India’s Jamuna Boro and Lovlina Borgohain assured themselves of a place in the quarterfinal of the AIBA World Boxing Championships on Wednesday. Borgohain outpunched Morocco’s Oumayma Bel Ahbib for a 5-0 win, roughly half hour after Boro had defeated Ouidad Sfouh of Algeria, also by a unanimous 5-0 verdict as both pugilists entered the final eight of the women’s 54-kg and 69 kg categories respectively.

Boro and Borgohain are now one win away from guaranteeing themselves a medal.

In her debut event, after beating Michidmaa Erdenedalai in the previous round, Boro was right on the money from the beginning of the first bell. With her combination punches, Boro, throughout was ahead of her opponent. Sfouh, an African Games gold-medallist, had no answer to the 22-year-old’s relentless jabs.

Boro dominated two of the three rounds, although in the first round, neither pugilist found the target. However, after a pep talk from her coach in the corner, Boro’s newly-found enthusiasm ensured she kept her nose ahead during the entirety of Round 2.

Sfouh tried to hit back in the final round, a few of her punches striking Boro flush on the face but in the final stages, the Indian countered and delivered flurry of rights of her own to negate the little burst of assault.

In her second World Championships, Borgohain, 22, maintained her distance from Ahbib initially before stunning her with aggressive posturing. Ahbib managed to score some punches over Borgohain but she retaliated with a counter-attack flooring the Moroccan.

Boro will next take on Belarus’ Yuliya Apanasovich, who is seeded fourth, while Borgohain squares off against sixth-seeded Karolina Koszewska.

Boro and Borgohain joined MC Mary Kom to advance to the last-eight of the World Boxing Championships. Competing in the 51-kg category, Mary had triumphed 5-0 against Thailand’s Jutamas Jitpong on Tuesday. Lovlina Borgohain, 22, is due to face Oumayna Bel of Morocco in the 69-kg round of 16.

There was disappointment when former silver-medallist Saweety Boora (75kg) lost her pre-quarterfinal bout in a split decision despite a valiant fight. Boora was up against second-seeded Welshwoman Lauren Price, who is a European Games gold-medallist and had won a bronze in the last edition.