The Hindu : National tourney from today

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Mar 25, 2003

Sport

Sport - Boxing

National tourney from today

By Kirti Patil

NEW DELHI MARCH 24. Moody Dingko Singh may well have been a lost case for the Indian boxing.

Barring his Bangkok Asiad gold and back-to-back triumphs in Kings Cup tournament in 1997-98, Dingko has had failed to raise his career to the expectations he himself set.

After wrist injury marred his Sydney Olympics campaign, he went through a protracted recovery process and returned to the ring in the 2002 Nationals in Delhi.

No doubt he won the featherweight class, but he could never carry Indian hopes in the more important events that year. Dingko skipped the Manchester Commonwealth Games, and then lost in the first round to Choe Phyong-Chol of North Korea in the Busan Asian Games.

Dingko disappoints

Now things have come to such a pass — he is at a prime age of 24 — that Dingko has even failed to make it to the Services team in his weight category.

The 49th National boxing championship gets underway at the Indira Gandhi indoor stadium here from Tuesday, and without Dingko.

The organisers chose Delhi as the venue since on such a short notice it would be easier for the teams from 37 State and affiliate units to reach the destination.

About 350 pugilists are expected to turn up for the 49th edition of the championship with Railways and Services proposing to provide the best of the fare.

Following the formal inauguration on Tuesday afternoon, preliminary round bouts would start in the evening. The quarterfinals are slated for Friday, semifinals on Saturday and finals on Sunday.

To encourage the boxers, the UPABA will gift full kits to all the medal winners. Additionally, the best boxer will get cash prize of Rs. 11,000 and the best runner-up Rs. 5,000.

Despite the international federation laying down new weight categories — it has reduced the number from 12 to 11 weight categories about a year ago — the IABF has decided to follow the old system. Probably to give an opportunity for more boxers to take part.

No wonder India's performance internationally has been tattered in the recent past.

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