Jakarta, July 11 (IANS) India guaranteed themselves six medals in the U-19 men’s competition at the Asian U-19 & U-23 Boxing Championships after six participants advanced to the semifinals with commanding victories in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Saturday.

The Indian contingent produced an impressive all-round display across multiple weight categories, with Aditya (55kg), Sikander (60kg), Mausam Suhag (65kg), Devender Choudhary (75kg), Sagar (85kg), and Shubham Rajput (90kg) all progressing to the last four to ensure podium finishes for the country.

Aditya opened India’s successful run with a clinical 5:0 unanimous decision over the Philippines’ Baruis Ephraim John in the 55kg category. Sikander followed suit in the 60kg division, overcoming Tajikistan’s Sharifkhon Nuraliev 4:1 to book his place in the semifinals.

Mausam Suhag also advanced in the 65kg category, adding another assured medal to India’s tally.

In the higher weight classes, Devender Choudhary dominated host boxer Muhammad Rayhan Athaillah of Indonesia, claiming a comprehensive 5:0 victory in the 75kg quarterfinal.

Sagar produced one of the standout performances of the day in the 85kg division, forcing a referee-stopped contest (RSC) in the second round against Indonesia’s Irnanda Firmanda. Shubham Rajput was equally dominant in the 90kg category, registering an RSC victory in the opening round over Indonesia’s Nouval Nouval.

India also endured a few heartbreaks in closely fought contests. Ambekar Meitei Lairenlakp (50kg) narrowly missed out on a semifinal berth after suffering a 3:2 split-decision defeat to Japan’s Kotaro Nishizaki. Lokesh (80kg) lost 3:1 to Kazakhstan’s Timur Taibekov, while Loven Gulia (+90kg) went down via an RSC in the second round against Kazakhstan’s Vladislav Samozhonov.

With six semifinalists in the U-19 men’s draw, India has already secured six medals at the continental championships, underlining the country’s growing depth in age-group boxing. The Asian U-19 & U-23 Boxing Championships, being held in Jakarta from July 5 to 16, will continue with the semifinal bouts in the coming days.

–IANS

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