Boxer Nutlai settles for bronze in Astana

NEW DELHI: Indian boxer Nutlai Lalbiakkima (49kg), who upstaged Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov in the quarterfinals, settled for a bronze medal along with two others after a semi-final loss in the President’s Cup in Astana, Kazakhstan on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Lalbiakkima lost to local favourite Erzhan Zhomart to bow out in the semifinal stage.

Also ending with bronze medals were former world youth champion Sachin Siwach (52kg) and Priyanka in the women’s draw.

BIDHURI ENTERS FINAL

NEWDELHI:World Championship bronze medallist Gaurav Bidhuri (56kg) continued a fine comeback from injury as he advanced to the semi-final of the Umakhanov Memorial boxing tournament in Kaspiysk, Russia on Sunday.

Bidhuri defeated Russia’s Magomed Shakhbanov to reach the final.

Bidhuri had been out of action ever since his bronze medal at the Hamburg World Championship in September last year owing to a nagging back injury.

LEDECKY WINS 200M

SANTA CLARA: Katie Ledecky won the 200 metres freestyle at an outdoor meet in Northern California on Saturday with the world’s fastest time this year.

The five-time Olympic champion touched first in 1:54.56 min in the TYR Pro Swim Series, beating her closest rival by nearly three seconds at the George F. Haines International Swim Center.

KIRANI JAMES SHINES

KINGSTON: Former Olympic and World champion Kirani James returned from a long layoff to claim the 400 metres at the Racers Grand Prix on Saturday, clocking a winning time of 44.35 seconds.

James, who is Grenada’s first and only Olympic medallist, produced a final burst to beat runner-up Fred Kerley of the United States by 100th of a second at the National Stadium in Kingston.