Alfiya Pathan (81kg) claimed the country's first gold medal in the finals of the 30th Adriatic Pearl Tournament in Budva, Montenegro. An Asian junior girls champion in 2019, Nagpur’s Pathan scored an easy 5-0 win against Daria Kozorev of Moldova. .
The 18-year-old took complete control of the bout and continued to collect points with her precise punches to score a comfortable win.
Besides Pathan , four other Indians — Babyrojisana Chanu (51kg), Vinka (60kg), Arundhati (69kg) and Sanamacha Chanu (75kg) — stormed into the finals in their respective categories.
In the 51kg flyweight category, the proceedings began with a fiery encounter between India's Babyrojisana and Uzbekistan's Feruza Kazakova. Chanu managed to pull off the winning punch in the dying seconds to outclass her opponent in a 3-2 split verdict and sail into the final.
In the 75kg semi-finals, Sanamcha Chanu defeated Uzbekistan's Sokhiba Ruzmetova in a unanimous 5-0 win to stay on course for gold, setting up an all-India final with compatriot Raj Sahiba.
Rohtak’s Vinka (60kg) made light work of her Finnish opponent Suvi Tujula. Tujula was no match for the Indian as she conceded a series of punches, forcing the referee to stop the contest in the second round. Vinka will face Kristian Kiper of Moldova in the final later on Saturday. Arundhati Choudhary advanced into the final of the women's 69kg.
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Arundhati (69kg) also continued from where she left in her last bout as she registered another clean sweep with a 5-0 win. Unlike other categories, India fielded two boxers in 75 kg and both of them will face each other for the gold medal.
Other women boxers playing in the final on Saturday night are Gitika (48kg) who will be competing for the gold medal against Uzbekistan's Farzona Fozilova while Preeti (57kg) and Lucky Rana (64kg) will play their semi-final bouts.
Two male boxers — Priyanshu Dabas (49kg) and Jugnoo (91kg) — will also be competing in the semi-final.
(Edited by Amrita Ghosh)
