CWG: Sachin advances to boxing R16, Indian swimmers miss 400m freestyle finals
India’s Sachin Siwach progressed to the Round of 16 in the men’s 60kg boxing event with a hard-fought victory over Canada’s Keoma Al-Ahmadieh, while swimmers Dhakshan Shashikumar and Aryan Nehra failed to qualify for the men’s 400m freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games here on Saturday.
India also endured a disappointing outing in the wheelchair women’s 3×3 basketball competition, suffering a heavy 1-16 defeat to Wales in their Group B encounter.
Commonwealth Games Day 3: Updates
Sachin secured a 4-1 split-decision victory over Al-Ahmadieh after taking control of the contest in the opening two rounds before weathering a late fightback from the Canadian.
The Indian boxer won the first round on four of the five judges’ scorecards before again edging the second to build a decisive advantage. Although Al-Ahmadieh responded strongly in the final round, Sachin had already done enough to seal the bout and book his place in the Round of 16.
He will next take on England’s William Hewitt for a place in the quarterfinals.
SWIMMING STRUGGLES
Indian swimmers Dhakshan Shashikumar and Aryan Nehra endured a disappointing outing in the men’s 400m freestyle, failing to progress beyond the heats at the Tollcross Swimming Centre.
Shashikumar clocked 3:58.09 seconds to finish 15th overall among the 27 competitors, while Nehra was 16th with a time of 4:00.26.
Competing in Heat 3, Shashikumar moved into seventh position at the halfway mark but was unable to sustain the pace required to secure a place in the final.
Nehra, swimming in Heat 4, remained at the back of the field throughout the race, occupying the last position at the halfway stage before finishing in the same spot.
BASKETBALL SETBACK
India’s wheelchair women’s 3×3 basketball team, meanwhile, endured a difficult outing against Wales, losing 1-16 in its Group B fixture.
The Indians struggled to match Wales’ intensity and scoring efficiency throughout the contest, converting just one of their 12 scoring attempts as the Welsh side dominated from start to finish.
India will look to bounce back in the remaining group-stage matches to keep its campaign alive.
– Ends
