It was raining Gold for India’s women boxers at the youth world championships in Kielce, Poland on Thursday with all seven finalists notching up splendid summit victories, making it the country’s best ever performance at the marquee event.
Gitika (48kg), Babyrojisana Chanu (51kg), Poonam (57kg), Vinka (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (69kg), Thokchom Sanamachu Chanu (75kg) and Alfiya Pathan (+81kg) ensured a perfect finish to the campaign for the women’s contingent.
While Gitika prevailed 5-0 over Poland’s Natalia Kuczewska, Babyrojisana defeated Valeriia Linkova of Russia by a similar margin after a close opening round.
Poonam clinched a comfortable 5-0 triumph over France’s Sthelyne Grosy.
Vinka, on the other hand, out-classed Kazakhstan’s Zhuldyz Shayakhmetova, forcing the referee to stop the contest midway through the final round.
For Arundhati, local favourite Barbara Marcinkowska hardly posed any challenge as the Indian walked away with a 5-0 triumph in the final.
Chanu came through after an engrossing clash against Kazakhstan’s Dana Diday which ended with the Indian prevailing in a split 3-2 verdict.
In the last bout of the evening, Alfiya Pathan (+81kg) completed the gold sweep with a 5-0 hammering of Moldova’s Daria Kozorez.
With this, India’s women boxers bettered their best ever haul of five Gold medals that was achieved in the 2017 edition in Guwahati.
India can add an eighth Gold to their tally on Friday when the country’s lone male finalist — Sachin (56kg) — fights his final bout.