Boxing World Qualifiers: Ankushita wins opening bout, Abhimanyu loses

Former world youth champion Ankushita Boro prevailed over Namuun Monkhor of Mongolia in the 60kg category while Abhimanyu Loura went down against Ireland’s Kelyn Cassidy in the second round of the 80kg weight category in the 2nd Boxing World qualifiers for Paris Olympics in Bangkok, Thailand, on Monday.

Boro, the first Indian woman competing for an Olympic berth in these qualifiers, began her bout strongly. She countered Monkhor’s quick movements by strategically changing her tactics, ultimately securing a 4-1 victory after three competitive rounds, according to a press release from the Boxing Federation of India (BFI).

On the other hand, Loura faced a tough match against two-time Irish champion Cassidy. Despite his confidence from a previous victory over Bulgaria’s 10-time national champion Kristiyan Nikolov, Loura lost 0-5 as Cassidy effectively countered his long reach.

Looking ahead, Sachin Siwach (57kg), Abhinash Jamwal (63.5kg), and Nishant Dev (71kg) are set to continue their pursuit of Olympic qualification on Tuesday.

On Sunday, Jamwal and Dev both won their respective bouts comfortably. Jamwal, who replaced Olympian Shiva Thapa, dominated his first-round match against Lithuania’s Andriejus Lavrenovas, earning a unanimous 5-0 decision from the judges. Dev also secured a unanimous 5-0 victory over Guinea-Bissau’s Armando Bighafa, controlling the bout from the start and maintaining pressure throughout.

Loura had previously showcased his resilience by defeating Bulgaria’s Kristiyan Nikolov in a thrilling first-round match. Although he started slowly, Loura switched to an offensive strategy in the second round, winning the favor of four out of five judges. He continued this momentum in the final round to clinch a 3-0 victory.

India’s campaign in the qualifiers began with Sachin Siwach’s win in the 57kg category against New Zealand’s Alex Mukuka on Friday. Siwach is set to face Frederik Jensen of Denmark next, while Jamwal will take on Colombia’s Jose Manuel Viafara Fory, and Dev will meet Mongolia’s Otgonbaatar Byamba-Erdene.

India has already secured three spots for the Paris Olympics, with Nikhat Zareen (women’s 50kg), Preeti (54kg), and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) earning their berths by winning bronze medals at the 2022 Asian Games. The Indian contingent for the 2nd world qualifiers includes seven men and three women boxers, with five receiving first-round byes.