Preeti Dahiya, Sneha Kumari, Khushi, Neha win gold at Asian Youth Boxing Championships

Preeti Dahiya (60kg), Sneha Kumari (66kg), Khushi (75kg) and Neha (54kg) clinched gold medals in the women's draw, while Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg) and Vishal (80kg) were the gold winners in the men's competition.

Indian boxer Sneha Kumari celebrates winning gold.

Preeti Dahiya and three other youth women boxers emerged champions on the final day of the 2021 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships. India concluded its successful campaign with 39 medals, including 14 gold, in Dubai. 

India had already won 19 medals, including eight gold, five silver and six bronze medals, in the junior event played earlier. The youth boxers added 20 more (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. 

 

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After Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg) won India’s first gold in the last seven years in the youth men’s category at the Asian Championships and Vishal (80kg) added one more yellow metal to the tally, Neha (54kg) handed the country gold in the youth women’s event played late on Monday night. She managed to win against Kazakhstan’s Aishagul Yeleubayeva by a split 3-2 decision.

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) claimed convincing victories in their respective finals to bag gold medals. Sneha registered Referee Stopping the Contest (RSC) win over local favourite Rahmah Almurshidi, Khushi blanked Kazakhstan’s Dana Diday.

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Meanwhile, other youth boxers in action on the final day, 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) signed off with silver medals.

Earlier, five boxers, including one woman, claimed bronze medals in the youth event after finishing in the semifinals. Among men, Daksh Singh (67kg), Deepak (75kg), Abhimanyu Loura (92kg) and Aman Singh Bisht (92+kg) bagged bronze medals while Lashu Yadav (70kg) ended with a bronze in the women’s category.

With 20 medals in the youth event, India also bettered last edition’s medals tally of 12, including five gold, achieved in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia in 2019.

RESULTS: (YOUTH EVENT) (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).  (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). (JUNIOR EVENT) (BOYS): GOLD: Rohit Chamoli (48kg) and Bharat Joon (+81kg); SILVER: Gaurav Saini (70kg); BRONZE: Ashish (54kg), Anshul (57kg) and Ankush (66kg). (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).