Shiva Thapa (56kg) assured India of a medal at the World Boxing Championships when he entered the semi-finals following an overwhelming 3-0 win over local hope Hakan Erseker in Doha on Saturday.
With this win, Thapa became only the third Indian to claim a medal at the Worlds after Vijender Singh in 2009 and Vikas Krishan Yadav (2011), who lost earlier in the day.
Thapa is also now one win away from securing a berth for the country in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. If the Asian Championships bronze medallist will lose in the semi-final, the boxer from Assam will get another play-off to book his ticket to Rio.
The bantamweight boxer started the bout in a convincing fashion, landing his punches clearly. He looked more agile and active as compared to the Qatari and the Indian’s aggression ultimately overwhelmed Erseker.