Women's national boxing championships: Pooja Rani, Jaismine sail into second round
Youth world champion Arundhati Chaudhary also won her opening bout. A total of 49 bouts were contested in seven categories on the second day of the meet.
Two-time Asian champion Pooja Rani and emerging talent Jaismine were the winners in their respective opening round bouts on the second day of the women’s national boxing championships 2021 in Hisar, Haryana on Friday.
Competing in the 81kg category at the St Joseph’s International School, Tokyo Olympian Pooja Rani of Haryana defeated All India Police's Pinki 5-0.
In the 60kg category bout, Haryana’s Jaismine, an Asian championships bronze medallist, also edged out Chhattisgarh’s Rajbala by unanimous decision.
Meanwhile, Assam's Pwilao Basumatary, the defending champion in the 60kg category, defeated Karnataka’s Theertha Lakshmi after the referee stopped the contest (RSC).
Another notable entry into the second round is reigning youth world champion Arundhati Chaudhary (70kg) of Rajasthan. She trounced Haryana’s Kiran in her bout.
A total of 49 bouts were contested in seven categories on the second day.
Gujarat’s Hardeek Kaur Gill (60kg), Maharashtra's Laxmee Mehra, Chandigarh's Neema (63kg) and Madhya Pradesh's Shruti Yadav (66kg) were some of the others of the day.
More than 300 boxers are competing in 12 weight categories -- 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 81kg and +81kg -- at the meet, now in its fifth edition.
Olympian Simranjit Kaur will also be competing in the championship. Olympic bronze medallists Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain, however, have decided to skip the event.
Nikhat Zareen, Jamuna Boro and Sonia Lather were some of the notable winners on the opening day of the meet.
The gold and silver medallists will earn a direct spot in the national coaching camp.
However, the remaining two names in each category will be selected based on performances in the selection trials, which will be held right after the championships.