Shiva Thapa, Amit Panghal Establish Home Dominance At India Open

Shiva Thapa, Amit Panghal Establish Home Dominance At India Open

An Amazing homecoming for Shiva Thapa and Amit Panghal, former being the World championship bronze medallist and other being the Asian Games gold medallist who conjointly lived up to their charge reaching the semifinal within the 52kg category at the second India Open boxing tournament here on Wednesday

At the same venue when he has crowned the national champion three years ago, the World championship bronze medallist has prepared himself as he was clinically executed all his plan to defend his Mauritius opponent Hellene Damien 5-0 and set up a semifinal clash against D Krystian Sczepanski of Poland in the 60kg category.

Shiva Thapa said that he was facing a taller opponent like him for the first time in his category, who will switch to 63kg once the tournament keeping in mind of the approved weight categories for Olympic qualification.

"He had a more robust reach so my strategy was to hit him from the close range and then quickly go out of his reach. It worked out perfectly."

"I can’t express it in words the superb feeling. The crowd was all at their toes and it had been regarding living up to their expectation," same Thapa, who last month became the first Indian male boxer to claim four consecutive Asian medals along with his bronze at the Asian Championship in Bangkok.

In the 52kg category, Indians ruled the roost with Panghal, national champion P L Prasad, former world youth champion Sachin Siwach and ruling Commonwealth Games champion Gaurav Solanki making it an all-Indian lineup.

"It took some time for me to assess him and find a grip of his kind of play but I am happy that it paid off," Panghal said.

"It's a tough category. Several new boxers will come in to meet the Olympic qualification standard. I have to watch both," Panghal, who had clinched gold in his new weight category within the Asian championship beating Dusmatov once more, he added.

Also Read: SPORTS NEWS

Top Headlines

No stories found.
Sentinel Assam
www.sentinelassam.com