Sabin Rajak, Arjun Shrestha, Rabin Thapa and Akash Bista advanced to the light flyweight (49kg) category quarter-finals during the 1st National Novice Boxing Championships on Thursday.

Competing in the men’s U-19 age-group, Rajak beat Shekhar Bhandari 5-0, Shrestha saw off Pramod Bhandari 5-0, Thapa beat Arjun Tamang 4-1 and Bista got the better of Basan Rai 5-0. Joining them in the last eight were Jabin Pakhrin, Rawan Ali, Aakash Shah and Suraj Oli. 

Pakhrin dispatched Chhiring Wangdel 4-1, Ali battled to a 3-2 win over Dharmendra Rai, Shah beat Prashant Bista 3-2 and Oli defeated Salim Maharjan 3-2 in their pre-quarter-final matches. 

Puran Raskoti, Saroj Gurung, Robin Ghimire, Sujan Poudel, Nisham Gharti Magar, Ansal Shakya and Ikesh Lama recorded wins in the men’s U-24 bantam (56kg) weight category. Raskoti beat Saurav Adhikari under RSC (referee stopped the contest), Gurung saw off Thaman Gaha, Ghimire, defeated Prashant Lama, Poudel overcame Jitendra Rokka Magar, Gharti Magar outplayed Rajan KC, Shakya beat Nabin Limbu and Lama saw off Giri Raj Thapa.

In the U-24 men’s lightweight (60kg) category, Sudhir Rajat defeated Nirajan Nepal, Sujan Chochange Magar beat Bikram Rana Magar, Karan Bajracharya dispatched Rojan Manandhar, Nimesh Bam Malla saw off Bipin Gopali, Pitambar Sinjali got the better of Bipin Limbu, Swagat Rai beat Bipin Limbu and Mausam Rana Magar defeated Abhishek Rai.

Recording wins in the U-24 light welterweight (64kg) category were Kamal Ale Magar, Sushant Shakya, Anmol Ghale, Bikash Rana and Yogesh Tamang.