Sarita Devi, Sonia Lather enter semifinals of National Boxing Championship

Rohtak: Former world champion L Sarita Devi (60kg) and Asian silver-medallist Sonia Lather (57kg) advanced to the semifinals after clinching facile quarterfinal wins in the National Women's Boxing Championships, here 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 semifinals was RSPB's Pavitra (60kg), a former world championships quarterfinalist, 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 quarterfinalist Shiksha (54kg), however, bowed out of the competition. The RSPB-boxer was upstaged by Punjab's Shavinder Kaur Sidhu in a unanimous verdict.