Akash Kumar (54kg) staved off a stiff challenge from Puerto Rico’s Caleb Tirado to enter the quarterfinals of the AIBA men’s World championships here on Sunday.
Akash, who received a walkover in the last round, clinched it 5-0 to make the last-eight stage in his debut appearance.
On Saturday, five-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) sailed into the pre-quarterfinals.
Thapa, a former bronze-medallist at the global showpiece, prevailed in a unanimous verdict against Sierra Leone’s John Brown.
However, Govind Sahani (48kg) lost a dramatic pre-quarterfinal to Georgia’s Sakhil Alakhverdovi. Alakhverdovi fought on despite a bloodied face after sustaining a cut above his left eye.
The results: 54kg: Akash Kumar bt Caleb Tirado (PRI) 5-0; 63.5 kg: Shiva Thapa bt John Brown (SLE) 5-0; 48kg: Sakhil Alakhverdovi (Geo) bt Govind Sahani 4-1.
