Indian boxers will return empty-handed from the World Championships for the first time in four years after none of their five quarter-finalists made it to the semi-finals in the biennial mega-event, in Almaty, Kazkakhastan, on Wednesday. After the defeats of fourth seed Shiva Thapa (56kg) and sixth seed Manoj Kumar in the afternoon, Vikash Malik (60kg) and Sumit Sangwan (81kg) also lost their quarter-final bouts in the evening session.
Olympian Sumit Sangwan (81kg) and Vikash Malik (60kg) fought through intense bouts to enter the pre-quarterfinals but Mandeep Jangra (69kg) bowed out after a stiff second-round contest on a mixed day for India in the World Boxing Championships in Almaty on Sunday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Vikas Krishan regrets underestimating 19-year-old Youth Olympic champion Bektemir Melikuziev of Uzbekistan in the final at the Asian Boxing Championships in Thailand.
Satish Kumar (+91kg) entered the semi-finals of the Asian Boxing Championships, joining L Devendro Singh (49kg), Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Vikas Krishan (75kg) who had earlier assured themselves of medals and places in the October World Championships.
A promotion promised six years back hasn't come through even now and the sponsors also never quite warmed up to him but Olympic-bound boxer Manoj Kumar says his stubborn streak prevented him from quitting the sport during what seemed like a never-ending dark phase.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Wednesday
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Tuesday.
M C Mary Kom managed to surpass even herself, obliterating everyone and everything else along the way in a tumultuous year for the sport.
Determined to keep the Olympic dream alive despite the long-standing administrative mess, a spirited Indian boxing team, featuring the likes of M C Mary Kom and Shiva Thapa, will take off on Monday night for the Asian Qualifiers in Qian'an City, China. Ten men and three women form the 13-strong team which will be in action from March 25. In the men's competition, only the top three boxers in each weight category will make the Olympic cut with the third spot decided via a box-off between the two bronze-medallists. In the women's draw, only the gold and silver medal winners will qualify for Rio de Janeiro. In the absence of a recognised federation, the Indians will once again compete under the flag of the International Boxing Association (AIBA). "It is going to be a very tough tournament because not many from the Asian region qualified during last year's World Championships. I am expecting around 30 countries and more than 250 boxers to be there at this event," national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu told PTI ahead of the team's departure.
There was ecstasy and agony in equal measure for the Indian contingent on Friday.
A golden dream unfulfilled for over 30 years remained just that in women's hockey but India equalled its best ever medal haul as sailors joined the assorted contributors to the country's tally at the 18th Asian Games, on Friday.
Former World Championships bronze medallist Vikas Krishan (75kg) was the lone Indian to make it to the finals, as three others settled for bronze medals after losing hard-fought semi-final contests, in the Asian Boxing Championships, in Jakarta, on Friday. He defeated Iraq's Waheed Abdulridha 3-0 to set up a clash with Uzbekistan's Bektemir Melikuziev in Saturday's final.
Heptathlete Swapna Barman added a dash of heroism to her historic gold medal
Women formed the core of India's stupendous day four at the 21st Commonwealth Games where a 16-year-old Manu Bhaker delivered a record-shattering shooting gold medal and the table tennis team shocked fancied defending champions Singapore to clinch the top honours for the first time in the event.
The proposals of six para-athletes, who are training in India and abroad ahead of the Asian Para Games that will take place between October 6 and 13 in Jakarta, were also cleared at the meeting.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Sunday.
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.
A tough draw will put their grit to test when the three-member Indian boxing team begins its Olympic campaign, aiming to lift the gloom that pervades the sport back home owing to the long-standing administrative mess.
National coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu explains how the administrative mess in Indian boxing is hurting.
India has huge expectations from these champions. Rediff.com's Laxmi Negi and Norma Godinho glance at their chances at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
London Olympics bronze-medallist MC Mary Kom led the charge as six Indian boxers stormed into the final with comprehensive wins to remain in hunt for all the 10 medals on offer at the 12th South Asian Games, in Shillong, on Sunday.
'It is not the external world that is stopping Indians from winning medals. It is our culture.'
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Thursday
Vijender Singh might say that he would give Olympic qualification a shot after doors were thrown open for professional boxers but his UK-based promoter Francis Warren, on Monday, made it clear that India's biggest star simply does not have the time left to try for a Rio ticket.
>There's still hope and plenty to play for, says Rediff.com's Aruneel Sadadekar.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Monday
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Saturday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Friday
The boxers hardly broke a sweat while scooping all the seven gold medals up for grabs, while the shooters ended their campaign with an outstanding tally of 25 gold medals to ensure India's reign at the top remained unchecked in the 12th South Asian Games in Guwahati on Monday. On the penultimate day of competition, the Indian was perched at the top with 289 medals (173 gold, 86 silver and 30 bronze).
Long-distance runner Kavita Raut's Olympic qualification was the icing on the cake on yet another impressive day for India at the 12th South Asian Games, in Guwahati, on Friday. Firmly entrenched atop the overall standings, India increased their medal tally to 248 -- including 146 gold, 79 silver and 23 bronze.
Vijender Singh gives up amateur boxing to turn full-time professional, perhaps the words ring truer than ever.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Friday
India dominated the range and the ring as Shreyasi Singh's double trap gold shored up the medal tally while the entire men's Indian boxing contingent made the semi-finals to be assured of podium finishes in an unprecedented performance on Day 7 of the 21st Commonwealth Games, in Gold Coast on Wednesday.
Two unassuming young women saved India the humiliation of returning empty-handed from the Olympics for the first time since Barcelona in 1992 with awe-inspiring performances at Rio.
Away from the cricket field, it was a year in which Sania Mirza was unarguably the biggest success story with her staggering 10 titles on the Tour -- two of them Grand Slams.
'If a person whom Vijender had thrashed earlier is now a World champion, why can't Vijender be champion now too?'
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