HARIDWAR: Rookie Soniya Chahal recorded a 3-0 win over Asian championship and World youth bronze medallist Pwialo Basumatary to book a place in the 57kg semifinals of the National women’s boxing championship at the Reserve Police Lines Hall here on Tuesday.
Soniya, a three-time National School Games champion, showcased a clinical performance to ensure a medal in her first appearance at the elite level.
Pwialo adopted an aggressive approach and tried to attack right from the start of the quarterfinal bout. However, a watchful Soniya swayed nicely, maintained her composure and landed clean punches off counter-attacks to foil the Assam boxer’s plans.
When Pwialo went on the defensive, Soniya delivered some precise right punches to gain further ground. Soniya, hailing from two-time Worlds medallist Kavita Chahal’s village near Bhiwani in Haryana, will meet southpaw Shaily Singh in the last four.
“I was a bit apprehensive but my coach instilled self-belief in me. I box on counter-attacks, which is my natural style,” said Soniya.
Asian championship medallist Pavitra of Railways was stunned 1-2 by Simranjit Kaur in a close 64kg contest. Because of the neck-and-neck competition, the judges resorted to manual scoring and declared the Punjab boxer a winner.
In another keenly-fought 48kg bout, which was decided through manual scoring, former World championship silver medallist Sarjubala Devi rode her luck to secure another victory by split decision (2-1) over Delhi girl Pooja Tokas.
Sarjubala will take on Railways’ Rajesh Narwal in the semifinals.
The results (quarterfinals): 48kg: Krishna Thapa (Utk) bt Bhuvaneshari (Pud) TKO (R1), Monika (Har) bt Sudesh (AIP) 2-1, Rajesh Narwal (Del) bt Maria Thomas (Ker) 3-0, Sajubala Devi (Man) bt Pooja Tokas (Del) 2-1.
51kg: Neeraja (Har) bt Yaisana Chanu (Man) 3-0, Nikhat Zareen (Tel) bt Manju Basumatary (Asm) 3-0, Meenakshi (RSPB) bt Jamuna Devi (HP) TKO (R2), Poonam Bist (Utk) bt Tensunaro Tsudir (Nag) TKO (R3).
54kg: Chanda (Mah) bt Lalruatfeli (Miz) 3-0, Soniya (UP) bt Y. Sandhyarani (Man) 2-1, Shiksha (Har) bt Jyoti Bora (AIP) 3-0, M. Meena Kumari (Ker) bt Heena Choudhary (JK) 3-0.
57kg: Soniya Chahal (Har) bt Pwialo Basumatary (Asm) 3-0, Shaily Singh (UP) bt Premi Devi (Man) 3-0, Sunita (AIP) bt Lakeeya S. (Aru) 2-0, Kamla Bist (Utk) bt Kiran Verma (HP) 3-0.
60kg: Monika (Har) bt Priyanka Thakur (Pun) 3-0, Bhagyashree (Mah) bt Daya Devi (HP) 3-0, Preeti Beniwal (AIP) bt Lalrinnungi (Miz) 3-0, Priyanka Choudhary (RSPB) bt Anjali (Asm) 3-0.
64kg: Akansha Mishra (Del) bt Manjinder (Chd) 2-1, Jyoti (Har) bt Mohini (Mah) 3-0, Suman (AIP) bt A. Manisha (AP) 3-0, Simranjit Kaur (Pun) bt Pavitra (RSPB) 2-1.
69kg: Pooja (Har) bt Manu Syngkli (Meg) TKO (R4), Suman (RSPB) bt Gagandeep Kaur (Pun) 3-0, Shashi Kala (HP) bt Memthoi Devi (Man) 3-0, Sarika Kumari (Jha) bt Sohni (Chd) 3-0.
75kg: Kavita Goyat (AIP) bt Kumari J. (TN) 3-0, Meena Rani (RSPB) bt Lovelina Borgohain (Asm) 3-0, Rumi Gogoi (Aru) bt Renu (UP) 3-0, Bunty (Har) bt Preeti Bhati (Raj) TKO (R3).
81kg: Nirmala (AIP) bt Sujitha (TN) TKO (R3), Priya Madhuri (Tel) bt Trupti Rajkumar (Mah) 5-0, Bhagiyavati K. (RSPB) bt Pratibha (HP) 4-1, Saweety Boora (Har) bt Babita Basera (Utk) TKO (R2).
82kg: Amandeep Kaur (Pun) bt Neha Jadhav (MP) 5-0, Seema Poonia (RSPB) bt Versha (AIP) 5-0, Kavita Chahal (Har) bt Sangita (Man) TKO (R1), Diksha (D&D) bt Lalafakmawii (Miz) 3-2.
