Despite a surge in the final round, Ashish Kumar bows out of Tokyo Olympics after being defeated by China's Erbieke Tuoheta.
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Indian boxer Ashish Kumar suffered a defeat against China’s Erbieke Tuoheta by a 0:5 margin in the Men’s Middleweight (75kg) round of 32 encounter between the two sportsmen in the ongoing Tokyo Olympics. Ashish has been knocked out of the prestigious event, joining Indian Commonwealth Games silver medallist Manish Kaushik. Tuoheta started Round 1 on the front foot, with Ashish making a fine comeback to match the Chinese punch for punch. There was a lot of intensity in the parrying, with the Indian holding his own despite increased aggression from his opponent. However, the judges gave an overwhelming verdict in favour of Tuoheta, handing him an early advantage.
Ashish roared back with gusto in the second round, pushing the Chinese deep till the end. The Indian kept his attacks aimed high, with a lot of dominance in attack combined alongside excellent defence. However, the judges again gave an overwhelming verdict in favour of the Chinese boxer, which has resulted in a lot of controversy on social media. It seemed like an impossible task from Ashish’s point of view, going into the third round.
The anxiety reflected in the Indian boxer’s approach, with a lot of stunning blows aimed at Tuoheta. The judges were clearly impressed, awarding the last round to Ashish. However, the Chinese finished as the eventual winner following a 5-0 unanimous win.
Kaushik was similarly knocked out following a split-decision 4:1 defeat against Great Britain’s Luke McCormack on Sunday. McCormack proceeded to the round of 16, following a fiercely contested debut in the Olympics which ended with him on the winning side. The British boxer clinched the match following a dominant third round, having witnessed some fierce competition in the opening two rounds.
Kaushik started off defensively in the first round, keeping a safe distance from McCormack. The Indian attempted to attack swiftly with his left while holding a tight defence. McCormack attempted his best to be on his toes defensively, following up with a punch being landed. The Britisher enjoyed the edge, with the judges feeling the same as evident from a 3-2 decision in his favour.
Manish started off on the same note in the second round. However, he opened up a bit with the desire to land a punch on his opponent in an effective manner. The Indian’s dominance in the centre of the ring certainly impressed the judges, as evident from him edging the round 3-2. The two boxers attempted their best in the final round, posting an impressive performance when it mattered the most. However, McCormack managed to land more clean shots in comparison. The judges were certainly influenced by the same, awarding a split decision of 4-1 in the British boxer’s favour. Kaushik was the second Indian boxer following Vikas Krishan to bow out in the preliminary round. Ashish is now the third.
The Indian contingent will be gunning for more medals as the tournament progresses. India might have a chance on the final three days with the wrestlers stepping up on August 4 till 6.
