Commonwealth Games 2018, Gold Coast: Boxer Naman Tanwar stuns Tanzania’s Haruna Mhando to reach 91kg quarterfinals

GOLD COAST: The second day of the ongoing 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia's Gold Coast took a brilliant start for the Indian contingent with Manipuri weightlifter Khumukcham Sanjita Chanu winning Gold in the women’s 53-kg event at the Carrara Sports and Leisure Centre on Friday.

This was followed by country's promising boxer Naman Tanwar's victory over his much experienced and formidable Tanzanian opponent Haruna Mhando by a unanimous verdict.

The 19-year-old boxer defeated Tanzania’s Mhando by a unanimous verdict (30-26, 30-25, 30-26, 30-24, 30-24) to progress into the men’s 91kg quarter-finals.

All five judges unanimously declared Tanwar a winner with a 5-0 verdict in his favour. 

(Judge 1: 30-26, Judge 2: 30-25, Judge 3: 30-26, Judge 4: 30-24, Judge 5: 30-2)

The Indian will next be up against Frank Masoe of Samoa in the quarter-finals.

The World Youth Championships bronze medallist employed an unorthodox style, keeping his guard down and using his reflexes to avoid his opponent's punches while hitting on the counter.

Tanwar dominated right from the start and forced the African into a standing count less than 30 seconds into the opening round with a stinging left hook.

He continued to dominate thereafter, using deft footwork, quick movements and his superior height to land punches from different angles and keep Mhando under pressure.

The Tanzanian had more conventional, defensive style and was forced on to the back foot for most of the bout.

Earlier, Manipuri lifter Sanjita Chanu made the country proud by winning the second gold medal in women’s 53-kg weightlifting event on Friday.

Sanjita Chanu also broke the Commonwealth Games record by lifting 84kg in Snatch. She lifted a total of 192 kg (84 kg in Snatch and 108 kg in Clean and Jerk) to win the medal for India.

Defending champions Loa Dika Toua of Papua New Guinea was a distant second with 182 kg, while New Zealand's Rachel Leblanc-Bazinet took bronze with 181 kg.

Sanjita had earlier won the gold in the women’s 48 kg category at Glasglow in the 2014 Commonwealth Games and she lived up to expectations of her coach and countrymen by winning another one in Gold Coast.  

With Sanjita Chanu winning a gold, India's medal count has now reached 3 on the Day 2 as of now. They are third in the table after England and Australia. 

The Indian contingent began its 2018 Commonwealth Games (CWG) campaign on a golden note on Thursday. World Champion Mirabai Chanu (48kg) broke the CWG record in Snatch, Clean and Jerk as well as overall to finish on top of the podium. But the opening medal of the Games for India came from Gururaja Poojary who clinched a silver medal in the men's 56kg event.