Five Indians book final berths at World Boxing Cup

Astana (Kazakhstan), Jul 5 (PTI) Meenakshi, Sakshi, Pooja Rani, Hitesh Gulia and Jugnoo registered convincing victories to reach the finals of their respective weight categories at the World Boxing Cup, here on Saturday.

India’s boxing contingent in Kazakhstan is now assured of 11 podium finishes, including six gold medal bouts on Sunday.

Abhinash Jamwal (men’s 65kg) is keeping India in hunt for another gold medal with his semifinal slated later in the day.

Meenakshi started India’s march with an aggressive display to beat Nurselen Yalgettekin of Turkey 5-0 in the 48kg semi-final.

Sakshi then displayed her prowess, landing punches regularly to dominate Feruza Kazakova of Uzbekistan and reached the final of the 54kg weight category by an identical margin.

Olympian Pooja Rani then staved off late charge Elif Guneri of Turkey in the 80kg category to reach the final with a 3-2 verdict.

Nupur had already sealed her final berth in the 80+ category on Friday, making it four Indian women boxers in the finals.

Sanju (60kg) fought hard before going down to Viktoriya Grafeyeva of Kazakhstan in a 0-5 verdict and will have to bring home a bronze medal.

India had clinched a total of six medals in the first leg of the World Boxing Cup in Brazil earlier this year with only the men boxers competing in that leg.

This is the first time that the women pugilists are competing at the World Boxing Cup.

In the men's 70kg, Brazil leg gold medallist Hitesh Gulia looked in trouble after the first round against France’s Makan Traore.

But the 20-year-old landed quite a few punches in the second round to close the gap and wrapped it up with yet another convincing display in the third and final round to reach the final.

Jugnoo (men's 85kg) then added to the celebratory mood in the Indian camp with a 5-0 thumping of England’s Teagn Scott. PTI TAP DDV