City’s Alfiya Khan Pathan secured a silver medal at the Asian U-22 Boxing Championships held in Astana, Kazakhstan on Tuesday. In the final match of the light heavyweight (81kg) category, Alfiya put up a strong fight but ultimately lost to local favorite Diana Magauyayeva with a score of 4-1. Alfiya, a former world junior champion, entered the bout as the anticipated winner. Notably, she had previously defeated Diana at the U-17 Asian Championship in Dubai back in 2019.
Despite the strong support from the local crowd for her opponent, Alfiya showcased her skill and determination in the final bout, although she fell short of securing the gold. Throughout the title match, Diana predominantly employed a strategy of clinching and holding Alfiya, restricting the Nagpur boxer’s opportunities to land punches effectively. Alfiya is presently undergoing training at the Sports Authority of India (SAI), National Center of Excellence (NCOE) in Rohtak. In her recent international competition, the 2022 Asian Junior Boxing Championship in Amman, Jordan, Alfiya emerged victorious, clinching the gold medal.
The current Asian U-22 & Youth Boxing Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, saw seven Indian boxers clinch gold medals. India’s medal tally reached an impressive 43 on the concluding day of the championship. The Indian boxers won 12 gold, 14 silver and 17 bronze medals to finish second behind hosts Kazakhstan who bagged 48 medals. The Indian U-22 team, of which Alfiya was a part, claimed 21 medals including seven gold, five silver and nine bronze medals. Among the Indian boxers claiming the gold was Paris Olympics-bound Preeti who staged a great comeback in the 54kg weight category. Down 0-5 in the first round, Preeti posted a 3-0 win over Kazakh boxer Bazarova Elina