Bangkok [Thailand], May 25 : Continuing his fine form, Indian boxer Pawan Bartwal cruised into the quarterfinals of the men's 55kg category at the 4th Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament with a commanding 5-0 win over Cambodia's Sao Rangsey on Sunday, according to a release from Boxing Federation of India.
India has fielded a 19-member strong contingent in the prestigious boxing tournament, held under the aegis of World Boxing backed Asian body, that has attracted talented boxers from powerhouses like China, Kazakhastan, Uzbekistan, South Korea and host Thailand.
Hailing from Syupuri village in Uttarakhand, Pawan showed tactical maturity and ring control from the outset. He started cautiously, dodging early swings and waiting for his moment before landing a sharp punch to the face that set the tone.
The 26-year-old repeatedly pinned his opponent in the corners, and a brilliant bob-and-weave move midway through the second round opened the door for another clean strike. With tight defence and calculated aggression, he kept Rangsey on the back foot and sealed a unanimous decisionhis second consecutive win of the tournament.
An Indian Army man since 2017 and a National Championship silver medallist, Bartwal has been boxing since 2010. He now heads into the quarterfinals with strong momentum and eyes firmly set on a podium finish.
On Saturday, Bartwal began cautiously in the opening round and his slightly passive approach meant that despite landing a few blows, Thai boxer Thanarat Saengphet looked slightly ahead after the first round but the Indian changed gears in the second round, landing a flurry of his one-two combination punches to unsettle his opponent and gain the upper hand. Both the boxers came out swinging at the start of the third and final round but Bartwal soon took control by counter-attacking every time the Thai dropped his guard to win a 4:1 verdict.
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