Indian boxers bag three medals at Strandja Memorial

Sofia Feb 27 (IANS) Mohamed Hussamuddin went down fighting in the final of the men s bantamweight (56kg) category as India finished with three medals at the 68th Strandja Memorial boxing tournament here.

Hussamuddin put up a spirited fight against 2013 European Championship silver medallist Mykola Butsenko of Ukraine before going down 2-3 to settle for the silver late on Sunday evening.

Among other Indians in the fray Amit Phangal lost in the semi-finals of the men s Light Flyweight (49kg) division and Meena Kumari Maisnam went down in the last four stage of the women s 54kg class to settle for the bronze.

A total of 15 Indian boxers -- 10 men and five women -- took part in the event.

Meanwhile China won two gold medals during Sunday s finals.

Yin Junhua silver medallist at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games defeated European champion Denitsa Eliseeva of Bulgaria 5-0 in the final of the women s 60kg class here on Sunday evening reports Xinhua news agency.

Rio 2016 bronze medallist Li Qian won the women s 75kg category by beating Rio silver medallist Nouchka Fontijn of the Netherlands 3-2.

China s Hu Jianguan bronze medallist at Rio lost to European champion Daniel Asenov of Bulgaria in the final of the men s 52kg division.

Two other Chinese boxers took bronze medals including Wen Yinhang and Huang Jiabin in the men s 75kg and 81kg categories respectively.

The six-day competition the oldest and one of the toughest international boxing tournaments in Europe featured more than 280 male and female boxers from 35 countries and regions.

--IANS
ajb/dg