NEW DELHI: Priya Ghanghas (60kg) produced a stunning comeback to beat home favourite Niamh Mitchell, while Preeti Pawar and Jadumani Singh also reached the semifinals to assure India of at least three bronze medals at the Commonwealth Games boxing competition on Tuesday. However, Parveen Hooda and Kapil Pokhariya bowed out after losing their quarterfinal bouts.Reigning Asian Games champion Priya overcame a slow start to defeat Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell 4-1 in a thrilling quarterfinal. The 20-year-old from Haryana had to battle not only her opponent but also a loud home crowd cheering every Scottish punch. Priya lost the opening round as four of the five judges gave it to Mitchell. But she made a strong comeback in the second round by attacking aggressively and forcing the Scottish boxer onto the back foot. Both boxers were penalised in the second round. Priya was warned for repeatedly lowering her head, while Mitchell lost a point for excessive clinching.Priya continued her attacking approach in the final round, landed the cleaner punches and sealed the contest by split decision. The judges scored the bout 28-27, 28-27, 27-28, 28-27 and 29-26 in favour of the Indian.
Preeti dominates to reach first CWG semifinal
Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti Pawar (54kg) produced a one-sided performance to beat Northern Ireland’s Nicole Clyde 5-0. The Indian boxer had trained with Clyde during India’s preparation camp in Belfast before the Games but looked far superior in the ring.Despite giving away height, Preeti controlled the fight with her speed, movement and accurate punching. She repeatedly broke through Clyde’s defence with sharp combinations and comfortably won every round.The victory guarantees Preeti the first Commonwealth Games medal of her career. She will face Zambia’s Catherine Mwape in the semifinals.
Jadumani keeps India’s medal hopes alive
Jadumani Singh (55kg) also secured at least a bronze medal after beating Zambia’s Mwengo Mwale by unanimous decision.The Manipuri boxer dominated the contest from start to finish with smart movement, accurate counter-punching and clean combinations. He controlled the pace throughout and earned a comfortable 5-0 victory to move into the semifinals.
Parveen and Kapil crash out
India suffered two setbacks in the quarterfinals.Parveen Hooda (65kg) lost a close 2-3 decision to England’s Sacha Hickey, while Kapil Pokhariya (90kg) was beaten by Scotland’s Robert McNulty, ending both their Commonwealth Games campaigns.