Nagpur: Even as the 3rd Nation’s Cup International Boxing Championship has been going on in Vrbas, Serbia, it struck a strong connection with Nagpur as city’s only international boxer Alfiya Khan Pathan won the bronze medal there for India in the 80+ kg category on Sunday night.
She had also won the silver medal in previous edition of Nation’s Cup. In the latest game she knocked down Russian boxer Vorontsova Valeriia and bagged the third spot.
The Indian team won four gold, four silver and four bronze medals and claimed the runners-up trophy. Tamanna (48kg), Ambeshori Devi (57kg), Preeti Dahiya (60kg) Priyanka (66kg) notched up the gold medals. Tamanna was adjudged Best Foreign Boxer.
In 50kg, Karnataka’s Anju Devi settled for a silver along with Maharashtra’s Simran Verma (52kg), Haryana’s Manshi Dalal (75kg) and Punjab’s Tanishbir Kaur Sandhu (80kg). Goa’s Aashreya Naik (63kg), Neha (54kg), Khushi (70kg) and Alfiya Khan Pathan (+80kg) picked up bronze medals after losing their respective semifinal.
It was Alfiya’s fourth international tour. Earlier, she had traveled to three countries — Kazakhstan, Serbia (2018) and Germany (2019).
During the trials prior to Serbia campaign, Alfiya had impressed the selectors a lot. Gopal Devang, chairman of Boxing Federation of India (BFI) selection committee, had predicted that Alfiya will clinch a medal in the meet.
Two weeks before going to Serbia, the city boxer won gold medal in 16th Junior Girls Maharashtra State Boxing Championship held in Uran, Raigad. It was her seventh gold in the state championship since 2016.
In the inaugural Khelo India games last year, Alfiya had scripted history for Nagpur division by claiming the gold medal victory. Apart from this, she has won two golds, two silvers and a bronze medal in national tournaments.
