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The ring is now in Hyderabad

The World Women's Boxing Championships to be held in the city, will boost the sport in the state

PACKING PUNCH M.C.Merrykom has shown the world that Indian women can emerge on top

Hyderabad will play host to the World Womens Boxing Championship in November when some of the best amateur women boxers in the world will be seen in action. Women's boxing hit the headlines in India when M.C. Merrykom of Manipur first bagged a silver medal and then the world championship in a short span of time. The Manipuri puncher has shown the world that Indian women can emerge on top in this tough sport and if she takes part in the championships in Hyderabad, it will be rare treat for boxing fans.

The Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh along with the Andhra Pradesh Amateur Boxing Association are making detailed plans to conduct the World meet in a befitting manner. About 40 countries are likely to take part in the meet, making it the biggest boxing event ever conducted in Hyderabad.

The bouts will be held in 13 weight categories ranging from 46 kgs to 85 kgs. In women's boxing, usually the best boxers in the ligh weight are from Russia, Turkey, India France, Belgium, USA, Korea, Mongolia, Thailand and Malaysia in general.

However, amateur boxing has seen several changes in recent times and a lot has been done to make the sport much safer than it used to be earlier.

Boxing coach Omkarnath Yadav, who recently returned from Turkey where he had gone as an observer cum manager of the Indian team which took part in the Ahmet Comert international boxing tournament says that the AIBA has taken steps to minimise the risks inherent in boxing.

For one thing, the women will be boxing only three rounds of two minutes each. Moreover the gloves have been redesigned in such a manner that it is almost impossible to hurt one's opponent seriously with a punch.

Amateur boxing these days is, a far cry from the days when Yadav himself took up the sport after being inspired by the sight of India's top heavyweight Kaur Singh winning the gold in the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi.

"I represented Osmania University and won the gold in inter- varsity tournaments thrice in the light-heavyweight category. I also got a bronze in the senior nationals. My contemporaries were well known international boxers like Raj Kumar Sangwan, Mukund Killekar, Jayaram, Gopal Dewang, Manoj Pingle and others. But things were not so well managed in those days," he recalls. "

We did not get as much support, encouragement and exposure as boxers nowdays do."

Yadav feels that the World Women's Championship in Hyderabad will provide a big boost to boxing in the region. This will be the first time that a world championship boxing event will be conducted in Hyderabad.

ABHIJIT SEN GUPTA

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