Date:14/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/14/stories/2006081402411900.htm

Sport - Boxing

Sunil enters World Cadet boxing final

NEW DELHI: Sunil Kumar defeated Haletsich Aliaksei of Belarus to become the first Indian in three years to enter the final of the World Cadet boxing championships, at Istanbul, Turkey.

Sunil out-punched Aliaksei 24:15 in the semifinals on Saturday night to bring himself in the reckoning for the title of World champion.

Sunil will take on Agayev Ilkin of Azerbaijan, who defeated Bariq Tarstan of Turkey in the other semifinal, in the title match, according to Indian Amateur Boxing Federation Secretary-General P.K. Muralidharan Raja.

Sunil's bout was the fourth of the day and he took an 8:5 lead by the end of the first round.

In the second, Sunil, who played sensibly by hitting his opponent and moving around, was ahead by a score of 17:8 points.

The third round was a bit scrappy as Sunil permitted his opponent to close in, but the Indian's excellent show in the previous two rounds meant that he romped home comfortably with a score of 24:15. — UNI