The first session of Semi-Finals at the 2017 AIBA Women’s Youth World Championships took place on Friday evening in Guwahati, India, and it was the Asian boxers who were in dominating form in the ring. After ten bouts, the finalists are now confirmed at Flyweight (51kg), Featherweight (57kg), Light Welterweight (64kg), Middleweight (75kg) and Heavyweight (+81kg), and the atmosphere at the Nabin Chandra Bardoloi Indoor Stadium was already reaching fever pitch as the tournament moves into its penultimate day.

Early in the day, Russian Flyweight (51kg) Ekaterina Molchanova dominated an intense opening round against Rinka Kinoshita of Japan, who then found her range in the second round to cause Molchanova some problems with her swift jabs. The technically excellent Russian was able to absorb those waves of pressure, however, and another unanimous victory sets up a gold-medal match against India’s Jyoti, winner of the day’s opener against Kazakhstan’s Zhansaya Abdraimova.

China’s Cailling Hu and Vietnam’s Hong Ngoc Do had both delivered brilliant wins on route to their last four meeting, and were cautious in the opening exchanges of the first Featherweight (57kg) semi before Do closed out the first round on top with some accurate jabs. The Vietnamese talent went on to take the split decision win, going on to what will be a thrilling final against India’s determined-looking Shashi Chopra, impressive winner over Mongolia’s Namuun Monkhor.

With the crowd now fully warmed up, local favourite Ankushita Boro took to the ring looking to prove she can be the woman to follow in the great Mary Kom’s shoes, and after a cagey first three minutes, Boro flew out of the corner in round two, landing a flurry of blows to establish her authority over Thailand’s Thanchanok Saksri and earn the unanimous victory. Boro now meets Russia’s Ekaterina Dynnik, after she repeatedly breached the defences of Ireland’s Katelyn Phelan to progress in equally convincing fashion.

After three composed and focussed rounds brought victory against Poland’s gutsy Natalia Marczykowska, Sunday’s Middleweight (75kg) final will see Russia’s formidable Anastasiia Shamonova take on England’s Georgia O’Connor, unanimous victor over Ya-Chu Yang of Chinese Taipei. That left the Heavyweights (+81kg) to wrap up Friday’s action, Russia’s Junior World Champion Kristina Tkacheva controlling her bout against Turkey’s Sueda Sahin to reach the final on Sunday against Kazakhstan’s Dina Islambekova.

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