World Boxing Championships: Pooja, Jaismine secure medals; Nikhat exits in quarters

Two-time Asian champion Pooja Rani and World Boxing Cup Astana gold medallist Jaismine Lamboria assured India of two more medals at the inaugural World Boxing Championships with contrasting wins in their respective quarterfinal bouts in Liverpool on Thursday.

Pooja edged past Poland’s Emilia Koterska 3-2 in the women’s 80 kg division, relying on her experience to overturn an early deficit and hold firm in the final round. In the women’s 57 kg category, Jaismine produced a commanding 5-0 win over Uzbekistan’s under-22 Asian champion, Mamajonova Khumorabonu, sealing her place in the semifinals.

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World Boxing Cup Astana gold medallist Nupur Sheoran was the first Indian to be assured of a medal when she reached the women’s 80+ kg quarterfinals on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, two more Indians — Meenakshi (women’s 48 kg) and Jadumani Singh Mandengbam (men’s 50 kg)—are a win away from assuring themselves a medal and will be playing their quarterfinals on Friday.

In a keenly contested women’s 80 kg bout, Pooja banked on her experience to tackle the speed and energy of her much younger opponent. The Polish boxer was slightly ahead in the contest after the opening round, but Pooja dominated the second round to take control and then maintained a cautious game plan to assure herself a semifinal berth.

In the women’s 57 kg contest, Jaismine did not allow the Uzbek boxer to settle down in the first round itself and maintained that advantage throughout the three rounds.

However, it was the end of the road for former world champion Nikhat Zareen and World Boxing Cup silver medallist Abhinash Jamwal.

Facing two-time Olympic silver medallist Cakiroglu Buse Naz of Turkey in the women’s 51 kg quarterfinals, Nikhat fought valiantly in all three rounds, but the judges gave the Turk the advantage.

Later, Jamwal went down 1-4 against Paris Olympics bronze medallist Guruli Lasha of Georgia in the men’s 65 kg quarterfinals.