Asian silver-medallist Kavinder Singh Bisht (57kg) advanced to the pre-quarterfinals with a tough-fought win over China’s Chena Zhihao within the World Men’s Boxing Championships on Sunday. The fifth-seeded Indian left his rival with a bloodied face earlier than the judges ruled 3-2 in his favor after an arduous bout at some stage in which both boxers controlled to attach very few impactful punches. The 26-year-old Indian Air Force guy, who changed into a quarterfinalist in the 2017 Hamburg edition and is many of the strongest contenders for a medal this time around, stood out for his pace and endurance throughout Sunday’s bout.
Earlier, second seed and Asian champion Amit Panghal (52kg) and Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Manish Kaushik (63kg) were superior to the pre-quarterfinals after claiming dominating wins in their respective second-round bouts. The global championship became an Olympic qualifier and capabilities the revised 8 weight classes (52kg, 57kg, 63kg, 69kg, 75kg, 81kg, 91kg, +91kg) earmarked for Tokyo 2020, in preference to the conventional 10 divisions. However, the event changed into stripped of that fame after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) lost patience with the long-standing administrative mess within the International Boxing Association (AIBA). The IOC manipulated the Olympic qualification process for you to start next year with the Asian qualifiers in February.
