Commonwealth Games gold medallist Manoj Kumar (64kg) gave India a strong start at the Asian boxing championships in Amman, Jordan, thrashing local favourite Ibrahim Saleh in the opening round.
The 26-year-old Indian, a silver medallist at the recent Limassol Boxing Cup in Cyprus, will meet Mohammed Dilshan of Sri Lanka in the pre-quarter-final bout on Wednesday.
In the first round, Manoj surprised the short but strong local lad with his aggressive intent and pace.
Making full use of his height, the Indian dominated the proceedings throughout.
By the end of the final round, Manoj had a clear advantage with fatigue setting in on the Jordanian boxer. Manoj entered the Round of 16 with victory by virtue of a unanimous decision.
Later, Jagroop Singh (81kg) will make his debut against Uzbekistan’s Boburbek Yuldashev.