Top boxers move into semifinals

Jamshedpur, Feb 21 (PTI) Top boxers from Manipur andServices sailed into the semifinals after winning theirrespective bouts in the 34th National Games at JRD Tata Sportscomplex here today.

In the women''s fly weight (51 kg) class, RebeccaLalinmawaii of Mizoram was no match for Sarita Devi ofManipur, who was the best boxer of National Championship heldin Kerala last December.

A former world champion and four times Asian championshipgold medallist, Sarita kept on the pressure on her rival withher left-right punches to widen the margin before she clinchedthe bout easily 18-2.

Vinita Mahar of Uttarakhand trounced Rijumoni Patar ofMeghalaya 9-2 to move into the semifinal round in the sameweight category.

Pinky Jangra (Haryana), who created a flutter bydefeating five-time world champion M C Mary Kom in thequarterfinal of Senior National Boxing Championship at thesame venue two years ago, maintained her form brushing asideinternational N Tonibala Chanu of Arunachal Pradesh 10-0 tomove into the semifinals.

In the men''s section, CWG bronze medallist Amandeep Singhof Punjab, internationals Sandeep of Tripura, Th Nanao Singhof Manipur and Sanjay Kolte of Services registered wins overtheir rivals Madan Lal (Haryana), Amit Kumar Shukla(Jharkhand), Madan Rai (Sikkim) and Madan Lal of Haryanarespectively to sail into the semifinal round in the light flyweight (49 kg) category.

In the fly weight (52 kg) class for men, juniorinternational Gaurav Bidhuri of Delhi trounced L DevendroSingh (Services) by virtue of better points while Sunil Kumarof Haryana defeated Sunil Sharma of Jharkhand to move into thesemifinals.

Prakash Darjee of Arunachal Pradesh and Santosh Harijanalso outclassed Debendra Thapa of Orissa and Kulwinder Singhof Punjab in the same weight category of the quarterfinalround by points.

Playing before the home crowd, Mishal Banjamin Lakra ofJharkhand delivered some powerful punches on Arun Kumar Limbu(Arunachal Pradesh) to emerge 11-5 victorious.