After a mixed-day on the penultimate day of the 2021 Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai, India will hope for a strong finish with Amit Pangal, Shiva Thapa, and Sanjeet lining up for their respective finals. (More Sports News)
On Saturday, three of the four Indian finalists in the women's section, including legendary MC Mary Kom (51 kg), lost their bouts to settle for silver medals. Pooja Rani (75 kg), however, salvaged India's pride with a dominant performance against Mavluda Movlonova of Uzbekistan. Tournament debutants Lalbuatsaihi (64kg) and Anupama (81+kg) also finished seconds.
So, all eyes will be on the three male boxers who have qualified for the finals, especially Tokyo Olympics-bound Panghal (52 kg). He will look to defend his title when he takes the ring against the Rio Olympics and world champion Zoirov Shakhobidin of Uzbekistan. It will be a repeat of the 2019 World Championships final in which the Indian had lost to settle for silver.
Thapa (64kg), the joint-most successful male boxer in the Championships, will be out to prove a point or two, again. Sanjeet (91kg) has a massive task at hand. The boxer from Assam will be challenged by the Asian Games silver medallist, Baatarsukh Chinzorig of Mongolia.
Sanjeet, seeded second, will fight against the Rio Olympics silver medallist Vassiliy Levit, who is chasing his fourth gold medal of the Asian Championships.
Irrespective of the results on the final day, India will end the championships with 15 medals, a record haul for the country. Ten of those coming from the women's section. Varinder Singh (60kg) and Vikas Krishan (69kg) have previously settled for bronze medals.
Match-ups (fight card). First bout starts at 7:30 pm IST (6:00 pm local):
49 kg: Mirzakhmedov Nodirjon (UZB) vs Daniyal Sabit (KAZ)
52 kg: Amit Panghal (IND) vs Zoirov Shakhobidin (UZB)
56 kg: Mirazizbek Mirzahalilov (UZB) vs Kharkhuu Enkh-Amar (MNG)
60 kg: Erdenebat Tsendbaatar (MNG) vs Daniyal Shahbakhsh (IRI)
64 kg: Shiva Thapa (IND) vs Baatarsukh Chinzorig (MNG)
69 kg: Baturov Bobo-Usmon (UZB) vs Ablaikhan Zhussupov (KAZ)
75 kg: Jafarov Saidjamshid (UZB) vs Abilkhan Amankul (KAZ)
81 kg: Meysam Gheshlaghi (IRI) vs Ruzmetov Dilshodbek (UZB)
91 kg: Vassiliy Levit (KAZ) vs Sanjeet (IND)
91+ kg: Jalolov Bakhodir (UZB) Kamshibek Kunkabayev (KAZ)
How to watch
TV Channel: Not available
Live Streaming: YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJH3SDm7ehg ]
