PANAJI
Goa's Akash Gorkha won his bout taking the total number of Goan boxers to qualify for the quarter-finals to 11, which will be held on November 5 and 6
In the Elite Men 60-63.5kg Light Welter category, Gorkha defeated Rohit Ningehougan of Manipur by a convincing margin of 5:0. He secured his spot in the quarter-finals by displaying a fine performance by dominating the bout from the start.
In the Elite Women 54-57kg Feather category, Goa’s Alina Dsouza lost to Aarti Mehra of Delhi by a unanimous decision of 0:5.
The coaches of the Goa boxing team expressed their optimism about the performance of the team and the expectations from the upcoming matches. Coach Valanky Dhumaskar, who has trained the female boxers for the National Games, said, “I am hoping for all the quarter-finalists to make it to the finals and secure gold.” She added, “I’m confident that at least three boxers will secure gold medals for Goa and make us all proud.”
Coach Santosh Birmole, who has coached the male boxers, also shared a similar stance. “All the boxers have put in a lot of hard work in preparation for the National Games. We are hopeful that the boxers will perform very well in the next rounds and secure medals for Goa. I urge all the boxers to keep working hard and to give their 100 percent for all the matches,” he said.
