Deepak Bhoria, Nishant Dev join Hussamuddin in world boxing quarters

Three Indian boxers will have the opportunity to ensure a medal at the world boxing championships in Tashkent on Wednesday. Deepak Bhoria (51kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg) reached the quarter-finals on Tuesday, while Commonwealth Games medallist Mohammad Hussamuddin had also punched his last-8 ticket.

Bhoria again impressed with his skills, getting the better of Zhang Jiamao of China in the pre-quarterfinals. Though he won the bout by a unanimous 5-0 margin, it was a tough fight. Bhoria did well to keep an attacking Zhang at bay while landing his punches accurately. The first round was close but Bhoria stepped it up in the second and won 5-0, putting Zhang under pressure in the final round. He showed urgency and kept scoring, finishing with a barrage of punches.

Bhoria, who beat Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist and 2021 world champion Saken Bibossinov 5-2 in the previous round, will back himself against Diushebaev Nurzhigit of Kyrgyzstan in the quarters. A semi-final entry will confirm a medal.

"Today, I tried to get the momentum early in the bout and lure my opponent before striking accurate punches. I will give my best in the next match to ensure a medal for India," he said.

Nishant Dev cruised through his pre-quarterfinals, winning by RSC (Referee Stopped Bout) against Goqahaa Nidal of Palestine. Nishant landed solid blows in the first round that proved enough for him. In the quarters, he will face Jorge Cuellar Of Cuba. Nishant, who lost in the quarter-finals of the 2021 edition, will be keen to make amends.

The seasoned Hussamuddin (57kg) will face Bulgaria's J Diaz Ibanez for a place in the semis. The two-time CWG medallist has shown fine form in the tournament and has won all three bouts by unanimous margin.

It was a disappointing end to the campaigns of Sachin Siwach (54kg) and Akash Sangwan (67kg) as they lost to Kazakhstan opponents by identical 5-0 margins. Siwach gave his all but could not match the class of worlds silver medallist and top seed Makhmud Sabyrkhan. Sangwan lost to Kazakhstan's Dulat Bekbauov.

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