AIBA World Boxing Championships 2015: Thapa and Yadav rampage into the quarterfinals

Vikas Krishan Yadav proved his mettle against the favourite Tomasz Jablonski

Day two of the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Doha, Qatar was a sweet one for Indian boxers. Shiva Thapa and Vikas Krishan Yadav put on masterful performances to come out on top against their respective opponents and advance to the quarterfinals.

Shiva Thapa (56 Kg) was the first competitor for India against Mohamed Hamout of Morocco. The first round saw Thapa exhibiting his trademark footwork, moving in and out. The round was characterized by back-and-forth action, but Thapa’s predictable rhythm lead to him being caught with a few punches. Both fighters engaged in solid exchanges before the end of the round, but the judges scored it in favour of the Moroccan.

The second round saw Thapa being more aggressive, abandoning his elusive style to stand and trade. Hamout was warier of the Indian’s shots and kep his distance. Thapa switched between plant-your-feet aggression and fleetfootedness towards the end of the round. The strategy was successful, as 2 out of 3 judges scored the round in his favour.

The final round of the fight was a short one. Thapa and Hamout met in the center, and made the familiar opening exchange. Thapa got off a short right that caught his opponent’s attention, distracting him and followed with a monstrous left hook that connected flush. The African Champion crumpled in a heap and Thapa got the victory by Knockout.

Vikas Krishan Yadav had a tough test in the form of Polish Champion Tomasz Jablonski. The first round began with the Pole being the more active and firing more punches, with Yadav holding his ground and relying more on power and accuracy. Yadav landed a good left following a flurry just before the bell, and won the round.

The first few seconds of the second round saw Yadav’s left uppercut pierce Jablonski’s guard and connect with precision. The European silver-medallist’s high volume of punches was neutralized by Yadav’s guard. The Haryana pugilist showed more movement in this round. There was an accidental headbutt that resulted in both getting a stern warning by the referee. A sense of urgency was evident towards the end of the round, as Yadav landed a good left to Jablonski’s body. The judges awarded the Indian fighter the second round as well.

Jablonski came out in the third landing good, quick rights and lefts. There was more back-and-forth action as Yadav showed his best movement of the fight and slipped his opponent’s punches. Jablonski’s higher volume was augmented by better accuracy as well, which won him the round. But Yadav’s self-possession resulted in his hand being raised at the end of the fight, despite being an underdog.

With the victories, both Thapa and Yadav are through to the quarterfinals. Both need bronze medals to qualify for the Rio Olympics.