Women’s World C’Ships: Lovlina, Sakshi advance to quarters after unanimous verdict

Indian boxer Sakshi (52kg) notched a 5-0 unanimous decision win against Zhazira Urakbayeva of Kazakhstan to advance to the quarterfinals of the Women’s World Championship here on Monday.

Her clean punches helped Lovlina, a two-time 69kg Worlds bronze medallist who last competed in the Asian championships four months back, stay ahead. | Photo Credit: BFI Media

In spite of her rustiness, Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain secured a unanimous verdict against dashing Mexican professional boxer Citlalli Ortiz in her first 75kg bout in the World women’s boxing championships at the K.D. Jadhav Hall, here on Monday.

Apart from eighth-seeded Lovlina, double World youth champion Sakshi Chaudhary (52kg), who gave a fabulous performance to beat fifth-seeded Kazakh and Asian bronze medallist Zhazira Urakbayeva 5-0, also entered the quarterfinals.

Promising Preeti Sai Pawar (54kg) put up a valiant fight before losing 3-4 to Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong, a Worlds silver medallist in 52kg.

Even as Citlalli, a 2017 World youth title winner (69kg) in American colours in Guwahati, came charging forward, the lanky Lovlina – about half-a-foot taller than the Mexican – threw punches, predominantly left jabs, from a long-range and tried to hold off her compact opponent, who suffered a cut in the second round.

Her clean punches helped Lovlina, a two-time 69kg Worlds bronze medallist who last competed in the Asian championships four months back, stay ahead.

“I could not apply my plans well, I am not happy. I wanted to box a little forward but she was rushing in,” said Lovlina, who would meet top-seeded Mozambican Worlds bronze winner Rady Gramane.

Sakshi, a 2021 Asian bronze medallist, gave a fine exhibition of excellent footwork and jabs to keep the dangerous Zhazira at bay.

Sakshi beautifully executed her game plan by landing a mix of single and double jabs from a distance. The Indian will face the experienced Chinese Yu Wu next.

Important results (preliminary rounds)

52kg: Anjani Teli (Nep) bt Marie Kathreen (Hai) 5-0; Yulia Apnasovich (Blr) bt Feruza Kazakova (Uzb) 4-3; Sakshi Chaudhary bt Zhazira Urkabateva (Kaz) 5-0; Yu Wu (Chn) bt Maria Caceres (Esp) 5-0; Rinka Kinoshita (Jpn) bt Sara Cirkovic (Srb) 5-0;

54kg: Jutamas Jitpong (Tha) bt Preeti Sai Pawar 4-3; Enkhjargal Munguntsetseg (Mgl) bt Tatiana Chagas (Bra) 4-1; Olena Savchuk (Ita) bt Tiana Echegaray (Aus) 4-1; Zhaina Shekerbekova (Kaz) bt Nigina Uktamova (Uzb) 5-1;

70kg: Pan Zhou (Chn) bt Ani Hovsepyan (Arm) 5-0; Barbara Dos Santos (Bra) bt Nikolina Gajic (Srb) 4-1; Madina Nurshayeva (Kaz) bt Hongeun Choi (Kor) 3-0;

75kg: Rady Gramane (Moz) bt Sokhiba Ruzmetova (Uzb) 5-0; Lovlina Borgohain bt Citlalli Ortiz (Mex) 5-0; Davina Michel (Fra) bt Alina Veber (Blr) 5-0; Elif Guneri (Tur) Viviane Pereira (Bra) 4-1; Anne Catlin (Aus) bt Jessica Triebelova (Svk) 5-0; Atheyna Bylon (Pan) bt Anastasiia Shamanova (Rus) 5-0.