India's Narender Berwal secured a bronze medal in the men's boxing event for the 92 kg category after facing a unanimous decision defeat in the semi-final clash at the Asian Games 2023.
Narender faced a 0-5 defeat against Kamshybek Kunkabayev of Kazakhstan, a renowned Olympic and world championship medalist, in the semifinals, missing his chance at an Olympic quota.
Initially, Narender managed to land a few punches, but soon became more defensive. Kunkabayev dominated the round, securing a 5-0 lead.
During the following six minutes, Kunkabayev amplified his aggression, effortlessly landing punches, leaving Narender seemingly without a strategy. Despite being behind on all scorecards, it appeared as though Narender hoped for a knockout. However, the game-changing punch never materialised.
Another Indian boxer Sachin Siwach faced a 4-1 defeat against China's Lyu Ping in the men's 57kg quarter-final. Sachin, the 2021 youth world champion, will return from Hangzhou with either a medal or an Olympic spot. During the second round of their match, an unintentional head clash resulted in an injury to Lyu Ping, halting the fight. Nonetheless, this was not ruled as a knockout, and the victory was awarded to the Chinese boxer.
Earlier in the day, Indian women boxers Lovlina Borgohain and Parveen Hooda have secured medals, while both Preeti Pawar and Nikhat Zareen clinched bronze.
Tokyo Olympic bronze winner, Borgohain, skillfully navigated her match against Thailand's Asian Championship silver medallist, Baison Manikon. She secured a unanimous 5-0 victory, keeping her hopes alive for a gold medal in the continental event.
Preeti, daughter of an assistant sub-inspector with the Haryana Police, delivered a commendable performance. However, she faced a 0-5 defeat to China's current flyweight champion, Chang Yuan. Despite this setback, she has already ensured her spot in the Olympics.
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