Debutant Akash Kumar (54kg) signed off with a bronze in the AIBA men’s World boxing championships after going down to Kazakh teenager Makhmud Sabyrkhan in the semifinals here on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Akash lost 5-0 to end the country’s campaign in the competition, where he became the seventh Indian male boxer to win a medal. He also claimed prize money of $25,000.
The Indian started well but Sabyrkhan got his measure in a matter of seconds, scoring primarily with his right crosses to slow down Akash after the early burst.
Akash had upstaged former Olympic silver-medallist Yoel Finol Rivas of Venezuela in the quarterfinals.
