The seasoned Indian pugilist had to earn a hard-fought win over his Japanese opponent as he staged a brilliant comeback after losing the first round of the bout.
Sachin Kumar lost to China’s Chen Daxaing in the quarterfinals of the 81kg men’s category. Earlier, Pooja Rani also booked her spot at the Olympics after beating Thailand’s Pomnipa Chutee in the 75 kg women category quarterfinals. She became the first Indian boxer to seal their berth in the 2020 Olympics.
Rani defeated her 18-year-old rival 5-0 to be assured of a medal as well as her maiden Olympic spot in the Asia/Oceania Qualifying Tournament. The 29-year-old will face the reigning world and Asian champion Li Qian of China in the semifinal encounter.
Rani won the first round with all five judges rating it 10-9 in her favour. The story remained the same in the second round as she once again dominated her opponent and claimed the round with 10-9 from all the five judges. Things did not change much in the final round as Rani was able to clinch the Olympic spot.
“I had never fought against this girl before today and honestly, I was a bit scared. I had told my coaches about it before the bout. They instilled confidence in me and I could pull off a one-sided result. I am happy,” she said.
Three other boxers can also book their Tokyo Olympics 2020 berth in their respective bouts.