Defending champion Amit Panghal enters final of Asian Boxing Championship

Defending champion Amit Panghal (52kg) out-punched familiar foe Saken Bibossinov of Kazakhstan to enter the finals of the Asian Boxing Championships here on Friday.

The top-seeded Indian defeated Bibossinov 5-0. The Kazakh is a world championship bronze-medallist and had lost to silver-winner Panghal in the semifinals of that event as well.

Panghal was in top form as he took control with his sharp



counter-attacks against the defensively weaker Bibossinov.

The Indian played the waiting game to perfection as the third-seeded Bibossinov’s plan to dazzle him with early aggression fell flat as the bout progressed.

The world number one from Haryana became the aggressor in the final round as Bibossinov ran out of steam.

On Thursday night, four Indian women boxers had advanced to the finals.