• Asian Games 2023: Preeti Pawar, Lovlina Borgohain assured of medals after reaching semi-final

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    Asian Games 2023: Preeti Pawar, Lovlina Borgohain assured of medals after reaching semi-final
    Lovlina Borgohain put on a dominant performance to defeat South Korean Suyeon Seong...

    Digital Desk: Preeti Pawar, a 19-year-old boxer from India, defeated Kazakhstan's Zhaina Shekerbekova 4:1 on points to advance to the Asian Games women's boxing 54kg semifinals and earn a spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

    The 19-year-old defeated Kazakhstan's Zhaina Shekerbekova, the current Asian champion and a three-time medalist at the World Championships, 4-1 in the quarterfinals. Preeti took the initiative to start the battle, but her more seasoned opponent frequently got through her defense. The Indian teen continued beating Shekerbekova mercilessly, grabbing a 3-2 lead in the opening round.

    Preeti fought in a tactical battle with the seasoned 33-year-old, going away from the middle of the ring in the opening frame and landing a big jab. In the final three minutes, the two boxers threw many punches, but neither one connected. Shekerbekova began to tire as the time ran down, but Preeti kept pelting her with shots in an effort to prevail.






    Lovlina Borgohain, who won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, put on a dominant performance to defeat South Korean Suyeon Seong 5-0 in the quarterfinal of the women's 75kg event and advance to the semifinals, guaranteeing herself a medal at the 2023 Asian Games.

    As gold and silver medal-winning boxers in the 66kg and 75kg weight categories will qualify in these two divisions, Lovlina has not yet secured the Olympic quota. On Friday, Nikhat Zareen became the first boxer from India to be granted an Olympic quota.

    The finalists in the 66kg and 75kg categories, as well as the semifinalists in the 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, and 60kg events, will earn a spot in the Paris Olympics. The winners of the gold and silver medals in each of the seven weight categories for the men's competition will receive Olympic quotas.