National Boxing Championship: Manoj Kumar and Shiva Thapa punch into quarterfinals

Hyderabad: India’s top boxers Manoj Kumar and Shiva Thapa registered comprehensive victories to cruise into the quarterfinals of the Second Elite Men’s National Boxing Championship being held in Visakhapatnam, on Friday. Shiva, the 2015 World Championship bronze medalist, lived up to his favourite tag in the lightweight category as he punched his way into the next round by. He easily downed Suraj Singh of Chattisgarh 5-0 to be one step away from at least a bronze medal, according to information received here.

RSPB boxer Manoj also maintained his good run in the tournament, producing yet another cracking performance to move into the last eight stage. Taking on Anthony Lalduhawma of Mizoram in the welterweight category, Manoj dominated the entire bout to clinch a 5-0 victory. The 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medalist, however, ensured that he landed enough punches on Anthony to pick up crucial points.

It was curtains for Devendro Singh of Manipur, though, as he had to give a walkover to Vijay Jora of Jharkhand in the flyweight category as he was declared medically unfit to compete in Friday’s bout due to the cut that he received in his last bout. Elsewhere in another match, local lad Kranti also eased into the quarters as he beat Vir Singh of Himachal Pradesh in the light flyweight category by a 5-0 decision.

Selected Results:

Light Fly (46-49 kg): Neeraj Swami (DEL) bt Phurba Sherpa (SKM) RSC;  Pardeep Sharma (J&K) bt Faijan Ansari (Guj) 5-0; NT Lalbiakkima (MIZ) bt S Chalapathi (TN) by RSC; Harish (HAR) bt Karan Rupini (TRI) 5-0; Vipin Kumar (CHD) bt B Deepal (TLG) 5-0; Ujjwal Sharma (JHA) bt Ramesh Kumar (Bih) 5-0; K Shyam Kumar (RSPB) bt Himashu Sharma (PUN) 4-1; K Kranthi  (AP) bt Veer Singh (HP) 5-0.

Fly (52 kg): Laldinmawia (MIZ) bt Anata Chopade (MAH) 3-2; Bhojraj Singh (UP) bt Sameer Khan (CHT) 5-0; Chandan Das (ASM) bt Manoj Kumar (PUN) RSC; Bikash Kharkongor (MEG) bt S Murali (ORI) 5-0; Salman Shekh (RSPB) bt Gaurav Solanki (SSCB) 3-2; Vijay Jora (JHA) bt L Devendro Singh (MAN) (Walkover); Vinod Tanwar (HAR) bt Athul Raj (KER) RSC; Deepak (CHD) bt Raja Simha (KAR) 5-0.

Bantam (56 kg): Varinder Singh (PUN) bt Subam Gurung (MEG) RSC; Sukhraj Rai (SKM) bt Joyce (KAR) RSC; Shashikant Yadav ( MAH) bt Tolsumi (NAG) RSC; Madan Lal (SSCB) bt Sheran Sandhu (UTK) 5-0; M Romajit (MAN) bt Bharany (Pond) 5-0.

Light (60 kg): Vanlalhriatkima (MIZ) bt N Lalith Kishore (TLG) RSC; Buntee Singh (DEL) bt Sunil (BIH) 5-0; Shiva Thapa (ASM) bt Suraj Singh (CHT) 5-0; V Durga Rao (AP) bt Sachin (CHD) 3-2.

Light Welter (64 kg): Anil Kumar (BIH) bt A Sudarshan (CHT) 3-2; Jimil Thomas (KER) bt Vanlalkwmpuia (MIZ) 5-0; Nandan (KAR) bt Rohit Sharma (GOA)4-1; Basant Thapa (MP) bt Arvind Pradhan (MEG) 5-0.

Welter (69 kg): Shubham Singh (CHD) bt A Harish Kumar (TN) 5-0; Duryodhan Singh (SSCB) bt Manoj Singh (UTK) RSC; Manish Uikey (MP) bt Haider Ali Sayed (GUJ) RSC; Tilak Buddha (MEG) bt Ashish Jasrotia (J&K) 5-0.

Middle (75 kg): L Amarjit Singh (MAN) bt Manjeet Panghal(TRI) (Walkover);  Harpal Singh (SSCB) bt Kapil Punia (HAR) (Walkover).