Knock-out punch

Lakra, Jitender advance, but Arjuna awardee Vijender bows out

CHICAGO: AL Lakra and Jitender Kumar stepped one step closer to Olympic qualification by advancing to the pre-quarterfinals of World Boxing Championship but Doha Asian Games bronze medallist Vijender crashed out in the second round here.

Commonwealth champion Lakra thrashed Tajikistan’s Bahodir Karimov 25-6 in the featherweight category while Afro-Asian Games gold medallist Jitender got the better of German Ronny Beblik in the flyweight category.

The duo is now just win away from booking a berth in 2008 Olympics as making the quarterfinals would be enough for them to assure themselves a trip to Beijing.

However, it was end of the road for Vijender as the Arjuna awardee bowed out with a surprise loss to Venezuelan Alfonso Blanco in the round II of middleweight category.

The 21-year-old went down 8-13 and will now have to wait until next year’s Asian qualifiers to qualify for Beijing 2008.

Meanwhile, Jitender will next take on Russian Georgy Balakshin, who defeated Kazakhstan’s Nurlan Uulu Aidarbek 25-11, while Lakra will square off against Shahin Imranov of Azerbaijan.

Imranov defeatedLatvian Valentins Morozovs 24-9at the University of Illinois Pavillion here.