Khushi, Tikam Singh enter semis at Asian Boxing

Amman

Indian boxers Khushi Chand and Tikam Singh reached the semi-finals at the Asian U-17 Boxing Championships on Day 6, held in Amman, Jordan. Their victories were part of a strong showing, with seven other Indian pugilists also advancing.

Khushi, who won bronze in Abu Dhabi last year, dominated Vietnam's Nguyen Thi Hong Yen in the 44-46 kg bout. She won through a Referee Stopped Contest in the second round. Tikam, a 2024 SGFI gold medallist, displayed similar strength in the 52 kg category, stopping Palestine’s Othman Diab, also in round two.

In the men's division, Ambekar Meetei (48 kg), Udham Singh (54 kg), and Rahul Gariya (57 kg) won by unanimous 5-0 decisions. Aman Dev (50 kg) edged out Jordan’s Osamah Al-Khaldi in a close 3-2 contest.

Among the women, Jiya (48 kg) defeated Vietnam’s Thi Ru Na Dinh with a strong 5-0 result, while Jannat (54 kg) overpowered Ukraine’s Anhelina Rumiantseva 4-1. However, three Indians lost their quarterfinal matches, including Samiksha Singh (52 kg), who fell 1-4 to Japan’s Runa Ito.

India has sent a 56-member team to the combined Asian U-15 and U-17 Championships, running from April 17 to May 1. This is the first event held by Asian Boxing, supported by both the Olympic Council of Asia and the new World Boxing body.

With several boxers now confirmed for the semi-finals, India continues its promising run in youth boxing across categories, aiming for a strong medal haul as the championship enters its final stages.