Men's World Boxing Championships: Akash secures first medal for India

India's Akash Kumar (54kg) stunned Rio Olympic silver medallist Yoel Finol of Venezuela 5-0 in the quarter-finals to secure at least a bronze medal for the nation at the Men's world Boxing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia on Tuesday.

He has now become the seventh Indian male boxer to clinch a medal at World Championships. The previous Indian male boxers who have won medals at the Worlds so far are Vijender Singh Bronze (Milan, 2009), Vikas Krishan Bronze (Baku, 2011), Shiva Thapa Bronze (Doha 2015), Gaurav Bidhuri Bronze (Hamburg, 2017), Amit Panghal Silver and Manish Kaushik Bronze (Yekaterinburg, 2019).

Akash will now face Makhmud Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan in the semi-final on Thursday.

Earlier, Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) drew on his vast experience and demonstrated his wide range of skills to reach the quarter-finals.