Nagoya, Sept 28:
Three Indian boxers booked their places in the Asian Games semi-finals with dominant quarter-final victories in Nagoya on Sunday, assuring the country of three more medals.
Parveen Hooda, Ankush Panghal and Narender Berwal all produced impressive performances to advance to the last four, while Sachin Siwach’s campaign ended in the quarter-finals.
Parveen defeated Uzbekistan’s world championships silver medallist Navbakhor Khamidova by a unanimous 5-0 decision to enter the women’s 65kg semi-finals. It was Parveen’s first bout of the competition after receiving a walkover in the previous round, but she showed no signs of rust as she used a combination of punches and effective counter-punching to control the contest.
The Haryana boxer said her coaches had prepared a clear strategy for the bout and that maintaining the distance and counter-punching were key elements of the plan. Parveen had previously competed in the 57kg category but has moved up to 65kg following her return from a 22-month suspension imposed by the International Testing Agency for a whereabouts failure. She said she was gradually regaining her confidence after being away from competition.
Narender Berwal also assured India of a medal in the men’s super heavyweight category. The Indian stopped Thailand’s Adthapong Saengtep in less than two minutes after unleashing a series of powerful punches. The Thai boxer received three standing counts before the referee stopped the contest, sending Narender into the semi-finals.
The result also gives Narender another Asian Games medal after he won bronze at the previous edition. His powerful start ensured that the quarter-final lasted only a short time, with the Indian quickly establishing his superiority and forcing the referee to intervene.
Ankush Panghal completed India’s successful day in the boxing ring with a 5-0 unanimous decision victory over Tajikistan’s Nekruz Salimov in the men’s 80kg quarter-final. Making his Asian Games debut, Ankush controlled the bout from the opening round and secured a comfortable victory on all five judges’ cards.
Ankush used his reach effectively during the opening two rounds, boxing at long range and landing clean punches while keeping Salimov at bay. He continued to maintain control as the contest progressed and comfortably protected his advantage in the final round. The victory took him into the semi-finals and assured him of an Asian Games medal.