Boxing World Cup: Minakshi advances to quarters in China

(Photo: BFI)

Guiyang, June 18 (IANS) Indian boxer Minakshi secured a win on the fourth day of the Boxing World Cup (Stage 2) in China, moving on to the quarterfinals in her weight class.

Minakshi, the reigning 48kg World Champion and current World No. 1, now competing in the women's 51kg category, secured a decisive 5-0 unanimous decision victory over Poland's Natalia Kuczewska, advancing in the competition.

On day four, Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) was eliminated after losing 0-5 to Kyrgyzstan's Mirzokhid Imamnazarov.

So far in the tournament, five Indian boxers have reached the quarterfinals: Nikhil (55kg), Deepak (70kg), Minakshi (51kg), Prachi (57kg), and Saneh (65kg). Additionally, Jyoti (48kg) and Jugnoo (85kg) have secured medals by advancing to the semi-finals.

Jyoti was a late addition to India’s squad as the BFI expanded the 18-member squad to 20, adding Aakash alongside in the 75kg category as India’s contingent saw 10 male and 10 female boxers represent the nation.

“Our foremost responsibility is towards the athletes. International competitions play a vital role in a boxer's development, and every deserving athlete should have the opportunity to test themselves against the best in the world. Jyoti and Aakash have worked hard to earn this chance, and it is important that they are able to compete, gain valuable exposure against top international opponents and further their development at the highest level,” Ajay Singh, President of the Boxing Federation of India, had said.

On Day 5, four Indian boxers will compete in their quarterfinal matches. In the women's category, Minakshi (51kg) will face Kazakhstan's Alua Balkibekova, Saneh (65kg) will face Poland's Kinga Krowka, and Prachi (57kg) will face Shih Yi Wu of Chinese Taipei. In the men's division, Nikhil (55kg) will go up against Azerbaijan's Amin Mammadzada.

Results (India):

Won:

Minakshi (51kg-W) bt Natalia Kuczewska (Poland) 5-0

Lost:

Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) lost to Mirzokhid Imamnazarov (Kyrgyzstan) 0-5

Indian Boxers in Quarterfinals:

Nikhil (55kg)

Deepak (70kg)

Minakshi (51kg-W)

Prachi (57kg-W)

Saneh (65kg-W)

Indian Boxers in Semi-finals:

Jyoti (48kg-W)

Jugnoo (85kg)

Day 5 Schedule (India):

Minakshi (51kg-W) vs Alua Balkibekova (Kazakhstan)

Saneh (65kg-W) vs Kinga Krowka (Poland)

Nikhil (55kg) vs Amin Mammadzada (Azerbaijan)

Prachi (57kg-W) vs Chengyu Yang (Chinese Taipei)Deepak Poonia (70KG) vs Nabi Isgandarov (Azerbaijan) Boxing World Cup: Minakshi advances to quarters in China | MorungExpress | morungexpress.com

Read More........ → June 19, 2026

EV Popularity in China Accounts for 262,000 Fewer Deaths from Air Pollution

– credit, David Veksler

More than a quarter million people are still alive thanks to improvements in air quality linked to “new energy” vehicles in the world’s largest auto market.

With more than 50% of all new cars sold last year in China being hybrids, EVs, or hydrogen-powered, the speed of the adoption has been incredible both for the market itself, but also for public health statistics.

Some 262,000 premature deaths attributable to car exhaust’s effect on the risk for lung cancer, stroke, respiratory diseases, and heart attack, along with 75,000 all-cause deaths estimated to be a result of air pollution, have been avoided according to a study using pollution data modeling.

Around 4 million people are believed to die from these each year, including 1 million in China alone.

Fossil fuel vehicles release a variety of pollutants from the tailpipe, including fine particulate matter of less than 2.5 micrometers (PM2.5), carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide.

A study published on May 13th in Nature Health looked at satellite data from 150 Chinese cities. The authors estimated how much pollution has been removed by the adoption of new energy vehicles, and compared it to a counterfactual in which all cars were still fossil fuel powered—easy enough since this was the reality in China just 15 years ago.

The results were a 23.8% reduction in PM2.5, and a 30% reduction in carbon monoxide, resulting in some 320,000 fewer deaths from air pollution.

Comparatively, the authors found a very small, almost insignificant reduction in nitrous oxide, which they attributed to the diesel semi trucks still used across the majority of the country to transport goods and merchandise. Their long-distance routes and heavy tonnage make them challenging to electrify, although Australia is giving it the best shot.China has waged a very successful war on pollution over the last 10 years, with the “Beijing Blue” being a surprising new weather phenomenon over the capital. EV Popularity in China Accounts for 262,000 Fewer Deaths from Air Pollution

Read More........ → June 17, 2026

Singapore’s First 3D-Printed Bridge Planned for 2028 After Rigorous Testing

An artistic rendering of the 3D-printed bridge – credit, Singapore LTA

Singapore’s transportation officials are set to debut the use of 3D-printed concrete in the form of a new pedestrian bridge that will stretch 30 feet across a waterway.

Brought onboard a larger project to improve transit options in the Jurong River and Temah areas of the city state, it’s the country’s first use of 3D printing for this kind of infrastructure.

The project, managed by the Land Transit Authority (LTA) has just completed a testing phase where segments of printed concrete, made up of cement, sand, and water, were subjected to stress tests under the weight of large water tanks weighing 1 metric ton each.

The first printed segments formed a scale model of what will be the eventual bridge. 10 segments in total took about 40 hours to finish compared to two weeks that might have been expected with manual concrete laying.

It cost a mere $1.4 million to develop and supply the specialized 3D-printing mixture, and the whole project was carried out by Singapore Center for 3D Printing at Nanyang Technological University, with help from the engineering consultancy Witteveen+Bos and 3D concrete printing construction firm CES_Innovfab.

The real thing is slated for completion in 2028, when each of the 10 segments will be threaded together on robust steel cables until it measures 30 feet long and 15 feet wide.

3D-printed bridges have also been installed in China and the Netherlands. The longest in the world is in the Dutch city of Nijmegen, where it stretches 95 feet (29 meters) across a canal.

MORE 3D-PRINTING:

The bridge is striking to look at, with sculpted conical feet that gives it a shape a little like that of a caterpillar.

In Singapore, it’s very much early days for the technology, and the load-bearing tests carried out on the scale model will inform any future applications of the technology. It’s hoped they will be successful, as labor shortages are affecting LTA’s ability to conduct similar projects at scale.

SINGAPORE STORIES: 3D-printed homes present as a much easier engineering challenge since the structure is built from the ground up. Printing each bridge segment—set for a life of foundationless suspension, required a precise mixture of ingredients, printing flow rate, and printing speed to ensure each layer fell, filled, and dried in a perfectly even pattern to ensure no cracks would develop as the mixture hardened. Singapore’s First 3D-Printed Bridge Planned for 2028 After Rigorous Testing

Read More........ → April 08, 2026