Shiva Thapa joins six other Indian boxers in Olympic Test event semi-finals

Four-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (63kg) secured a medal at the Olympic Test event in Tokyo, Japan, by winning his quarterfinal bout on Tuesday. Six other Indians made the last-four stage without even stepping inside the ring as they either got byes or were helped by the small size of their respective draws.

Thapa overcame local favourite Yuki Hirakawa in a convincing 5-0 victory to fight his way into the medal rounds. The seasoned boxer from Assam had earned his third national title earlier this month. In the semi-finals, he will be up against another Japanese, Daisuke Narimatsu, on Wednesday. Narimatsu got a bye in the opening round.

Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg), national champion Sumit Sangwan (91kg), Ashish (69kg), Vanhlimpuia (75kg), Simranjeet Kaur (60kg) and former Asian Games bronze-medallist Pooja Rani (75kg) have made the semifinals.

Asian silver-medallist Sangwan will square off against Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay. Zareen, who has been in the headlines recently for a bitter row over selection for next year’s Olympic qualifiers where six-time world champion M C Mary Kom has been preferred over her without a trial, will face Japan’s Sana Kawano on Wednesday. Rani will be up against Brazil’s Beatriz Soares. Rani had won a silver medal at the Asian Championships earlier this year.

Opponents for the other Indian boxers will be known later after the quarterfinal bouts conclude on Tuesday evening.

The only drawback for the country’s contingent was the exit of Anant Choapde in the quarterfinals, who went down 2-3 in a hard-fought contest against local hope Tosho Kashiwasaki.