Preeti Pawar of India guaranteed her admission into the semifinals of the 54 kg women’s boxing competition at the current Asian Games in Hangzhou, guaranteeing not only at least a bronze medal but also a spot for her nation in the Paris Olympics in 2024.
In the quarterfinal round, she defeated Zhaina Shekerbekova of Kazakhstan 4-1, taking the victory by points.
Only one judge sided with Zhaina, while four judges sided with the Indian fighter.
There was little any difference between the two boxers, making it a closely contested fight.
“PREETI SECURES A MEDAL & OLYMPIC QUOTA Wins the bout – #PunchMeinHaiDum 3.O #AsianGames #Cheer4India #Boxing,” tweeted Boxing Federation of India (BFI) Media.
Preeti followed Nikhat as the second Indian fighter to qualify for the boxing competition at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
After defeating Jordan’s Hanan Nassar by KO in under two minutes in a quarterfinal match of the upcoming 19th Asian Games, reigning world champion Zareen on Friday guaranteed India a medal in the 50 kg weight division.
In the semifinal, she will compete against Chuthamat Raksat of Thailand.
In the quarterfinals, the Indian boxer defeated Nassar Hanan of Jordan in less than two minutes. Her ruthless boxing forced the referee to call an RSC (referee stops count) to end the match.
India now has 34 medals from the games, including 8 gold, 13 silver, and 13 bronze.
