U-19&U-23 Asian Boxing Championships: Futures cup stars Chandrika, Joyshree power India to flying start
Jakarta, July 5
India opened its campaign at the U-19 Asian Boxing Championships in emphatic fashion as World Boxing Futures Cup gold medallist Chandrika Pujari and silver medallist Joyshree Devi registered dominant victories on the opening day in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Competing in the preliminary rounds, Chandrika outboxed Mongolia's Lakham Tsendbaatar to secure a unanimous 5-0 victory in the girls' 51kg category, according to a press release.
Joyshree followed with an equally commanding display, forcing a second-round Referee Stopped Contest (RSC) against Chinese Taipei's Chen Ning Hong in the girls' 54kg division to book her place in the next round.
The Boxing Federation of India has fielded a strong contingent across the U-19 and U-23 categories, with 20 boxers competing in each age group.
The championships provide an important platform for India's next generation to test themselves against Asia's finest, as the country looks to build on its recent success and continue its dominance on the continental stage.
India's campaign continues on Monday with a strong quartet of U-23 men's boxers set to enter the ring.
Asian champion Vishwanath Suresh (50kg) opens proceedings against Uzbekistan's Amirbek Ismoilov, before Ganga (55kg) faces Mongolia's Amgalanbaatar Bulgankhuu.
Sagar Jakhar (60kg) then takes on Japan's Koichi Nakayama, while Hitesh (70kg) rounds off the day's action against Chinese Taipei's Jun-Zhanglin as India looks to build on its impressive start in Jakarta.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great to see our girls performing consistently. But I hope the federation also focuses on their education and overall well-being, not just medals. Boxing is tough on the body at such young ages.
These girls are making India proud! Especially Chandrika winning by unanimous decision - that's dominance. And Joyshree stopping the fight early shows her power. Can't wait to see Vishwanath Suresh tomorrow, he's our Asian champion after all!
India has been producing top boxers consistently now. From Mary Kom to these young girls, the pipeline is strong. But we need more grassroots support in villages where talent often goes unnoticed. This kind of success shouldn't be limited to urban centers.
Wah! What a start! Chandrika and Joyshree are superstars in the making. 20 boxers in each category is impressive depth. The men's team has a tough day tomorrow with Vishwanath facing Uzbekistan's champion but I'm confident. India's boxing is on the rise! 👊
Love seeing young Indian women excel in combat sports. It breaks so many stereotypes. But I wish the media coverage was better - these achievements deserve more attention than they get. These girls are our future Olympic champions!
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.