NEW DELHI: Priya Ghanghas (60kg) staged a stunning comeback to defeat home favorite Niamh Mitchell, while: Preeti Pawar and Jadumani Singh also reached the semifinals to ensure India at least three bronze medals in 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 beat Scotland’s Niamh Mitchell 4-1 in a thrilling quarterfinal. The 20-year-old from Haryana had to contend not only with his opponent but also with a loud home crowd cheering every Scottish punch. Priya lost in the opening round because four of the five judges gave it to Mitchell. But he made a strong comeback in the second round by attacking aggressively and putting the Scottish boxer on the back foot. Both boxers were punished in the second round. Priya was cautioned for repeatedly lowering her head, while Mitchell lost a point for excessive grip.Priya continued her attacking approach in the final round, landing clean punches and sealing the contest by split decision. The judges scored the match 28-27, 28-27, 27-28, 28-27 and 29-26 in favor of the Indian.
Preeti dominated to reach the first CWG semifinals
Asian Games bronze medalist Preeti Pawar (54kg) produced a one-sided performance to defeat Northern Ireland’s Nicole Clyde, 5-0. The Indian boxer trained with Clyde during India’s preparation camp in Belfast ahead of the Games but seemed to excel in the ring.Despite giving away the height, Preeti controlled the fight with her speed, movement and accurate punching. He regularly broke Clyde’s defense with sharp combinations and comfortably won every round.The win guaranteed Preeti the first Commonwealth Games medal of her career. She will face Catherine Mwape of Zambia in the semifinals.
Jadumani kept India’s medal hopes alive
Jadumani Singh (55kg) also got at least one bronze medal after defeating Zambia’s Mwengo Mwale by unanimous decision.The Manipuri boxer dominated the bout from start to finish with smart movement, accurate counter-punching and clean combinations. He controlled the pace throughout and earned a comfortable 5-0 win to advance to the semifinals.
Parveen and Kapil collide
India suffered two losses 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 their Commonwealth Games campaign.