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The 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament saw two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen and Commonwealth Games gold medalist Amit Panghal seal their spots in the final with dominating victories in Sofia on Saturday.
Four other Indian boxers also made the finals alongside Nikhat and Amit. The first semi-final of the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament saw Nikhat Zareen (50kg) take on Zlatislava Chukanova. Nikhat initially took a cautious approach, taking some time to get into a rhythm. However, she was in control and went on to win the round 3-2.
The next round saw complete dominance from Nikhat as she gave her opponent no room whatsoever. She carried her form into the final round as well, eventually winning the match in style with a 5-0 verdict. Nikhat will lock horns with Uzbekistan's Sabina Bobokulova in the gold medal clash on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Amit Panghal (51kg), scripted his third win on the trot with a unanimous 5-0 decision against Turkey's Gumus Samet. It was a comfortable victory for Amit as he gained momentum right from the first round, using all his experience, and displaying some smart footwork. He is set to face reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay from Kazakhstan on Sunday.
Arundhati Choudhary (66kg), also secured a 5-0 win against Jessica Triebelova of Slovakia in her 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament semi-final match. She took an aggressive approach, dominating the bout, winning each round by a 5-0 score. Arundhati is slated to face Asian champion Yang Liu from China on Sunday, which will be a tough contest.
Barun, Sachin, and Rajat also progress to the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament final
Further, Barun Singh Shagolshem (48kg) added to India's dominant performance at the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament, beating Algeria's Khenoussi Kamel in a 5-0 unanimous decision to make the final. Barun appeared lethal, using his technical ability to his full potential with quick movements. Barun was too good for his opponent. He will now face Kyrgyzstan's Khodzhiev Anvarzhan in the final on Sunday.
Sachin (57kg), also beat Ukraine's Abdraimov Aider in his semi-final bout. The Indian pugilist did not have a bright start as he lost the first round 2-3. However, Sachin made a strong comeback in the second round, delivering several strong left hooks, showcasing his class. There was no looking back as he not only resisted every attempt by Aider but also threw in some accurate punches to script a 4-1 victory.
Sachin is set to go head-to-head against Shakhzod Muzafarov from Uzbekistan in the finals on Sunday. Rajat (67kg) also booked his slot in the final via a walkover from his opponent Guruli Lasha (Georgia).
Unfortunately, Deepak (75kg) and Abhimanyu Loura (80kg) got knocked out of the tournament. Deepak suffered a 0-5 defeat against Uzbekistan's Ummatalievu Javokhir while Abhimanyu lost 1-4 to China's Tuohetaerbieke Tanglatihan.
Akash (71kg) began with a 5-0 round against Uzbekistan's Ikboljon Kholdarov. However, Kholdarov bounced back with victories in the next two rounds to seal the game. Naveen Kumar (92kg) also went down, suffering a loss to Georgii Kushitashvili of Georgia. He received three standing counts in the opening round following which the referee stopped the game.
The 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament is witnessing participation from over 300 pugilists from 30 nations and is one of Europe's oldest international sports competitions.
