Boxer Sachin one win away from medal, Preeti bows out

India’s Sachin Siwach moved to the men’s 60kg quarterfinals with a scrappy 4-1 win over Jordan’s Mohammad Adnan Abu Jajeh at the Asian Games here on Friday.

However, it was the end of the road for last edition’s bronze medallist Preeti Pawar. The Commonwealth Games gold medallist, who received a first-round bye, went down 0-5 in an unanimous verdict to North Korea’s Paris Olympics medallist and reigning Asian Games champion Pang Chol M in the women’s 54kg round of 16.

Sachin, who received a first-round bye, started aggressively, landing a series of combinations, but the bout soon turned into a tactical affair, with both boxers relying on counter-attacks. The Indian’s cleaner work earned him the round on three cards.

The second round followed a similar pattern, with the two boxers cancelling out each other’s attacks and waiting for openings.

Jajeh, needing to make up ground, began pressing forward and attacking, giving Sachin opportunities to counter with sharp left-right combinations. The Commonwealth Games gold medallist again pocketed the round 4-1.

Desperate to turn the bout around, Jajeh came out all guns blazing in the final round, throwing punches in numbers, while Sachin stood his ground and traded blows.

But the Indian appeared to tire out in the closing stages, allowing Jajeh to land a few clean punches. Sachin, however, had done enough to secure the split-decision win.

Sachin, now just one win away from a medal, will take on World Championships bronze medallist Shunsuke Kitamoto of Japan in the quarterfinals.