Two Indian boxers in second round

India's Jitender Kumar and Som Bahadur Pun kept themselves on course for a medal by moving into the second round of the boxing event at the 17th Commonwealth Games, in Manchester, on Monday.

The experienced Jitender Kumar knocked out Joseph Farmer of Sierra Leone in the first round, in the upto 75 kg category, while Pun outpunched Nigeria's Abolore Madoti in the upto 57 kg category, forcing the referee to stop the contest in the third round.

Late on Monday, India's Mohammed Ali Qamar also advanced in the Light Flyweight (upto 48 kgs) class, beating Suleiman Wanjau Bilali of Kenya, the referee stopping the contest in the second round.

The Indians, who had clinched a silver medal in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, did not really make much of an impact on the first three days of competition.

While three Indian pugilists had fallen by the wayside at the very first hurdle, only Ramanand had managed to move into the second round in the upto 60 kg category before being shown the door by England's Andrew Morris in the upto 60 kg weight category on Sunday.

Bangkok Asian Games hero Dingko Singh, Harpal Singh and Dalvir Singh were the early Indian casualties, followed by Ramanand, who went out yesterday.