World Boxing Championships 2017: Amit Phangal defeats Federico Serra as India's campaign begins on winning note

Hamburg: Asian bronze-medallist Amit Phangal (49kg) gave India’s campaign a fine start at the 19th World Boxing Championship, advancing to the pre-quarterfinals in Hamburg on Friday. Amit defeated Italy’s Federico Serra in a split verdict to enter the second round, where he will be up against seventh seed Carlos Quipo of Ecuador. [caption id=“attachment_3976167” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Getty images[/caption] The Indian was sluggish in the opening round, allowing his rival easy shots. However, he managed to get his act together in the second and third round to seal the issue in his favour, albeit on a split decision. Eight Indian boxers are in fray in the premier event, which has close to 250 boxers vying for the top honours.