WBC Asian champion Neeraj Goyat was the lone Indian left in the fray for an Olympic berth after he entered the semifinals in the International Boxing Association’s Olympic qualifying tournament for professional boxers in Vargas, Venezuela.
Meanwhile Dilbag Singh and Gaurav Bidhuri bowed out following first round losses.
The 24-year-old Neeraj (69kg) defeated Greece’s Dimitrios Poulikos Tsagkrakos 3-0 and will be up against second-seeded German Arajik Marutjan in the semifinals on Thursday.
Neeraj will be assured of an Olympic berth if he wins the next bout, but in case he loses, the Indian will have another chance of qualifying through the box-off between losing semifinalists.
Dilbag was beaten 1-2 by Moldova’s Petru Ciobanu, while Gaurav lost to Ukraine’s Maksym Fatych in the opening round.
