India’s horrid run in the World Olympic Boxing Qualifier in Italy’s Busto Arsizio continued on Tuesday after defending national champion Lakshya Chahar crashed out.

Lakshya thus became the fourth Indian to be knocked out of the Olympic qualifier after Deepak Bhoria, Narender Berwal and Jaismine Lamboria. The trio all lost their respective first round bouts.  Chahar, meanwhile, lost to Iran’s Gheshlaghi Meysam in the third round.

Having lost the first round 2-3, Chahar got himself back in the game by taking the second round 3-2. He was level on three cards before he suffered a knock out in the final round.

Five Indian boxers, including world championships bronze medallist Mohammed Hussamudin and six-time Asian Championships medal winner Shiva Thapa, are still in the fray for earning Paris Olympic quotas here. A semifinal finish will ensure a quota.

India have secured four 2024 Olympic quotas so far with Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Parveen Hooda (57kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) clinching their entry to Paris at the Asian Games last year.

India had nine boxers competing in the Tokyo Olympics.

Boxers who fail to earn quotas here will get a final chance to seal their passage to the Paris Games during the second World Olympic Boxing Qualifier, scheduled to be held in Bangkok from 23 May to 3 June.

With PTI inputs