Mumbai: Flyweight Jitender Kumar and featherweight Diwakar Prasad stormed into the last eight of the Asian Games boxing competition with impressive displays in their preliminary round bouts in Doha on Sunday.
Jitender shocked Busan Asian Games silver medallist Karim Nauman of Pakistan 14-6 in a second round bout to earn a shot at Filipino Violita Payla on Thursday for a berth in the semis in the 51 kg class.
The 18-year-old boxer was ahead on points against his rival in all but one of the four rounds after starting with a flurry of point-earning punches in the opening stanza to take a handy 5-1 lead against the 2004 Asian champion.
Jitender once again had the upper hand in the third round to lead 11-4 and then did enough to keep his more fancied rival at bay in the last and emerge a highly creditable victor.
Diwakar Prasad was also impressive in his second round bout against Syrian Dmirieh Mohammed to earn a one-sided 20-11 verdict in the 57 kg class to enter the quarters where he will meet a formidable opponent in Uzbekistan's B Sultonov.
The Uzbek pugilist stopped Eddy Kalai of Malaysia well inside the distance for a meeting with the 22-year-old Indian for a berth in the last four, also scheduled for December 7.
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