Mary Kom lets it rip after winning trial bout against Nikhat Zareen
The Punjab pugilist, who won a gold at the Commonwealth Championships last year, won 13-12 in a nail-biting bout to set up a summit clash with Shin Jong Hun.
Indian boxers continued to pack a punch at the 21st President's Cup, with Asian Games gold medallist V Santhosh Kumar (64kg) and Jasveer Ahlawat (81kg) advancing to the semi-finals in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Wednesday. Jasveer, a former national champion, beat Iran Olympian Mohammad Shourain 20-12 on Wednesday, while Santhosh got the better of Japan's Katsuaki Susa 15-7 late Tuesday night.
Handicapped by a dislocated thumb and up against a two-time world champion, Indian boxer Vijender Singh on Monday said he managed to pull off the Asian Games gold medal as 'luck was back' on his side a month after deserting him at the Commonwealth Games.
Asian Games medallists Vikas Krishan (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) were among the five Indian boxers who entered the finals, on Friday, while three others settled for bronze medals in what is turning out to be India's best ever performance inside the ring at the Commonwealth Games.
Vikas Krishnan became the second Indian boxer to book a pre-quarterfinal berth at the Asian Games after the teenager beat Thailand's Saylom Ardee in his opening round bout in the men's 60-kg category, in Gaungzhou, on Wednesday.
'He was not the hit and run kind of a boxer, but a very intelligent boxer.' 'His presence of mind in the ring brought him glory in many international tournaments.'
Indian boxer Vijender Singh's appeal over the 'unfair penalty points' awarded to his opponent during the semi-final bout was rejected by the Commonwealth Games Federation on Tuesday. The offiicals rejected India's protest over the four penalty points docked against world number one Vijender in his 75-kg middleweight semi-final defeat by Anthony Ogogo of England on Monday.
Indian boxer Vijender Singh on Sunday announced that he will tie the knot with a Delhi girl on Tuesday.
Boxer Sarita Devi finally received her Asian Games bronze medal which she had refused at the victory ceremony in Incheon under controversial circumstances with the Indian Olympic Association Secretary General Rajeev Mehta presenting it to her in New Delhi.
Mary Kom is expected to be back in action at the World Championships to be held in New Delhi in November.
Four-time world champion Indian boxer, M C Mary Kom began her campaign in the third Asian Indoor Games in a dramatic fashion as she was penalized twice for foul play in her 46 kg first round win over Ting Lo Yueh of China in Hanoi on Sunday.
Asian champion Suranjoy Singh became the first Indian boxer to clinch a gold medal at the inter-continental President's Cup after out-punching Frenchman Nordine Oubaali 8-1 in the flyweight (51kg) final, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Friday. The 22-year-old Manipuri's triumph also fetched him US $3,000 at the prestigious season-ending event, where confederations from Asia, America, Africa, Europe and Oceania are pitted against each other.
Bickering in the Indian boxing community may lead to a mass exodus of Olympic medal prospects to the professional circuit as they are 'starved' of exposure due to the absence of a national federation, South Asian Games Tournament Director (Boxing) Lenny D'Gama has said.
In other India-related news, Manish Kaurav (KL3 men 200m) and Manjeet Singh (VL2 men 200m) made it to the finals of their respective events for the first time in the history of the tournament.
Former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar (64kg) clinched a hard-fought victory but two other Indian boxers bowed out after losing in the first round at the AIBA World Olympic Qualification Tournament in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Through their triumphs and struggles, these athletes have not only rewritten the narrative of women in sports but have also ignited a flame of empowerment and inspiration, asserts Laxmi Negi.
Top Indian boxer Vijender Singh on Thursday said he would start training next month as he has almost recovered from the hand injury suffered during the Asian Games and his main target next year would be to qualify for the London Olympics with a good show in the World Championships.
India's Vikas Krishan out-punched American Charles Conwall to win his middleweight (75kg) preliminary bout 3-0 at the Rio Olympics on Tuesday.
Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist Vijender Singh out-classed his rival to ensure himself of at least a bronze along with two other compatriots on a second successive day of dominance for Indian boxers in the fifth Commonwealth Championships in New Delhi on Saturday.
Indian swimming sensation Virdhawal Khade set a new Commonwealth Youth Games record in the 50m freestyle en route to the gold on Friday. Apart from Khade's gold, India also earned a bronze, courtesy Aaron D'Souza in the 200m butterfly.
M C Mary Kom continued her chase for a historic fifth successive World Championship gold by becoming the only Indian boxer to enter the final of the event with a thumping win in the last-four stage in Bridgetown, Barbados.
The transition from amateur to professional hasn't been easy, but star Indian boxer Vijender Singh cannot wait for the beginning of a new life when he makes his pro debut on October 10 against Englishman Sonny Whiting.
'I have boxed at the amateur level for 15, 16 years and won every medal possible at the world level. I represented India in three Olympics, for 12 years, and that is not an easy thing. I am hoping to replicate my success in pro boxing.'
Four-time world champion M C Mary Kom notched up her third Asian title while L Sarita Devi clinched her fourth, as Indian boxers finished fourth in the event with two gold, a silver and five bronze medals in Astana, Kazakhstan on Sunday.
A few Indian stars will have to go through the disappointment of watching all the action from afar.
A resolute Vikas Krishan (69kg) and Simranjit Kaur (60kg) advanced to the finals with impressive victories but the legendary M C Mary Kom (51kg) and world number one Amit Panghal (52kg) settled for bronze medals at the Asian/Oceanian Olympic Qualifiers, in Amman, on Tuesday. Also ending with bronze medals were Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg). All the six boxers have already secured their tickets to the Olympic Games by making the semi-finals but Krishan and Kaur will come back with at least silver medals after entering the finals.
India's boxer Monika handed a shock defeat to the two-time world championships medallist Josie Gabuco of Philippines to enter the women's 48kg semi-finals at the 2022 Thailand Open International Boxing tournament in Phuket on Monday.
Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain lived up to expectations as they secured medals for India with quarter-final wins, alongside two other home boxers at the Women's Boxing World Championships.
Akhil Kumar's wound may never heal but fellow pugilists Vijender and Jitender believe they can at least ease it it by winning their quarterfinal bouts on Wednesday.
The 21-year-old from Haryana then landed a flurry of punches in the third round as the last three minutes were closely-fought between the two. But Nitu defended tightly and looked in control to emerge victorious.
Apart from Kohli, many cricketers and other sports personalities have also extended their congratulatory messages to PM Modi, who is now set to start his second term as PM.
Suranjoy Singh clinched the lone gold as Indian boxers rounded off their campaign at the European Grand Prix event in Usti Nad Labem, Czech Republic with four medals. Suranjoy bagged the flyweight gold after beating Armenia's H Danielyan 4-1 on Saturday night.
Jai Bhagwan was the only among the eight-member Indian team to make it to the medal-winning round.
Vijender Singh knocked out Tanzanian Francis Cheka inside 3 rounds to defended his WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title on Saturday.
Sports Minister Vijay Goel, on Saturday, met former Olympic bronze-medallist Vijender Singh to discuss the way forward for Indian boxing, which has been severely hampered by administrative wrangling in the past four years.
On August 22, 2008, Vijender Singh did just that when he lost his semi-final bout at the Beijing Olympics. But the bronze medal he settled for was the first any Indian boxer won at the world's biggest sporting event. He completes a "life-changing" year since that feat on Saturday, but Vijender says it is just like yesterday for him.
Kavinder Singh Bisht laments his state's refusal to acknowledge his achievements because he represents the Services Sports Control Board.
Lovlina Borgohain's personal coach Sandhya Gurung on Tuesday received her accreditation for the Commonwealth Games, a day after the Olympic bronze medallist claimed her preparation for the event was getting affected due to "continuous harassment" of her coaches.
Vikash Malik (60kg), Sumit Sangwan (81kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) joined Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Manoj Kumar (64kg) in the quarter-finals, on Tuesday, making it one better than the previous best India achieved in the 2011 edition in Azerbaijan.
