Abhinash Jamwal and Nishant Dev excel in Olympic boxing qualifiers

Indian boxers Abhinash Jamwal and Nishant Dev secured wins on the third day of the second World Boxing Qualifiers for the Paris Olympics, on Sunday.

Abhinash Jamwal, competing in the 63.5 kg category, made a remarkable entrance by defeating Lithuania’s Andriejus Lavrenovas in his first-round bout. Jamwal, who replaced Olympian Shiva Thapa for these qualifiers, demonstrated exceptional skill. From the outset, the Himachal Pradesh native delivered precise punches, dominating the match to earn a unanimous 5-0 decision from the judges.

Later in the day, Nishant Dev, a world championship bronze medalist in the 71 kg category, followed Jamwal's lead with a commanding performance against Armando Bighafa of Guinea-Bissau. Dev maintained control throughout the bout, never allowing his opponent a moment of respite. His relentless attack secured him a unanimous 5-0 victory, mirroring Jamwal's earlier success.

The Indian contingent in Bangkok includes ten boxers, with Sachin Siwach (57 kg) and Abhimanyu Loura (80 kg) already having achieved victories on the initial days of the competition. Meanwhile, other prominent boxers such as Amit Panghal (51 kg), Sanjeet (92 kg), Narender (+92 kg), Jaismine (57 kg), and Arundhati Choudhary (66 kg) have all received first-round byes.

Looking ahead, Ankushita Boro will begin her campaign in the 60 kg category against Mongolia's Namuun Monkhor on Monday. Additionally, Abhimanyu Loura will face Ireland’s Kelyn Cassidy in the 80 kg round of 32.

India's boxers have already secured three berths for the Paris Olympics at the 2022 Asian Games, and the ongoing qualifiers present further opportunities to expand the nation's representation at the prestigious event.