Jai Bhagwan pulled off a come-from-behind victory over Ireland's Eric Donovan to enter the pre-quarter-finals on Friday after Thokchom Nanao Singh pummeled Azerbaijan's Elvin Mamishzade in his opening bout at the World Boxing Championships in Milan. While Jai (60 kg) beat his opponent 11-6, Nanao (48 kg) demolished Mamishzade 21-6 late Thursday night to make it to the second round of the mega-event.
The second-seeded 23-year-old, who is also an Asian Games gold-medallist, thrashed his rival 5-0 to move into the pre-quarterfinals of the world showpiece. The Indian had been given a first-round bye.
Vikas Krishan (60 kg) picked his second successive international gold medal, while Shiva Thapa (54 kg) settled for a silver as India rounded off its World Youth Boxing Championship campaign with two medals, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.
India would be aiming to better their best-ever show when the trio of Deepak Bhoria, Mohammad Hussamudin and Nishant Dev step inside the ring in pursuit of summit berths in the men's boxing World Championships.
World Championship medallist Amit Panghal and Sachin Siwach struck gold at the 75th Strandja Memorial tournament.
Five-time World champion M C Mary Kom will spearhead a 10-member Indian challenge in the Asian Confederation Women's Boxing Championships in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, from March 16 to 26.
At the Asian Games, women pugilists will compete in five weight categories: 51kg, 57kg, 60kg, 69kg and 75kg. While the Olympics will have six weight classes -- 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 66kg and 75kg.
India have fielded a strong contingent led by two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen and Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain.
Former Asian Champion Nagisetty Usha clinched one of the two gold medals for Andhra Pradesh but it was All India Police who walked away with the overall honours in the Monnet Federation Cup Women's Boxing Championship in Nainital on Sunday.
Panghal is the only Indian Olympic-bound boxer to be ranked as number
Commonwealth Games gold medallist Suranjoy Singh pummelled Hungary's Dobradi Zsolt in his opening bout to sail into the second round of the World Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Tuesday. Suranjoy, also an Asian Games bronze medallist, beat Zsolt 24-8 in a lopsided bout of the first Olympic qualifying event.
The Indian boxer claimed a huge 28-13 win over Jong Ok of North Korea in the final of the women's World Boxing Championships.
India's dismal performance in the recent Olympic Qualifiers for boxing has triggered a coaching crisis just four months before the Paris Games as High Performance Director Bernard Dunne has stepped down while foreign coach Dmitry Dmitruk is likely to be shown the exit door very soon.
Olympic bronze-medallist Vijender Singh stood just one win away from securing a berth in the London Games after clinching his pre-quarterfinal bout, along with Manpreet Singh, on a second successive triumphant day for India at the Asian Boxing Qualifiers in Astana, Kazakhstan on Friday.
Nikhat made short work of Brazil's Caroline De Almeida to notch up a dominant 5-0 win.
Among boys, Ankush (66kg) was beaten 0-5 by Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Erkinboev in his last-four bout.
In the other semi-final bouts, S Kalaivani, Shruti Yadav, and Monika suffered identical 0-5 defeats and bowed out of the competition.
Jai Bhagwan and Vijender scored convincing wins to storm in to the second round at the 23rd Asian Boxing Championships.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
A Padma Shri and Arjuna Award recipient, Kaur Singh Singh represented India in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
India were assured of an unprecedented two medals at the AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships after Amit Panghal (52kg) and Manish Kaushik (63kg) entered the semi-finals with impressive victories.
FIDE said in a statement that the game of chess has a "genuine global appeal" and that it has 189 national federations and 600 million people who practice chess globally.
Asian silver medallist Jai Bhagwan put India's faltering campaign at the World Boxing Championships back on track by advancing to the second round in the lightweight category with a thumping victory over Venezuela's Angel Rodrigues in Milan, Italy. The Indian out-punched his opponent 10-4 to bring some cheer in the Indian camp, which had been left stunned by three early exits.
Asian Games selections were biased, made to feel unworthy in national camp, claims Panghal
Responding to a petition filed by three boxers over their non-selection for the upcoming Asian Games, the Union Sports Ministry on Monday told the Punjab and Haryana High Court it has no role in the selection of athletes.
Five-time World champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) pipped arch-rival Pinki Jangra to the India's women's squad, while World Championships bronze medallist Shiva Thapa (56kg) made the cut in a star-studded men's boxing team for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in China from March 23.
Asian Youth silver medalist Devendro Singh sensationally out-classed his rival within the first three minutes of his bout while former Commonwealth champion Sunil Kumar toiled hard for his opening win in the 57th Senior Men's National Boxing Championships in New Delhi.
Manish Kaushik has announced his arrival on the senior scene in grand fashion.
A few Indian stars will have to go through the disappointment of watching all the action from afar.
M C Mary Kom has not given up hope of returning to the ring and said she still has at least three-four years in which she can make a pro career.
Nikhat Zareen secured a Paris Olympics berth and assured herself of a medal as she cantered to the 50kg semi-finals of the Asian Games.
Double Olympic medallist Neeraj Chopra is among only three track and field athletes retained in the sports ministry's revamped TOPS core group.
MC Mary Kom began her campaign in style by outpunching Sweden's Juliana Soderstrom in her opening bout of the AIBA World Women's Boxing Championships in Astana.
Manpreet Singh punched Kyrgyzstan's Bekzod Turgunov to submission in a 91kg quarter-final bout to join three other Indians in the semi-finals of the Asian Boxing Championships in Bangkok on Wednesday.
Sarita, who got a first-round bye, frittered away a strong start to bow out with a 0-5 loss.
'The experience and dedication of our boxers make me confident in their abilities to excel at the Asian Games.'
Four Indian pugilists had to be content with bronze medals after suffering defeats in the penultimate round of the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championship in Subic Bay, Philippines.
Mary Kom wants Asian Games to be her swansong
After going on to conquer the ring, Nikhat Zareen hopes to inspire young girls to follow in her footsteps and fight for their dreams.
The lightweight pugilist beat Genbert Besadre of the Philippines to make the grade in the Asian Boxing Championships.
