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Boxing

Boxing World C'ships: Lovlina, Sakshi dominates, Preeti goes down fighting

Lovlina Borgohain and Sakshi Chaudhary won their bouts while Preeti lost after fighting a tight battle at Boxing World Championships.

Boxing World Cships: Lovlina, Sakshi dominates, Preeti goes down fighting
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Sakshi Chaudhary (52 kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (75 kg) moved into quarter-finals of World Boxing Championships. (source: BFI)

By

Pritish Raj

Updated: 20 March 2023 4:34 PM GMT

New Delhi: It was a mismatch, to say the least when Lovlina Borgohain stared from her tall frame into the eyes of Vanessa Ortiz from Mexico before landing a big right hook to her face.

The 2020 Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist played the waiting game against her shorter opponent to win 5-0 and cruise into the 75 kg category quarter-finals at the ongoing Women's Boxing World Championships.

After that first hook, Lovlina stayed conservative in her attacks and played on the mistakes of her opponent to secure a clinical win in her new weight category.

Lovlina's weight category from the 2020 Olympics has been scrapped and the boxer from Assam had to put on 9 kg to fight in the 75 kg weight category.

Despite winning with much ease, Lovlina was not satisfied with her win. "I don't think I am happy with my win today. Due to the short stature of my opponent, I decided to play the defensive game but I am expecting better from myself," she told the media after her win.

This second major international tournament for Lovlina in the 75 kg weight category after she won gold at Asian Boxing Championships.

Earlier in the day, Preeti Sai Pawar suffered a tight defeat despite giving it her all against an experienced opponent. Preeti was up against the 2022 World Championships silver medalist Jitpong Jutamas of Thailand.

In a bout that was decided by the review system, Preeti started well against Jitpong and outclassed her in the first round with her aggressive moves and punches.

But the experienced pugilist from Thailand held her composure and forced Preeti to lose her energy in moving around before outclassing her in the next two rounds.

In the first game of the day, Sakshi Chaudhary hardly put a foot wrong in her commanding 5-0 win against the 2022 Asian Championships bronze medallist Zhazira Urakbayeva of Kazakhstan in the Last-16 contest.

The 23-year-old boxer from Haryana was at her attacking best as she moved well and landed clean punches to defeat the Kazakh boxer and move to the quarter-finals in the 52 kg category.

"My confidence is growing as the bouts progress so through the vigor and the passion that I currently possess, I am focused on clinching the gold," Sakshi told the media.

Six Indians, including the reigning world champion Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Nitu Ghanghas (48kg), Manisha Moun (57kg), Jaismine Lamboriya (60kg), Shashi Chopra (63kg) and Manju Bamboriya (66kg), will compete in the pre-quarterfinals on Tuesday.

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