The Indonesian and Nepali women boxers dethroned world class boxers in the Indian Open Boxing Tournament on Day3

The Indian Open Boxing Tournament continued with its third competition day in New Delhi where the winners advanced to the semi-finals. India’s national icon Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte and Tajikistan’s young star Shabbos Negmatulloev was also among the winners but the sensations were delivered by Indonesia’s Christina Marwan Jembay and Nepal’s Punam Rawal on Day3.
The competition is very important for the Indian boxers before the Commonwealth Games and their Open Boxing Tournament is a selection event to the multisport event. The boxing tournament of the Commonwealth Games will be held in Gold Coast, Australia in April 4-15 therefore many of the involved countries decided to attend in the Indian Open Boxing Tournament as one of the last preparations.
India’s five-time AIBA Women’s World Champion and five-time ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte was not enough successful in the last Olympic era but their national icon did not give up her dreams and continued her career in an upgraded level. The defending ASBC Asian Women’s Champion at light flyweight (48kg) demonstrated her amazing fighting spirit and enjoyed her quarter-final against India’s Bina K. Devi which means Mary Kom can continues in the last four.
Indonesia’s Southeast Asian Games silver medallist Christina Marwan Jembay was not enough shape in the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships but this time she arrived to New Delhi in top form. The experienced Indonesian featherweight (57kg) boxer shocked one of the host nation’s pride in the quarter-final of the event when she eliminated India’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist Sonia Lather Singh which was the top sensation of the female competition on Day3.
India’s former AIBA Women’s World Champion Sarita Devi Laishram began her boxing career in the same year as their living legend Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte. Devi is also active in the international level and returned to her lightweight (60kg) after a short break. The 36-year-old boxer had to do her very best against Thailand’s AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships silver medallist and Rio 2016 Olympian Peamwilai Laopeam in the quarter-final but her efforts were enough to beat the Southeast Asian star.
Nepal sent big delegation to the Indian Open Boxing Tournament and their new talents and national team members delivered several sensations in New Delhi. Their women’s light welterweight (64kg) boxer Punam Rawal, who achieved a national title this month, exceeded all previous expectations when she eliminated Tajikistan’s Children of Asia Games bronze medallist Idimokh Kholova.
Thailand’s Thani Narinram claimed the gold medal in the 2014 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Bangkok but he needed a few years to show up his talent also in the elite age group. The 21-year-old Thai talent, who achieved silver medal in the Southeast Asian Games last August, eliminated as first as India’s AIBA Youth World Champion Sachin Siwach Singh. The Thai light flyweight (49kg) boxer was confident after this success and controlled his quarter-final over Philippines’ Ramel Macado.
India’s new National Trials winner at the flyweight (52kg) Gaurav Solanki is near to receive the right to box in the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast. The 20-year-old boxer competed successfully in the Commonwealth Youth Games two and half years ago and he is totally focusing to the upcoming multisport event therefore Solanki absolutely gave in everything to his next combat in New Delhi. The Indian boxer’s opponent was a competitive one, Bhutan’s Tenzin Drugyel who did nice things in the ring but Solanki advanced to the next stage.
Following his participation at the Bangkok 2015 ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships Manish Kaushik won the Indian National Championships at the lightweight (60kg) three months ago. Kaushik, who defeated their star Shiva Thapa in the Indian Nationals, shocked another world class level boxer with his effective jabs at the Indian Open Tournament, this time Cuba’s WSB star Armando Martinez was his scalp in the first preliminary round. The young Indian talent continued his incredible series against the best boxers in the world and defeated Philippines’ Incheon 2014 Asian Games silver medallist Charly Suarez in the quarter-final.
India’s ASBC Asian Champion and two-time Olympian Shiva Thapa is one of their best male boxer who had a few difficulties in the international events since the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. Thapa, who moved up to the lightweight (60kg), was pressurized Bhutan’s national team member Dorji Wangdi in the preliminary round of the Indian Open Boxing Tournament. Thapa had a more difficult rival as second in the quarter-final but he was able to find the best attacking positions when he met with Uzbekistan’s Sherbek Rakhmatulloev.
Uzbekistan’s new sensation at the welterweight (69kg) Bobo-Usmon Boturov won the title at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Baku last May. The 22-year-old Uzbek moved forward from the first seconds against Nepal’s Bishnu Prasad Ghale and controlled his contest with his enthusiastic style. Boturov pressurized his Nepali opponent until the end of the last gong therefore the judges had easy job to pick him as the winner of the bout.
Tajikistan’s Shabbos Negmatulloev turned to 20 in the recent months and following his superb junior and youth career he advanced to the last eight also in the Hamburg 2017 AIBA World Boxing Championships. The Tajik light heavyweight (81kg) boxer felt the rhythm of the bout mainly from the second round against Thailand’s newcomer Yomkhot Jakkapong and secured his place in the last four in New Delhi.