Quarter-Final line-ups confirmed with 75 boxers keeping title hopes alive after Day 3 in Guwahati
November 21st, 2017 / IBA
The third day of the 2017 AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships took place in Guwahati on Tuesday, confirming the last of the quarter-final places as 75 athletes closed in on gold. Among the favourites in action were India’s Sakshi Choudhary and United States’ Heaven Garcia, both looking strong as they came through stiff tests, but the performance of the sessions saw US Lightweight (60kg) talent Diana Estrada defeat France’s EUBC European Women’s Youth Champion, Fatia Benmessahel.
A busy day in the ring saw no fewer than 46 bouts in the Light Flyweight (48kg), Flyweight (51kg), Bantamweight (54kg), Featherweight (57kg), Lightweight (60kg) and the Light Welterweight (64kg) categories, and it began with USA’s Junior World Champion Heaven Garcia getting her campaign under way against Kim Chae Won. The South Korean looked to pressure her opponent at every opportunity, but Garcia showed her class as the bout wore on to eventually edge a testing battle.
Italy’s Giovanna Marchese looks a strong contender for a podium finish at Flyweight (51kg) after another solid showing against Thailand’s Kittiya Nampai, while at Featherweight (57kg), Russia’s Junior World Champion Valeria Rodionova was able to negotiate another tricky Thai, Preedakamon Tintabthai, to reach the last 8. India’s Shashi Chopra was then back in commanding form as she eased past Chinese Taipei’s Lin Li We Yi.
Poland’s Patrycja Borys’ late move up Light Welterweight (64kg) looks to have paid off as she controlled her first bout against Kazakhstan’s Marzhan Yesseken to reach the Quarter-Finals, where she will be joined by Italy’s Rebecca Nicolli, impressive winner against the sole Dutch medal hope in Guwahati, Chelsey Heijnen.
India’s Light Flyweight (48kg) sensation Nitu managed to turn around an intense contest with Bulgaria’s three-time EUBC Champion Emi-Mari Todorova and keep her hopes of a famous gold alive, before Poland’s defending EUBC Youth Champion Daria Puszka used her speed to excellent effect as she bypassed Nepal’s Kusum Tamang. Nitu’s team-mate and Junior World Champion Sakshi Choudhary was also made to work hard for her place in the last eight at Bantamweight (54kg), Russia’s EUBC Youth Champion Indira Shudabaeva pushing her opponent all the way but it was Chodhary who held her nerve to the final bell.
The controlled aggression of Hungary’s Veronika Villas worked superbly against Chinese Taipei’s Ho Szu Ping, her powerful left-hand jabs twice leaving Ping on the canvas before the Referee stopped the contest. With the crowd feeding off what had already been a superb day of action in the ring, United States’ Diana Estrada and France’s EUBC Youth Champion Fatia Benmessahel sent them home happy with a spectacular bout in which the advantage swung from corner to corner before Estrada sealed the win with a superb final round.
