The Hindu : Mixed day for India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Oct 30, 2003

Sport

Sport - Afro-Asian Games

Mixed day for India

By Our Special Correspondent

India's Akhil Kumar (left) and Paulus Natangwe Ambunda of Namibia slug it out in the 48 to 51-kg flyweight division of the Afro-Asian Games boxing event in Hyderabad on Wednesday. Akhil won on points. — Photo: K. R. Deepak

HYDERABAD Oct. 29. Two Indian boxers advanced to the semifinals while two fell in the last eight stage of the boxing competitions at the Swarnandhra Pradesh indoor stadium here on Wednesday.

Mohd. Ali Qamar, gold medal winner at the Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth championships earlier this year, led right through the contest against E. Kebede of Ethiopia. The former's clear-scoring and hard hitting punches met with resistance in the form of Kebede's blocks and parries. Nonetheless, Qamar's left-left-right combinations and upper cuts ensured a win.

Kim Ki-Suk called the shots in the first three rounds against Violito M. Payla. The Korean charged at his opponent often but the Filippino stood his ground, especially in the concluding two minutes, concentrating on landing his punches.

Combining counterattack and side-stepping, Akhil Kumar of India made the most of his height advantage against Paulus Natangwe Ambunda. The Namibian often thrust his head forward and was repeatedly told by the referee to hold his head upright. Now and then blows by both flew wild but the host nation's puncher scored a sizeable 44-25 victory.

Ramanand's left jab was the first overture in his outing against Jong Sub Baik as the duo kept skirting the ropes initially in the opening round. The Korean's counter punching was vastly superior and gave Ramanand little leeway.

The exchanges were equal between India's Parvinder Singh and Ahmed Ali of Pakistan in the opening round. In the next, Ahmed went on the rampage right at the start, resulting in the host boxer taking the count twice. Round three found Singh awaiting the referee's countdown again. A right cross to the face had Parvinder staggering, forcing the ring official to call off the contest after he felt the Indian had been outclassed.

A string of straight lefts by Jitender Kumar, followed by a clinch the Indian initiated, unsettled Ikram Berdiev's rhythm considerably in the first two rounds. The roughing up by the Indian continued till Berdiev, a Busan Asian Games gold medallist, fell prey to the ploy and lost.

The results:

Light fly weight (upto 48-kg): Endelkalchew Kebede (Eth) lost to Mohd. Ali Qamar (Ind) 12-21; Harry S. Tanamor (Phi) bt Serik Sikymbayev (Kaz) 28-6.

Fly weight (48 to 51 kgs): Kim Ki-Suk (Kor) lost to Violito M. Payla (Phi) 12-21; Akhil Kumar (Ind) bt Paulus Natangwe Ambunda (Nam) 44-25.

Light weight (57 to 60 kgs): Roel D. Laguna (Phi) lost to Dilshod Mahmudov (Uzb) 5-32; Ramanand (Ind) lost to Jong Sub Baik (Kor) 10-14.

Light welter (60 to 64 kgs): Syed Asghar (Pak) lost to Bahit Sarsekbaev (Uzb) 13-24; Nurzhan (Kaz) lost to Vijender (Ind) 18-18 (individual score 60-70).

Middle weight (69 to 75 kgs): Parvinder Singh (Ind) lost to Ahmed Ali (Pak) RSC-III (O.C.); Nabil Kassel (Alg) lost to Utkirbek Haydarov (Uzb) 6-24.

Light heavy weight (75 to 81 kgs): Ikrom Berdiev (Uzb) lost to Jitender Kumar (Ind) 12-21; Beibut Shumenev (Kaz) bt Joseph Lubega (Uga) 14-12.

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