Indian boxers bag three medals at Strandja Memorial

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

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