IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships: Deepak, Hussamuddin & Nishant assure record medals for India

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Three Indian boxers Deepak Bhoria, Mohammed Hussamuddin and Nishant Dev won their respective bouts in the pre-quarters to confirm at least a bronze medal on Wednesday (May 10) in the ongoing IBA Men's World Boxing Championships 2023 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

It is the first instance when three Indian pugilists have confirmed medals at the showpiece event. Earlier, the best performance of the Indian men's boxers was recorded in 2019 when Manish Kaushik and Amit Panghal clinched medals for the country.

Deepak defeated Diushebaev Nurzhigit of Kyrgyzstan by a 5-0 unanimous verdict in the 51 kg category. Deepak secured at least a bronze medal by reaching the semi-final of the tournament to become the eighth Indian boxer to win a medal at World Championships.

Meanwhile, Hussamuddin (57 kg) beat J. Diaz Ibanez of Bulgaria by a 4-3 split decision in the showpiece event to confirm the eighth medal for India. Later, Nishant Dev (71 kg) defeated Jorge Cuellar Of Cuba by a 5-0 unanimous decision and assured India the ninth medal.

Deepak confirms first medal in WBC 2023

n the first quarter-final bout of the day, Deepak defeated Diushebaev Nurzhigit of Kyrgyzstan by a 5-0 unanimous decision to storm into the semis.

The Indian pugilist dominated the match from the beginning and used his quick movement and ring intelligence to win the first round. Deepak was at his best in the second round as well as he dodged his opponent's attack proficiently and stayed ahead in the match.

The third round saw Deepak playing smartly and negating the heavy attacks of Nurzhigit. The strategy worked for the Indian boxer as he comfortably won the bout. He will now face B. Bennama of France in the semi-finals on Friday.

Hussamuddin continues good show

Meanwhile, Hussamuddin beat J. Diaz Ibanez of Bulgaria by a 4-3 split decision to confirm another medal for India at the ongoing tournament.

It was a neck-and-neck battle between both the boxers from the get-go as Hussamuddin took some time to gauge Ibanez's movements. The Southpaw used his speed and movement to defend and land some heavy blows on his opponent while counter-punching.

The second round was rather comfortable for the Indian pugilist as he quickly judged his rival's attacks and hit heavy punches. The third round saw both the boxers throw caution to the wind and go on the offensive but Hussamuddin used his combinations well to secure the win.

"It was a tough bout because my opponent was playing really rough and it caused me some problems but somehow I prevailed to win and proceed to the next round. I had made plans with the coach before the bout and implemented if perfectly in the match. Our plan was to keep moving in the ring and make my opponent work to reach me to attack and it worked perfectly as I hit a lot of side blows to gather points in the bout," stated Hussamuddin after the victory.

He added, " I am feeling really great after securing a medal for India and now I am just two steps away from a gold medal. I am confident that I will win the gold in this tournament." Hussamuddin will go up against Saidel Horta of Cuba in the semi-finals on Friday.

Nishant also enters semis

Nishant Dev beat Jorge Cuellar Of Cuba by a 5-0 unanimous decision to secure the third medal of the day for India. The Indian pugilist was facing a taller boxer with a good height advantage but used his movements and precise punches to gain an advantage over his rival in the first round.

The second round also went in the favour of the Indian boxer as he continued to be on top of his game and denied any scoring opportunity to Cuellar. Nishant, then, continued his attacking intent in the third round as well to ensure a medal for the country.

"It's a great feeling to win a match against a Cuban boxer by a unanimous verdict. Our strategy was to create pressure on the opponent from the first round and stay strong mentally during the whole bout. I will take this positive mindset in the next round as well to reach the final. Securing a bronze medal at the World Championships is great but I will be back to India with a gold medal," commented Nishant after the match.

Nishant Dev will fight Asian champion Aslanbek Shymbergenov of Kazakhstan in the semi-finals on Friday. The ongoing tournament is witnessing the participation of 538 boxers, including several Olympic medallists, from 107 countries.