Minakshi (48kg) defeated Kazakhstan’s Bolat Akbota 5-0, while Preeti (54kg) also secured an emphatic win over an aggressive Nigina Uktamova of Uzbekistan.

Preeti was returning to international action after more than a year. Her last competition was the Paris Olympics, where she lost in the round of 16. She subsequently lost her place in the national team to Sakshi Chaudhary but has now made a strong comeback with this tournament.

Her Uzbek opponent started aggressively in the first round, forcing Preeti to quickly find her rhythm. Though she managed to land some clean blows early on, it was in the second round that Preeti truly took control. With sharp footwork and precise combination punches, she pushed Uktamova onto the back foot. The Uzbek tried to mount pressure in the third round, but Preeti remained dominant.

“This is my first international tournament since the last Olympics. This gap (away from the national team) was very challenging but it motivated me to come back. I am feeling very positive,” said Preeti.

“I have worked on my defence and counters. I am an attacking boxer. I was sick after the Olympics and my body was very down. I had to work a lot on my endurance to get back on track.”

Minakshi displayed the confidence of a reigning world champion, having won the title in Liverpool in September. Using her long reach to great effect, she kept scoring with clean punches.

“I am very excited to compete in front of my home crowd. I have trained hard for this championship and I am prepared mentally and physically. I have studied my opponents’ bouts and planned accordingly. I have a height advantage in 48 kg and I try to use it in the ring,” Minakshi said.

“In the past year, I have competed in several international tournaments which has given me the experience to face quality boxers. It has also helped improve my game. I have worked on my attacks and I try to learn from every bout. The world title has given me confidence. I want to give my best here, my parents and coaches were present to watch my bout.”

In the men’s competition, Ankush Phangal (80kg) defeated Japan’s Go Wakaya 5-0. In 90+kg, Narender Berwal faced stiff resistance from Ukraine’s Andrii Khaletskyi but prevailed 4-1 in the quarterfinals.

The tournament features a draw of eight boxers in each weight class.

“He was a tough opponent. He won gold in the Thailand Open. Coaches had told me that the first round would be important and I should take early control. I did exactly that,” said Asian Games medallist Berwal. “After my loss at the world championships, I realised I have to work on my footwork to get into good positions to score. Today, I was able to execute it. This is a ranking tournament and collecting maximum points here will put me in good stead for major competitions next year.”