Belgrade: Following a tragic loss in the semifinals in Belgrade, Serbia on Thursday, Indian boxer Akash Kumar’s campaign at the Men’s World Boxing Championships 2021 came to an end with a bronze medal.
Akash was defeated 5-0 by Kazakhstan’s Makhmud Sabyrkhan in the 54kg division. He was competing in his first World Championships, got off to a solid start in the last-4 match, with both boxers dealing powerful punches in the opening round.
The Kazakh fighter, on the other hand, appeared to be in a stronger position, landing a barrage of punches that placed the Indian on the back foot at the end of a tense first round.
Although, the 20-year-old Indian boxer, attempted a comeback in the second round, displaying some brilliant skills to overcome Sabyrkhan’s fight, fell short when it came to matching Sabyrkhan’s speed and accuracy, as the southpaw Sabyrkhan capitalised on the momentum in the final round to win by unanimous decision.
Akash’s bronze at the tournament was India’s seventh medal at the world’s biggest boxing event, while the youngster joined an elite list of boxers who have won medals for India at the Men’s World Championships in the past, including Amit Panghal (silver in 2019), Vijender Singh (bronze in 2009), Vikas Krishan (bronze in 2011), Shiva Thapa (bronze in 2015), Gaurav Bidhuri (bronze in 2017), and Manish Kaushik (bronze in 2019).
