In a preliminary round fight Anand thrashed Kazakhstan’s Aslan Aslanov in the 54kg category to win by unanimous decision.

In the junior boys’ section, Ravi Saini overwhelmed Arab Emirates’ Alsedrani Ali Bader in the 48kg preliminary match.

However, in the 52kg intense opening round bout, John Lapung went down fighting 2-3 against Kyrgyzstan’s Iasynov Nizamedin.

Ravi’s aggressive intent and fierce attack forced referees to stop the contest in the second round of the match and declare him the winner as the Indian marched into the quarter-finals comfortably.

In a bout that saw both the boxers exchanging heavy punches initially, Anand showcased a good defence technique as well as hit some sharp timely punches that not only earned him points but also unsettled his opponent.

As the bout progressed, the Indian boxer took charge of the game and dominated the Kazakh boxer before securing a comprehensive win.

The continental showpiece, where both the age groups of men and women—youth and junior—are being played together, has been witnessing a strong competition in presence of 352 boxers from 21 countries The finals will be played on March 13 and 14.

During the last edition of the championships held in Dubai in 2021, India had finished with 39 medals including 14 gold.