Vijender, Manpreet enter quarters of Asian Olympic Qualifiers

Vijender (75kg), a former World Championships bronze-medallist, defeated Syria's Ishak Waez 11-5 to set up a clash with Mongolia's Chuluuntumur Tumurkhuyag in the quarterfinals.

"I was on the offensive from the very start and kept attacking him with uppercuts and right straight punches. He just kept running around and I kept chasing him all around the ring," Vijender told PTI from Astana.

"The last time I faced a Syrian boxer was in the 2006 Doha Asian Games. I was a winner then also and I won today as well even though the guys were different. Next up is Mongolia, I haven't faced him before but I am ready," added the former world number one.

Earlier in the day, Asian Games silver-medallist Manpreet Singh (91kg) took just a minute and 46 seconds to win his opening bout and enter the quarterfinals.

Manpreet defeated Mongolia's Toulyek Yerbolat in a lop-sided contest to inch closer to the finals, where he will have to win a gold to make the cut for the London Games.

It was a rousing start to the day for India as Manpreet displayed such ferocity in his right upper-cuts and straight punches that referee stopped the contest midway through the first round itself after Yerbolat ended up getting three mandatory counts. (More) PTI PM SHN