Sport - Boxing

Coach happy with team’s show

NEW DELHI: Featherweight pugilist Anthresh Lalit Lakra earning an Olympic quota berth at the Chicago World championship has generated interest in Indian boxing. As the team returned here from the U.S., coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu expressed happiness at the kind of attention his wards have been getting.

“We could have won at least one bronze medal, but still I am not entirely disappointed with this performance,” said Sandhu.

With the way the Indian boxers performed — five of the eight made it to the second round and two, besides Lakra, went on to the pre-quarterfinals — the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) has already been inundated with invitations from different countries for training-cum-competition events ahead of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

England has offered to host the Indian boxers free of cost. “It is something we have never been offered in past and I reckon this is because of our improved standards,” said Mr. Sandhu.

The boxers, who will now head to their respective homes, will congregate for the training camp at the NIS Patiala from Saturday. The 40-day camp will aim at preparing the boxers for the Asian Olympic qualifiers, slated in January and March.

“The first qualifier is in Bangkok in the last week of January and we plan to make a short exposure trip after the camp to gauge our readiness,” he said.

Sandhu, however, said he would not like to spar against any Asian countries as it would expose Indian boxers’ to the competition.

“Also, we will get more experience fighting the traditionally strong European countries,” he said.

About Lakra, who had made a comeback this year after taking a break from boxing soon after he won the Commonwealth championship gold medal at Glasgow, in 2005, Mr. Sandhu said the pugilist was a revelation.

“His defence was solid and despite his lack of height, he was reaching taller opponents without being hit,” said Sandhu. — Principal Correspondent

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