Chandigarh pugilists make it to quarterfinals

Chandigarh, July 12

Two pugilists from Chandigarh, Nikhil Nandal (50 kg) and Arman (57 kg), have made their way into the quarterfinals of the 5th Junior Boys National Boxing Championship in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh.

While Nandal scored a convincing 5-0 win over Samad Shaikh of Maharashtra, Arman hardly had to break a sweat to beat Nagaland’s Bishal Singh, with the referee stopping the contest (RSC) in the first round. Meanwhile, Sikander (48 kg) of Haryana reigned supreme as the referee stopped the contest (RSC) in Round 2 against M Manikanda Vishal of Tamil Nadu. Aakash Badhwar of The Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) began the day’s proceedings in the 46-kg category. Continuing in his top notch form, he registered another 5-0 victory, this time against Rishi Singh of Manipur. In the 66-kg category, SSCB’s Prashant exhibited a combination of swiftness and sharpness as he trounced Delhi’s Ronit Tokas in a unanimous decision win. Jasandeep (57 kg), on the other hand, got the better of Chhattisgarh’s Ansh Kumar Yadav in a hard-fought 4-1 win. As many as six SSCB boxers, namely Hemant Sangwan (80 kg), Sahil Baord (52 kg), M Kabiraj Singh (63kg), Rahul Kundu (70kg), Sahil (75kg) and Hardik Panwar (80kg), won through an RSC verdict.