The Hindu : Sport / Boxing : Boxers hoping for good show in Doha

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 18, 2006

Sport

Sport - Boxing

Boxers hoping for good show in Doha

Sports Reporter

NEW DELHI: Doha Asian Games will provide a real test to the Indian boxers, who celebrated one gold, two silver and two bronze medals at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

"The Asian Games will be a tough competition, but I am confident of winning a medal for the country," said V. Johnson, the first super heavyweight Indian boxer to win a Commonwealth Games medal.

India's good show at the Commonwealth Games in March has raised hopes of a better show in Doha, which will host the continental sporting fest in December.

"I lost the semifinal bout in Melbourne despite leading. The points I earned weren't noticed, but I have faith in myself," he said.

Johnson was speaking at a function organised to felicitate the Commonwealth medal winners by the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF).

The boxers got their due with gold medallist Akhil Kumar (54kg) being awarded Rs. one lakh and a trophy. Silver medallists, Vijender (69kg) and Harpreet Singh (91kg) received Rs. 51,000 each and bronze medal winners, Johnson (plus 91kg) and Jitender Kumar (51kg), Rs. 31,000 each.

Akhil Kumar, however, was downcast with his coach Jagdish Singh being booked under murder charge. "My coach (Jagdish Singh) has been falsely implicated in the case. He does not have anything to do with the case and I am trying to get justice for him," said Akhil Kumar.

Jagdish's trainee, Sonu Chahal, was found hanging in his hostel room and first the police registered a case of suicide and then brought in the murder angle and Jagdish was booked. Vijender and Jitender Kumar are also Jagdish's trainees.

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