Jeevan pounds away

PUNE, April 15: The heat is on but it has taken two long days for the country's top boxers to come up with their best. The third day of t...

PUNE, April 15: The heat is on but it has taken two long days for the country8217;s top boxers to come up with their best. The third day of the ongoing 48th edition of the Senior Inter-Services, one knock-out and two RSC verdicts suggested that the pugilists have struck rhythm at long last in the championship.

The six titles today were decided by three RSCs and a walk-over. After the first two duels in the fly weight and welter weight categories went to five rounds, the losing boxers in the bouts that followed appeared content with second position after the referees brought the contests to an end.

In the best bout of the day, the seasoned Jeevan Fernandez Army Red took just 2 rounds to overpower Bhupinder Singh of Army Red, prompting referee Mukund Killekar to draw attention of the judges and the jury to stop the bout. Fresh from the gold medal winning run at the YMCA championship in Delhi, the Madras Engineering Group, Bangalore, Jeevan had Bhupinder Singh gasping for breath in the middle weight category.

He got into his act right from the word go, pushing his rival to the ropes with left and right punch combination. Bhupinder Singh could not confront the fast moving Jeevan. He even ran out of defensive ideas and inevitably a right hook sent him to the floor with the bout just 10 seconds old. Bhupinder managed to survive the first count, but came up a cropper five seconds later warranting referee Killekar to call off the fight.

The YMCA bronze madalist G Pepiyar, also of Madras Engineering Group, representing Army Green continued his winning ways, sending Nigam of the Air Force crashing out in very first round of the contest. Nigam survived two counts before he throwing in the towel.

Much was excepted from the bout to follow but Ramachandran who suffered injury in the fight yesterday did not turn up on medical grounds and Gurcharan Singh, 17 Sikh Regiment representing Army Red walked away with the title in the heavy weight section.

AC Vijayan of the ASC who has been among the medal winners from the year 1997 and the bronze medal winner at the Imphal National Games had not only his rival Dayal Singh of Army Red with his back to the wall but even had referee Prabhu Dayal on tenterhooks. Vijayan emerged triumphant in the first 120 seconds first round. Representing the Army Green in this championship, Vijayan connected his punches to perfection and Prabhu had to intervene often.

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Results Finals
Fly weight: L/nk Ramu Prajuli Army Red lost Hav Azaz Alam Army Red by points 14-15.
Welter weight: ME Narayan Army Red lost L/nk Satish Kumar Army Green 17-25.
Middle weight: Hav Jeevan Fernandes Army Red bt Spr. Bhupinder Singh Army Green RCS K.O.
Light heavy: Nk. G Pepiyar Army Green bt Cpl. Nigam NK RSC.
Heavy weight: 26 Nk. Ramachandran lost to N/Sub Gurcharan Singh Army red walk-over.
Super heavy weight: Hav. AC Vijayan Army Green bt Hav. Dayal Singh Army Red RSC.