National champion Abhimanyu from Haryana also moved into the last four after defeating Kyrgyzstan's Tenibekov Sanjar in a one-sided affair.
Six-time champion M C Mary Kom made sure of an unprecedented eighth medal at the women's World Boxing Championships after advancing to the semi-finals of the 51kg category, in Ulan-Ude, Russia, on Thursday.
Deepak clinched one of the most memorable wins of his career with a 4-1 win over more fancied Zoirov
World boxing champion Lovlina Borgohain locked an Olympic quota for herself by advancing to the final in the women's 75kg category at the Asian Games.
Sarita, Nikhat also enter semis
Asian champion Pooja Rani (75kg) and the seasoned Vikas Krishan (69kg) became the first set of Indian boxers to qualify for this year's Tokyo Olympics by advancing to the semi-finals of the continental qualifiers, in Amma, on Sunday. While fourth-seeded Rani notched up a facile 5-0 win over Thailand's Pornnipa Chutee, Krishan endured a tough one against third-seeded Japanese Sewonrets Okazawa before also prevailing in a unanimous verdict against the Asian silver-medallist.
The boxers hardly broke a sweat while scooping all the seven gold medals up for grabs, while the shooters ended their campaign with an outstanding tally of 25 gold medals to ensure India's reign at the top remained unchecked in the 12th South Asian Games in Guwahati on Monday. On the penultimate day of competition, the Indian was perched at the top with 289 medals (173 gold, 86 silver and 30 bronze).
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain kickstarted her campaign on an impressive note by notching up a thrilling win at the 12th edition of the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Istanbul on Monday.
Vikas Krishan Yadav has learned from the bitterest experience that he can leave nothing to chance in the Olympic ring and it is a lesson the Indian boxer will carry with him to the Rio Games.
Nikhat registered a dominating 5-0 victory, thrashing Thailand's Jitpong Jutamas without breaking a sweat in the 52kg final with judges scoring the bout 30-27, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 in the Indian's favour.
Indian contingent would be aiming to make it all good with strong medal-winning performances when the acutely-low-on-buzz Commonwealth Games start
Five-time world champion M C Mary Kom entered the final in the 48 kg classs at the Commonwealth Games, beating Sri Lanka's Anusha Dilrukshi , on Wednesday.
A bronze medal in his kitty, Indian boxer Shiva Thapa could not add the Olympic quota place to it despite a valiant effort in a hard-fought box-off of the World Championships in Doha on Wednesday.
Commonwealth Games gold medallist weightlifter Achinta Sheuli has been expelled from the Paris Olympics preparatory camp after he was caught entering the women's hostel at night at NIS Patiala.
ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships: Krrish Pal registers win in 1st round
India bagged as many as 21 medals at the Spanish Para Badminton International in Cartagena, Spain.
In the final, Krrish and Ravi will take on Tajikistan's Anushervon Fazylov and Ilkhomjon Ergashev of Uzbekistan respectively.
Lovlina Borgohain will be in pursuit of history when she takes on reigning World champion Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey in the Olympics boxing 67 kg semi-finals, in Tokyo, on Wednesday.
A tough draw will put their grit to test when the three-member Indian boxing team begins its Olympic campaign, aiming to lift the gloom that pervades the sport back home owing to the long-standing administrative mess.
Six-time champion Mary Kom defeated Colombia's Valencia Victoria in her quarter-final bout to secure her maiden World medal in the 51kg category, in which she won an Olympic medal back in 2012.
Indian weightlifter Mirabai Chanu won the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year twice in a row.
Nikhat Zareen punched her way to a second successive gold title at the Women's World Boxing Championship in New Delhi.
Tamanna (50kg) and Nivedita Karki (48kg), silver medalists in the previous edition, were among five Indian women boxers who won gold in the youth competition of the Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan on Monday.
Borgohain (69kg) signed off with a bronze medal in the Olympic Games after a comprehensive 0-5 loss to reigning world champion Busenaz Surmeneli.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
In the lightweight (57-60kg) division, Jasmine will feature straight in the quarter-finals after getting a first round bye.
Nikhat, who defeated world champions Paltceva Ekaterina of Russia and Nazym Kyzaibay of Kazakhstan in her last two bouts, suffered a 0-5 loss
Sanjeet Kumar won a gold medal in the 91 kg weight category at the Asian Boxing Championships.
India's boxer Nikhat Zareen stunned two-time World champion Nazym Kyzaibay of Kazakhstan to enter the women's 51kg semi-finals at the Bosphorus Boxing Tournament in Istanbul, on Friday.
Satish Kumar (+91kg) put up a gutsy performance against reigning World champion Bakhodir Jalolov but it was not enough to upstage the rampaging Uzbek and the Indian boxer made a quarter-final exit from the Olympic Games on Sunday.
India Amit Panghal (52kg) bowed out of the Olympics boxing after a surprising 1-4 defeat to Rio Games silver-medallist Yuberjen Martinez in the pre-quarter-finals, on Saturday.
World championship trials would be held from March 7 to 9, followed by the Asiad trials from March 10 to 13.
Mary Kom (51kg) will open her campaign against Dominica's Miguelina Hernandez on July 25; Panghal gets bye into pre-quarters.
Krrish, Ravi enter semis of Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships
Debutant Akash Kumar (54kg) signed off with a bronze medal in the AIBA men's World Boxing Championships after losing to Kazakhstan teenager Makhmud Sabyrkhan in the semi-finals, in Belgrade, on Thursday.
Mahi, Palak and 2 other Indians enter final at Asian Youth & Junior Boxing C'ships
Through their triumphs and struggles, these athletes have not only rewritten the narrative of women in sports but have also ignited a flame of empowerment and inspiration, asserts Laxmi Negi.
Indian sports had a lot to celebrate despite a decrease in the medal count at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
