Dingko will make the grade, says coach

The 23-year-old Chief Petty Officer with the Indian Navy failed to make the grade in the second qualifying tournament at Taejeon City, South Korea, after missing the first at Tashkent because of an injured right wrist. Dingko made a premature exit in Taejeon City, losing a close fight to Tsuji Moto of Japan in the first round.

India, however, had a good time at the South Korean venue as three pugilists – light flyweight S Suresh Singh, Commonwealth Games middleweight silver medallist Jitender Kumar and light heavyweight Gurcharan Singh, bronze medallist at the Kuala Lumpur Games, secured berths for the Olympics.

“Dingko is perfectly fit and is doing well in the camp at Patiala. His injury has healed fully. We are hopeful he will be able to qualify for the Olympics at Bangkok,” Sandhu told reporters here on Tuesday.

Encouraged by the recent good performance in the international Grand Prix at Usti Nad Labem in the Czech Republic, from where India returned with one gold, one silver and two bronze, Sandhu was hopeful some more of his wards will be able to make the grade at Bangkok.

Though the team for Bangkok has not yet been picked, Sandhu has high hopes from flyweight H Srinivas Rao, who claimed gold for India at the Grand Prix, and seasoned Ramanand, both of whom also did well at the training camp with the Czech pugilists.

“All the boys are in good condition and are performing at their best. I am hopeful some of them will be able to qualify.

“We have made our presence felt in the international circuit. Recently the boys came up with a good performance in the Grand Prix and I am hopeful they will come up with a good performance at Bangkok,” Sandhu said.

Blas Iglesias Fernandez, the Cuban trainer of the Indian team, was also hopeful of a good performance at Bangkok.

Fernandez said Indian boxers have improved a lot in recent times, but have not been able to reap rich rewards for their hardwork as the standard of Asian boxing itself has gone up.

“With the breakup of the Soviet Union, some of the erstwhile republics have joined Asia and Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have a good standard,” Fernandez said.

The Cuban felt the Indian pugilists have improved much in the last five years but still need to improve the strength of the punch, footwork and reflexes and foot and hand co-ordination.