As the referee raised Hitesh’s hand after his quarter-final bout against former World Champion Sewon Okazawa of Japan, the sparse crowd in Greater Noida raised the decibel level to the highest. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW VIDEO

It was an upset as the young Indian took down Asian Games gold medallist and multiple World Championships medallist by split decision 3-2.

The bout was a close one and the Japanese, known for his distinctive style of boxing, pushed Hitesh to his limits. “I am delighted. He is an Olympian and also won a silver at the recent World championships. I had to use my brain more against him,” Hitesh said after his bout.

The bout started with Okazawa doing his usual tricks and keeping away from the reach of the Indian boxer. However, Hitesh came prepared for the same. “My pla

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