Services boxers punch-drunk on success

Visakhapatnam, March 30: Services have the best boxers in the country and they proved it beyond doubt by clinching five titles out of the...

Visakhapatnam, March 30: Services have the best boxers in the country and they proved it beyond doubt by clinching five titles out of the eight decided in the 45th Senior National Boxing Championships at the Police Stadium here today.

Defending champions Railways were far away from posing resistance to Services’ onslaught while the Steel Plant Sports Board accounted for welter weight title through international ZV Jollyson.Almost all the bouts went on full distance in finals and many of them were evenly fought.

Ramu Prajoli led Services’ charge by shrugging off CISF’s Dalbir Singh challenge. Ramanand (feather), Benjamin Siddi (bantam), Narendra Rana (light) and A Haridas Singh (light welter) were the other pugilists who helped Services dominate the meet.

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The light fly final was an exciting bout as both Ali Qamar and S Suresh Singh matched each other’s tenacity and resilience, stretching the fight to full five rounds.

CISF’s fresh recruit Suresh Singh was at the receiving end in the first two rounds asAli Qamar bobbed and weaved and waited for Suresh to open up. But Qamar’s agile footwork did not come to his rescue in the following rounds as Suresh guarded himself well and landed power-packed jabs on the Bengal pugilist. Qamar staggered in the fifth round and took a standing count after which Suresh unleashed a series of combinations to win 25-8.

In feather weight category, Ramanand overpowered Md Sajid Qamar of West Bengal. But this bout proved to be a drab affair as both the fighters tended to be defensive throughout and neither of them going for broke.

Results

Light-fly: S Suresgh SIngh(CISF) bt Ali Qamar(WB) 25-8.

Fly: Ramu Prajoili(SSCB) bt Dalbir Singh(CISF) 28-22.

Bantam: Benjamin Siddi(SSCB) bt Zothan Mawia (Miz) 29-15.

Feather: Ramanand(SSCB) bt Md Sajid Qamar (WB) 26-12.

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Light: Narendra Rana(SSCB) bt J Vinod Kumar (Kar) RSC-5.

Light welter: A Haridas Singh(SSCB) bt Bhushan Saini(RSPB) 13-9.

Welter: Z V Jollyson (SPSB) bt S G Narender(RSPB) 29-14.

Light middle: LalitPrasad(RSPB) bt Hayat SIngh(SSCB) 16-10.