Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal started the season on a strong note as Indian boxers packed enough power into their punches to assure themselves of five medals in the 70th Strandja Memorial Boxing in Sofia, Bulgaria, on Sunday.
Panghal made the semifinal after a closely contested 3-2 win over Ukraine’s Nazar Kurotchyn in the 49kg category.
The Indian women pugilists too guaranteed four medals at the end of the third day at the prestigious tournament.
Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), who won the bronze at the 2018 AIBA Wold Women Boxing Championships, put up a robust display to beat Brazil’s Soarez Beatriz in a unanimous 5-0 victory and assure the first medal for the women boxers.
Following suit was young boxer, Manju Rani, who defeated Bonati Roberta of Italy with a unanimous 5-0 verdict.
Former world junior champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) lived up to the expectations by outclassing Buryam Yana of Belarus 5-0.
The results (pre-qaurterfinals): 49kg: Amit Panghal bt Nazar Kurotchyn (Ukr) 3-2; 52kg: Gaurav Solanki bt Anvar Muzaparov (Kaz) 3-2/
91kg: Naman Tanwar bt Michal Soczynski (Pol) 5-0; Jasin Ljama (MKD) bt Ankush Dahiya RSC.
69kg: Lovlina Borgohain bt Soarez Beatriz (Bra) 5-0. 48kg: Manju Rani bt Bonati Roberta (Ita) 5-0.
