UNG