JOIN USL Sarita Devi (64kg) and world championships silver-medallist Sonia Lather (57kg) advanced to the semifinals and assured themselves of medals at the Asian Women's Boxing Championships here on Sunday.
Sarita, a former world champion eyeing her sixth medal at the Asian meet, defeated Maftunakhon Melieva of Uzbekistan, while Sonia edged past Kazakhstan's Nazym Ichshanova in the quarterfinals.
Sarita, who returned to the amateur fold after trying her luck in the professional circuit earlier this year, took full advantage of her opponent's reluctance to attack and connected some lusty right hooks to take the upper hand early in the bout.
At the very beginning of the second round, Melieva faced a standing eight count after a flurry of combination punches from the Indian left her dazed. Melieva gave a better account of herself in the final three minutes but Sarita was up for the challenge and displayed some fine ringcraft to dodge the attacks.
Sonia, on the other hand, had to stave off a stiff challenge from Kazakhstan's Nazym Ichshanova in a split verdict to enter the last-four stage, assuring herself of her second medal at the event. She is a former silver-medallist at the continental meet.
Earlier, Nation's Cup gold-medallist Neeraj (51kg) went down in a unanimous verdict to Chinese Taipei's Chol Mi Pang in her quarterfinal contest.
On Saturday, Olympic bronze medallist M C Mary Kom (48kg), Priyanka Choudhary (60kg) and Shiksha (54kg) had already advanced to the semifinals.