Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships: India ends campaign on a high with 39 medals
Preeti Dahiya and three youth women boxers emerged as champions on the final day as the Indian contingent concluded their successful campaign at the 2021 ASBC Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships. The country's teams ended with 39 medals, including 14 gold, in Dubai.
India won 19 medals, including eight gold, five silver and six bronze medals, in the junior event played earlier. The youth boxers added 20 more medals (six gold, nine silver and five bronze) to India’s tally at the prestigious continental event, where both the age groups —junior and youth —were played together for the first time.
Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg) won India’s first gold in seven years in the youth men’s category at the Asian Championships and Vishal (80kg) added another gold to the tally. After those two victories, Neha (54kg) handed the country gold in the youth women’s event. She managed to win against Kazakhstan’s Aishagul Yeleubayeva with a split 3-2 decision.
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Later, Preeti Dahiya struck another gold with a similar victory in the 60kg final against the 2021 Youth World Championships silver medallist Zuldyz Shayakhmetova of Kazakhstan.
Sneha Kumari (66kg) and Khushi (75kg) too claimed convincing victories in their respective finals to bag gold medals. While Sneha registered a Referee Stopping the Contest (RSC) win over local favorite Rahmah Almurshidi, Khushi blanked Kazakhstan’s Dana Diday.
Several other youth boxers in action on the final day signed off in some style. Vishvanath Suresh (48kg), Nivedita Karki (48kg), Tamanna (50kg), Simran Verma (52kg), Preeti (57kg), Khushi (63kg), Vanshaj (64kg), Jaydeep Rawat (71kg) and Tanishbir Kaur Sandhu (81kg) all collected silver medals.
Indian youth boxing team finish well
Earlier five boxers, including one woman, claimed bronze medals in the youth event after finishing in the semi-finals.
Among the men, Daksh Singh (67kg), Deepak (75kg), Abhimanyu Loura (92kg) and Aman Singh Bisht (92+kg) bagged bronze medals. Lashu Yadav (70kg) ended with a bronze in the women’s category.
With 20 medals in the youth event, India also bettered their tally of 12 medals, including five golds, achieved in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in the 2019 edition.
List of Indian medalists
Youth (MEN)
GOLD: Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg), Vishal (80kg);
SILVER: Vishvanath Suresh (48kg), Vanshaj (64kg) and Jaydeep Rawat (71kg);
BRONZE: Daksh (67kg), Deepak (75kg), Abhimanyu (92kg) and Aman Singh Bisht (92+kg).
Youth (WOMEN)
GOLD: Neha (54kg), Preeti Dahiya (60kg), Sneha Kumari (66kg) and Khushi (75kg);
SILVER: Nivedita Karki (48kg), Tamanna (50kg), Simran Verma (52kg), Preeti (57kg), Khushi (63kg) and Tanishbir Kaur Sandhu (81kg);
BRONZE: Lashu Yadav (70kg).
Juniors (BOYS)
GOLD: Rohit Chamoli (48kg) and Bharat Joon (+81kg);
SILVER: Gaurav Saini (70kg);
BRONZE: Ashish (54kg), Anshul (57kg) and Ankush (66kg).
Juniors (GIRLS)
GOLD: Vishu Rathee (48kg), Tanu (52kg), Nikita Chand (60kg), Mahi Raghav (63kg), Pranjal Yadav (75kg) and Kirti (+81kg);
SILVER: Muskan (46kg), Aanchal Saini (57kg), Rudrika (70kg) and Sanjana (81kg);
BRONZE: Devika Ghorpade (50kg), Aarzoo (54kg) and Supriya Rawat (66kg).