KARACHI, June 21: Pakistan’s medal hope Karrar Hussain crashed out of Asian junior boxing quarterfinals losing to Uzbekistan’s Kuljanov Azamat, while Nisar Khan and Ali Mohammad booked semifinal berths on the second day dominated by Kazakhstan on Tuesday.

Lightweight Azamat was too hot for Karrar to handle as the Uzbek started the bout with confidence, while the Pakistani was shaky and was involved in hitting from behind for which he was given at least three cautions.

While Azamat was warned once for ducking, Karrar failed to stop the Uzbek from pounding him without much resistance which prompted the referee to give badly beaten Karrar eight mandatory counts in the fourth round before he tamely lost 23-32.

While the city is experiencing blistering heat wave, boxers’ problems were compounded when the air-conditioning at KPT Sports Complex went off during the fifth bout because of electricity breakdown following a drizzle in the city.

It was a different story altogether for bantamweight Ali Mohammad who had to show his mettle to emerge a 39-35 winner. The energy-sapping and the most hotly-contested fight got off to an aggressive start with Kyeong-Moon repeatedly landing punches on Ali’s face from the first bell of the opening round.

It was only in the dying seconds of the second round that Ali came back but not before receiving some punishing blows from the South Korean. Ali fought back in the third round and threw several point-scoring punches before the end.

Although the South Korean dominated from the start of the final round, it was Ali’s powerful left jab that brought him again into the fight and he earned some vital points to get the verdict.

Asian Cadet 46kg gold medallist Nisar Khan had smooth sailing as he scored a 30-13 victory over Uzbekistan’s Holmuratov Ulugbek to reach the light-flyweight semifinals.

It was mixed fortunes for the Pakistanis, but the Kazakhs proved their superiority as three of their boxers barged into the semifinals with ease.

Light-flyweight Abdraimov Nurlan was the first Kazakh to make it to the last four stage after he drubbed Mohd Salfa Samrizam Bin Abdullah of Malaysia 27-7.

Kazakhstan’s Sydykov Kanat had no difficulty in moving into the bantamweight last four with a facile 29-9 triumph against Jordan’s Abed’l Jaber Al-Kasbeh.

Syria’s Shadi Labad could not match Kazakhstan’s Kozhibekov Bakhytzhan ferocity who emerged winner after referee stopped the contest following head injury to the Syrian in the opening round.

Bantamweight Shayimov Orzubek was the second Uzbek who reached the semifinals when he outboxed Afghanistan’s Mohammad Aziz Azizi 30-20.

Results (quarterfinals):

Light-flyweight: Abdraimov Nurlan (Kazakhstan) bt Mohd Salfa Samrizam Bin Abdullah (Malaysia) 27-7; Nguyen Viet Dai (Vietnam) bt Jay-ar Quiam (Philippines) 37-21; Sleman Waiel (Syria) bt P.P.R.S. Patabendi (Sri Lanka) 27-17; Nisar Khan (Pakistan) bt Holmuratov Ulugbek (Uzbekistan) 30-13.

Bantamweight: Shayimov Orzubek (Uzbekistan) bt Mohammad Aziz Azizi (Afghanistan) 30-20; Hudaybergenov Amangeldi (Turkmenistan) bt R.M.A.B. Gunatilake (Sri Lanka) 19-3; Sydykov Kanat (Kazakhtstan) bt Abed’l Jaber Al-Kasbeh (Jordan) 29-9; Ali Mohammad (Pakistan) bt Kang Kyeong-Moon (South Korea) 39-35.

Lightweight: Kozhibekov Bakhytzhan (Kazakhstan) bt Shadi Labad (Syria) RSC/H/I; Metee Namuang (Thailand) Yasuhiro Suzuki (Japan) 26-21; Kuljanov Azamat (Uzbekistan) bt Karrar Hussain (Pakistan) 32-23; Madaminov Akmat (Kyrgyzstan) bt Yeerzhati Alesihan (China) 37-14.