Sarita, Sonia enter semi-finals of National Boxing

ROHTAK: Former world champion L Sarita Devi (60kg) and Asian silver-medallist Sonia Lather (57kg) advanced to the semi-finals after clinching facile quarter-final wins at the National Women's Boxing Championships, on Wednesday.

Representing the All India Police, Sarita out-punched Arunachal Pradesh's Aquillia Dupak in the first round itself to make the medal rounds.

Railway Sports Promotion Board's Sonia, on the other hand, defeated Uttarakhand's Kamla Bisht 5-0.Among other prominent names, former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) sailed past Chattisgarh's Abha to be assured of her second successive medal.

Also entering the semi-finals was RSPB's Pavitra (60kg), a former world championships quarter-finalist, got the better of Manipur's Chaoba Devi.

Former World Championships silver-medallist Sarju Bala Devi (48kg), competing for Manipur, was also among those entering the medal rounds. She beat Madhya Pradesh's Deepa Kumari 5-0.

Asian Championships quarter-finalist Shiksha (54kg), however, bowed out of the competition. The RSPB-boxer was upstaged by Punjab's Shavinder Kaur Sidhu in a unanimous verdict.