Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
India’s boxing contingent delivered a flawless performance at the Commonwealth Games on Friday, with all 10 semifinalists winning their bouts to march into the gold medal contests and cap a memorable day in Glasgow.
World champion Jaismine Lamboria, Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, Asian Games medallist Preeti Pawar, Arundhati Choudhary, Sakshi Chaudhary, Priya Ghanghas, Ankush Panghal, Jadumani Singh, Narender and the rest of the Indian contingent ensured a perfect 10-on-10 record, guaranteeing India at least 10 silver medals with gold now firmly in sight.
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The biggest talking point of the day came in the women’s 70kg division, where Arundhati Choudhary stunned defending Commonwealth Games champion Rosie Eccles of Wales in a fiery and ill-tempered contest. Choudhary dominated the opening two rounds, forcing Eccles into a standing count before holding her nerve in a scrappy final round to seal a deserved 4-0 verdict.
Commonwealth Games July 31: Highlights
JAISMINE, LOVLINA CRUISE
If Arundhati produced the upset, Jaismine Lamboria delivered the most dominant performance of the day.
The reigning world champion overwhelmed Lesotho’s Rapelang Maselela from the opening bell, forcing three standing counts before the referee stepped in to stop the contest late in the second round. The emphatic Referee Stops Contest (RSC) victory underlined Jaismine’s status as one of India’s strongest gold medal hopes.
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain was equally impressive in the women’s 75kg semifinal, barely breaking a sweat in a comprehensive 5-0 win over Tuvalu’s Tarona Khanum Badi Pasoni Taafaki.
Making full use of her height, reach and trademark movement, Lovlina controlled the contest from start to finish, landing clean combinations while keeping her opponent at bay throughout the three rounds.
FIVE MORE IMPRESSIVE WINS
India’s momentum never slowed.
Preeti Pawar outclassed Zambia’s Catherine Mwape in the women’s 54kg semifinal, earning a unanimous decision after repeatedly troubling her opponent with sharp counter-attacks. Mwape received three standing counts across the opening two rounds as Preeti booked a gold medal clash with Canada’s Scarlett Delgado.
In the women’s 51kg category, Sakshi Chaudhary comfortably defeated Canada’s Amber Jane Wall 5-0, while Priya Ghanghas produced another unanimous victory over England’s Lucy Kings-Wheatley in the women’s 60kg semifinal.
The men’s contingent matched the women punch for punch.
Jadumani Singh secured his place in the 55kg final with a commanding unanimous victory over Namibia’s P.P.M. Haoseb, while Ankush Panghal brushed aside Ghana’s Joshua Ofori in the men’s 80kg semifinal. After absorbing an early burst of aggression, Ankush took complete control with crisp combinations and intelligent movement to earn a one-sided 5-0 verdict.
NARENDER COMPLETES THE SWEEP
The perfect day in the ring was completed by heavyweight Narender, who rounded off India’s remarkable evening with another commanding performance.
Facing Trinidad and Tobago’s Nigel Paul in the men’s 90+kg semifinal, Narender controlled the opening two rounds with disciplined boxing before comfortably seeing out the contest for a unanimous 5-0 decision.
His victory ensured India completed a perfect 10-from-10 in the boxing semifinals, one of the most dominant days ever produced by the country’s boxers at the Commonwealth Games.
With 10 finalists now preparing for the gold medal bouts, India heads into the closing stages of the boxing competition with an unprecedented opportunity to transform a flawless day into a historic medal haul.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
