Thapa loses in semifinals of 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championship Doha

The 21-year-old pugilist, already assured of a bronze medal, will get a third place box-off for a shot at a quota spot for next year’s Rio Olympics. The top three finishers in each category automatically qualify for next year’s Summer Games.

Akhmadaliev, 20, switched to bantam last year with great success, and, had defeated the Indian in the semifinals of the Asian Boxing Championship held earlier this year.

Thapa, who won his pre-quarterfinal bout with a knockout, got off slowly and appeared tentative. Akhmadaliev managed to keep the normally aggressive Indian in a corner and landed a flurry of punches to win the opening round.

Thapa appeared to find his feet in the second and looked the better of the two, before the Uzbek came back strongly to seal the round.

With knock out the only option left, Thapa was pretty spectacular in the final round as he came out with all guns firing, landing a series of punches on his opponent who was taken by surprise by the Indian’s speed.

Thapa will meet Belarussian Dzmitry Asanau for the third-place box-off.