Boxing: Amit Panghal, Lovlina Borgohain End With Bronze Medals at Asian Olympic Qualifiers

Panghal had endured exhausting contests in the run-up to the semifinals and he could not outpace the determined Chinese in Tuesday's clash.

World number one Amit Panghal (52kg) and Lovlina Borgohain lost their respective bouts on Tuesday to sign off with bronze medals at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Amman. Both Amit and Lovlina secured their maiden tickets to the Toko Olympics 2020 by making it to the semifinals in the continental event. World silver-medallist and top seed Panghal went down to Jianguan Hu of China in a split 3-2 decision. It was revenge for Hu, an Olympic and world bronze-medallist who lost to Panghal in the Asian semifinals last year.

Panghal had endured exhausting contests in the run-up to the semifinals and he could not outpace the determined Chinese in Tuesday’s clash. In the last eight encounter, top seed Panghal edged out familiar foe Carlo Paalam of Philippines in a 4-1 split verdict to be assured of his maiden Olympic appearance and a medal at the qualifiers.

The 23-year-old had earlier beaten Paalam in the semifinals of the 2018 Asian Games and the quarterfinals of the 2019 World Championships, which also saw split decisions.

Earlier, in the women’s category – two-time world bronze-medallist and second seed Borgohain lost to third seed and 2018 world silver-medallist Hong Gu of China in a unanimous 5-0 verdict after struggling to find her range against the experienced 30-year-old.

Mission Accomplished!💪

There is more to this defeat for @LovlinaBorgohai, while she confirmed her first-ever #Olympic Games berth it is time to put in more efforts in the ring and come stronger as she lost her bout to 🇨🇳’s Hong Gu in semi-final encounter. #Boxing#Tokyo2020 pic.twitter.com/Uebb8g6imX

— Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) March 10, 2020

Gu will next be up against reigning world champion and top seed Chen Nien-Chin of Taiwan who outpunched Thailand’s Baison Manikon in her semifinal bout.

India’s legendary boxer MC Mary Kom (51kg) will square off against China’s Yuan Chang in the semifinals later in the day.

The six-time World Champion notched up a comfortable 5-0 win over Philippines’ Irish Magno in her quarterfinal bout for a ticket to her second Olympic Games. She won a bronze in the 2012 London Olympics when women’s boxing was first introduced at the showpiece.