Five-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg), Narender Berwal (+92kg), Nishant Dev (71kg) and Asian champion Sanjeet (92kg) bowed out of the AIBA Men’s World Championships, leaving Akash Kumar (54kg) - who secured India’s first medal on Tuesday by advancing to the semifinals with an outstanding win over former Olympic silver-medallist Yoel Finol Rivas of Venezuela - as the lone Indian in fray.
While Berwal was out-maneuvered by Azerbaijan’s Mahammad Abdullayev. Berwal lost 0-5, Thapa, who was aiming to become the first Indian male boxer to claim two medals at the world event having fetched a bronze in the 2015 edition, was beaten on pace and aggression by Turkey’s 19-year-old Kerem Oezmen in the quarterfinals. Thapa lost 0-5.
A very gritty Nishant troubled Russia’s Vadim Musaev with his fantastic hand speed and but couldn’t match him on impactful punching, eventually going down 1-4.
Sanjeet (92kg), who was a quarterfinalist in the event’s last edition, ended at the same stage once again, losing 0-5 to Italian Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine.
