Mahi, Palak and two more Indians enter final at 2022 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships

Mahi Siwach and Palak Zambre alongside two more Indian junior girls registered sensational victories and entered finals at the 2022 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan on Tuesday. Vini (50kg) and Yakshika (52kg) were the other two pugilists to make their way into the finals on the seventh day of the competition.

Beginning the days proceedings for India, Mahi looked solid in her attack during the 46kg semi-final against Jordan’s Sadeen Alramhi. Her powerful punches were enough to unsettle the local boxer as Mahi continued with her aggressive approach before the referees stopped the contest in the third round.

Next in action, Palak was equally dominant during her 48kg Last-4 bout as she outpunched Kazakhstan’s Gaukhar Zarden by unanimous margin without breaking a sweat. Vini and Yakshita further extended the country’s winning momentum and marched into the finals with comfortable victories. While Vini (50kg) defeated Iraq’s Dalya Al-Sammarraie by RSC verdict, Yakshika blanked Kazakhstan’s Shakhnaz Tairzhanova 5-0.

The Indian contingent has secured 21 medals in the junior section at the prestigious continental event where both the age groups of men and women — youth and junior — are being played together. Among girls, 11 boxers have confirmed medals with semi-finals berths while Nirjhara Bana (+80kg) will play directly in the final. On the other hand, nine boxers have entered the Last-4 stage in the junior boys’ category.

On Monday night, country’s youth men boxers Vanshaj (63.5kg) and Anand Yadav (54kg) marched into the semi-finals with identical 5-0 wins in their respective Last-8 bouts. Last edition’s silver medallist Vanshaj knocked out Iran’s Mohammad Parsi to secure his second successive medal while Anand blanked Tajikistan’s Buzurgmekhr Iksanov.

Meanwhile, it was heartbreak for Ayush (57kg), Rudra Pratap Singh (60kg) and Anjani Kumar Mummana (67kg) who ended their campaigns with quarter-finals losses at the tournament which has been witnessing a strong competition in presence of 352 boxers from 21 countries including India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. The finals will be played on March 13 and 14.