NEW DELHI: World champion Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) showcased her mettle by securing an Olympic quota spot for herself in style during her remarkable journey to the final at the Asian Games.
Young Indian boxer Preeti Pawar (54kg) clinched a well-deserved bronze medal while Narender Berwal (+92kg) also signed off with bronze at the continental event.
Borgohain, who had previously clinched a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, displayed strategic prowess as she cleverly managed her bout against Baison Manikon of Thailand, the Asian Championship silver medallist. Borgohain secured a unanimous decision win, booking her ticket for the upcoming Paris Games in the process.
Preeti Pawar delivered an impressive performance but faced a formidable opponent in China's reigning flyweight champion, Chang Yuan. Preeti, who had already secured an Olympic quota, valiantly fought but ultimately lost to Chang with a score of 0-5.
The clash between these two southpaw boxers in the opening three minutes was nothing short of a display of high skill and strategic acumen. Preeti strategically employed her right hook to poke and peck at her opponent, while Chang consistently landed powerful right hooks.
In a pivotal moment during the bout, the 19-year-old Indian boxer executed a double jab, followed by two right hooks and two precise body shots, earning crucial points. However, Chang responded with aggression, launching a right cross and a flurry of jabs.
Chang's precise punches earned her favour with four out of the five judges in the opening round.
In the second round, Preeti escalated the intensity of her attacks, seeking to breach Chang's formidable defence. Despite enjoying the support of the crowd, Chang adeptly defended herself by skillfully moving around the ring. Chang received warnings on multiple occasions for hitting Preeti behind her head.
With a lead secured, Chang maintained her defensive strategy throughout the final three minutes, ultimately securing the win.
Narender went down 0-5 to Olympic and world championship medallist Kamshybek Kunkabayev of Kazakhstan in the semifinal to miss out on an Olympic quota.
After landing a few blows early on, Narender went into his shell. The Kazakh boxer asserted his authority taking the round 5-0.
In the next six minutes Kunkabayev showed more urgency, landing punches at will as Narender looked clueless. Trailing on all cards, the Indian was probably trying to go for a knockout but that punch never came.
