PANGHAL, THAPA PUNCH THEIR WAY INTO FINALS

Defending champion Amit Panghal (52kg) and Shiva Thapa (64kg) stormed into the Asian Boxing Championship finals with resounding victories in the last-four stage on Friday.

While Panghal out-punched familiar foe Saken Bibossinov of Kazakhstan 5-0, Thapa, the first Indian boxer in the tournament history to secure five medals, dominated top-seeded defending champion Bakhodur Usmonov of Tajikistan to make the finals with a 4-0 verdict.

However, tournament debutant and national champion Varinder Singh (60kg) settled for the bronze medal after a high-intensity clash against Iran’s Daniyal Shahbakhsh. The Indian lost 2-3 after fighting his heart out. —