Sonia Chahal, Jyoti Gulia enter quarters of National Boxing Championship

2018 World Championships silver medallist Sonia Chahal (57kg) and Youth World Champion Jyoti Gulia (51kg) stormed into the quarter-finals at the 4th Elite Women’s National Boxing Championships in Kannur, Kerala on Wednesday. One of the biggest upsets of the day, however, was the exit of Chandigarh’s promising Nandini in 81kg. Nandini, who was a part of the 2019 Women’s World Boxing Championships squad, was knocked out 1-4 by Uttar Pradesh’s Shaily Singh.

Sonia Chahal's comment

Chahal, who won the 57kg gold in 2016 and the bronze in 2017, endured some stiff resistance from All India Police’s Sandhyarani Devi in 57kg but rebounded to complete a 4-1 victory. “I started slow but was able to go on all-out attack in the third round. Overall, I am happy with my performance. Getting the gold here is important for me as it will give me the confidence to play the trials for the Olympic qualifiers. I hope to give my best and get the gold,” said Chahal after the bout.

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Tough time for Jyoti Gulia

Youth Olympian and Youth World Champion Jyoti Gulia (51kg), representing the Railways, however, had a much tougher time in the ring. Chandigarh’s India Open silver medallist Monika proved to be quite a challenge for Gulia, who needed to dig deep to edge her opponent for a tight 3-2 victory.

Cologne World Cup gold medallist Meenakumari Devi, who is also the defending champion in 54kg, did not need to exert much effort as she was declared the winner by RSC (Referee Stop Contest) in Round 3 against UP’s Kanika Chaudhary. Cologne World Cup silver medallist Pwilao Basumatary also made an impressive start to her gold medal quest in 64kg against Delhi’s Aarti Rawal. The Assam pugilist, representing RSPB, emerged the winner by dint of RSC in Round 3. 2019 President's Cup (Indonesia) gold medallist Monika landed a strong flurry of punches in her 48kg bout to record a commanding 5-0 win over Himachal Pradesh’s Jyotika Bisht. The knockout stages will be starting from December 6, with the final matches to be played on December 8.

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