Arundhati Choudhary's Stunning Comeback: Knocks Down Triple WC Medallist

Arundhati’s statement win set the tone for a flawless session, during which Minakshi, Ankush Phangal, Parveen, and Nupur all booked their places in the finals.

Arundhati, the former Youth World Champion and Strandja medallist, competing after a 1.5-year break, showed no signs of rust. She controlled both opening rounds with clean aggression, dropped the German powerhouse once in the second, and knocked her down again in the third to seal a comprehensive win and book her place in the final.

Addressing her dominant performance, Arundhati said, “I have made my international comeback after a year-and-a-half, and I am delighted to be back with an RSC win. I was nervous to begin with, because my last international experience was a loss in the Paris (Olympics 2024) qualifiers before I underwent wrist surgery. But I told myself, ‘This is what I have been waiting for,’ and now I am back!”

World Champion Minakshi (48kg) continued her exceptional form with a near-perfect 5:0 win over Korea’s Bak Cho-rong. She fought with energy and verve, maintaining a tight defensive structure while landing sharp, accurate punches that helped her clearly take all three rounds.

Ankush Phangal (80kg) added another dominant 5:0 victory, overwhelming Australia’s Marlon Sevehon with his pace and pressure, while Nupur (80+kg) kept India’s momentum rolling by outboxing Ukraine’s Mariia Lovchynska with sustained dominance from start to finish. Parveen (60kg) delivered one of the day’s biggest upsets, edging past Poland’s World Boxing Cup silver medallist Rygielska Aneta Elzbieta in a tense 3:2 decision, showcasing strong ring-generalship in crucial exchanges.

In session 5, Preeti (54kg) faces a major test against Olympic medallist and three-time World Champion Huang Hsiao-Wen, Saweety Boora (75kg) takes on Australia’s Emma-Sue Greetree, with Narender and Naveen also chasing finals spots. Abhinash Jamwal opens his campaign against Ukraine’s Elvin Aliiev.

- IANS