ID :
35041
Thu, 12/11/2008 - 14:02
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/35041
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Akhil storms into boxing World Cup semis
Moscow, Dec 10 (PTI) Akhil Kumar gave India a resounding
start at the inaugural AIBA boxing World Cup, out-punching
Germany's Marcel Schneider 15-6 to enter the bantam weight
semi-finals and assure himself of a medal here Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Indian will be up against Beijing
Olympics silver medallist Yankiel Leon Alarcon of Cuba in the
semi-finals on December 13.
The Cuban beat Botswana's Khumiso Ikgopoleng 7-0 in the
other last eight bout.
Wednesday's win has not just assured Akhil of a bronze
medal but also USD 2,500 in prize money.
"I was slightly nervous to start with because the first
bout is always crucial. He (Schneider) was not attacking and I
also stuck to counter-punching. I kept my guard down, like I
usually do and gained in confidence as the bout progressed,"
Akhil told PTI after the bout.
Akhil, who was a quarter-finalist in Beijing, was in
rampaging mood Wednesday and didn't allow his opponent to land
a single scoring punch in the first round, at the end of which
he led 4-0.
The diminutive counter-puncher built on the lead in the
next two rounds, scoring seven points. Though Schneider
managed to hold his own in the third and fourth rounds by
landing six blows, Akhil's first-round lead gave him a
comfortable six-point cushion.
The final round belonged to the Haryana-boxer, who picked
up three more points to complete the formalities.
"The coaches -- GS Sandhu and Jaidev Bisht -- asked me to
keep moving around the ring at good pace and that did the
trick for me. My fitness is nowhere near what it was during
the Beijing Olympics but it is good," said Akhil.
"My target is the gold medal. The bronze and silver
medals are the ones you get by luck. Next up for me is a Cuban
boxer and though he is formidable, I am ready for the
challenge," he said.
Among the other bantam weight results, world champion and
local favourite Sergey Vodopyanov, whom Akhil beat in the
second round of Beijing Olympics, scored a comfortable 13-7
win over Uzbek Hoorshid Tojibaev.
Vodopyanov next faces Beijing bronze medallist Veaceslav
Gojan of Moldova, who defeated Azerbaijan's Rahim Najafov
15-7. PTI PM
start at the inaugural AIBA boxing World Cup, out-punching
Germany's Marcel Schneider 15-6 to enter the bantam weight
semi-finals and assure himself of a medal here Wednesday.
The 27-year-old Indian will be up against Beijing
Olympics silver medallist Yankiel Leon Alarcon of Cuba in the
semi-finals on December 13.
The Cuban beat Botswana's Khumiso Ikgopoleng 7-0 in the
other last eight bout.
Wednesday's win has not just assured Akhil of a bronze
medal but also USD 2,500 in prize money.
"I was slightly nervous to start with because the first
bout is always crucial. He (Schneider) was not attacking and I
also stuck to counter-punching. I kept my guard down, like I
usually do and gained in confidence as the bout progressed,"
Akhil told PTI after the bout.
Akhil, who was a quarter-finalist in Beijing, was in
rampaging mood Wednesday and didn't allow his opponent to land
a single scoring punch in the first round, at the end of which
he led 4-0.
The diminutive counter-puncher built on the lead in the
next two rounds, scoring seven points. Though Schneider
managed to hold his own in the third and fourth rounds by
landing six blows, Akhil's first-round lead gave him a
comfortable six-point cushion.
The final round belonged to the Haryana-boxer, who picked
up three more points to complete the formalities.
"The coaches -- GS Sandhu and Jaidev Bisht -- asked me to
keep moving around the ring at good pace and that did the
trick for me. My fitness is nowhere near what it was during
the Beijing Olympics but it is good," said Akhil.
"My target is the gold medal. The bronze and silver
medals are the ones you get by luck. Next up for me is a Cuban
boxer and though he is formidable, I am ready for the
challenge," he said.
Among the other bantam weight results, world champion and
local favourite Sergey Vodopyanov, whom Akhil beat in the
second round of Beijing Olympics, scored a comfortable 13-7
win over Uzbek Hoorshid Tojibaev.
Vodopyanov next faces Beijing bronze medallist Veaceslav
Gojan of Moldova, who defeated Azerbaijan's Rahim Najafov
15-7. PTI PM
