Displaying solid aggression from the start, national champion V Harikrishnan cruised into the second round in the 12th World amateur boxing championship in Bangkok, Thailand.

The 22-year-old pugilist from Chennai beat Chiang Tzu-wei of Taiwan, the referee stopping the contest in the first round, in the light-welterweight (64 kg) class.

Harikrishna had reached the quarter-finals in the Junior world championships in 2000.

In another first round bout, in the flyweight (51 kg) category, India's Akhil Kumar, also of Railways, went down to Georgy Balakshin of Russia 16-26.

The two other Indians in the fray are Commonwealth Games champion Mohammad Ali Qamar, in the light flyweight, and former Asian championship bronze medal winner, Ramanand.

UNI

Also read: India hails its own Ali after Games triumph