The Hindu : Sport : Services triumphs

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 25, 2005

Sport

Sport

Services triumphs

M.C. Raman

GETTING IT RIGHT: Suranjay Singh (right) of SSCB created a flutter of sorts beating RSPB's Md. Ali Qamar to take the Flyweight title. — Photo: R. Ragu.

Kalpakkam: It was the last final that decided the team champion as Services' super heavyweight V. Johnson, a crowd favourite, outclassed Balkar Singh of All India Police and gave his team its fifth gold in the 52nd National senior men's boxing championship at the NESCO ground here on Saturday.

Services and Railways boxers figured in six finals and were the only contenders for the team honours. Of the three classes in which they met, Services won two and Railways one. Md. Ali Qamar's loss to Suranjay Singh of Services came as a big shock for the defending champion. But Railways' hopes of retaining the title were shattered when Services' Mahendra Thapa, trailing in the beginning, came back strongly to edge out Durjay Shastri 22-21 in the light heavy class.

Harpreet Singh won the heavyweight class for Railways against Services' Hardeep Nagra making it four golds each. Johnson ensured Services the title when he outclassed Balkar Singh in the super heavy class. Balkar was slow on his feet and was also in considerable pain because of cramps.

Services regained the title with 53 points (five golds, one silver), while Railways finished runner-up with 48 points (four golds, two silvers) and Assam Rifles third with 21 points.

Paramjeet of Chandigarh outscored Rhokhow of Karnataka in the light fly class. Then Qamar, a Commonwealth gold medallist, suffered a bleeding cut which put him on the defence against Suranjay and lost a close fly weight final.

Bijender of Railways was in superb form and outclassed Thappa of Assam Rifles in the bantam weight category. Narjit of Services made a poor start but made up in the final stages against Siddharth of Maharashtra to win the feather title. Vikas Malik outscored Deepak of Delhi in the light final, but D. Bhagyarajan of Services, despite suffering a bleeding cut in the second round against S.B. Tamang of Assam Rifles, carried on and ran up an 18-10 score when the referee stopped the contest in his favour in the third round of the light welter final.

Parwinder Singh made it three-all for Railways easily winning the middle weight title. However Services, which won the light heavy through Mahendra Thapa, lost the heavy class as Railways Harpreet scored well against Hardeep. Then Johnson came to Services rescue.

The results (all finals):

Light fly: Paramjeet Singh (Chd) bt Rhokhow Zawhly (Kar) 41-32; Fly: Suranjay Singh (Ser) bt Md. Ali Qamar (Rlys) 30-28; Bantam: Thapa (AR) lost to Bijender Singh (Rlys) 11-27; Feather: Siddharth (Mah) lost to P. Narjit Singh (Ser) 23-26; Light: Vikas Malik (Guj) bt Deepak Kumar (Del) RSC OS; Light welter: S.B. Tamang (AR) lost to D. Bhagyarajan (Ser) 10-18.

Welter: Vijender (Rlys) w/o Virender (Har); Middle: Amarjit Singh (Goa) lost to Parwinder Singh (Rlys) 7-21; Light heavy: Durjay Shastri (Rlys) lost to Mahendra Thapa (Ser) 21-22; Heavy: Hardeep Nagra (Ser) lost to Harpreet Singh (Rlys) 12-22; Super heavy: Balkar Singh (AIP) lost to V. Johnson (Ser) RSC OC.