Ashish Kumar advances to quarters of Tokyo Olympic Qualifiers

Asian Championships silver medallist Ashish Kumar (75kg) knocked out the fourth seed Bekzhigit Uulu Omurbek of Kyrgyzstan 5-0 in a brilliant performance to move into the quarter-finals of the Asian/Oceanian Olympic Qualifiers got underway in Amman, Jordan on Thursday.

He now needs one more to secure his Tokyo Olympic ticket. Having defeated the World No. 15 on his way to winning the silver at the Asian Championships last year, the 16th ranked Kumar came into this bout with a lot of confidence. 

He started slow as the Kyrgyz raced out of the blocks to land a flurry of jabs on the Indian.

But once he settled down into the match, Ashish was able to connect better than his opponent. While the first round did go his way, the undeterred Omurbek came storming back to use his right-hand punches effectively and bounced back into the bout.

READ | Sakshi Chaudhary moves into quarters of Tokyo Olympic Qualifiers

'The bout went really well for me'- Ashish Kumar

The final round was a heavily one-sided affair in favor of the Indian whose smart defensive tactic did not allow his opponent to land his blows. The contest ended with a great show of sportsmanship with the two boxers hugging and posing for the cameramen together.

“The bout went really well for me. Very happy with this win. I’ll prepare the strategies well to face my next opponent. It will be really important as I am just one win away from making it to Tokyo. I’ll give my absolute best to make my 
Olympic dream come true,” said Ashish after his victory. Ashish will next face Indonesia’s Maikhel Roberrd Muskita for a place in the semis and to confirm his Tokyo Olympics berth.

Later in the day, World Championships bronze medallist Manish Kaushik (63kg) will begin his quest against Chinese Taipei’s Lai Chu-En while Sachin Kumar (81kg) will take on Samoa’s Ioapa Dee.

READ | IOC to allow male and female flagbearers at Tokyo opening ceremony

READ | Coronavirus should be constantly monitored before Tokyo Olympics: Bindra