Date:22/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/22/stories/2008122260652200.htm

Sport - Boxing

Senthil storms back in style

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s G. Senthil Nathan rallied to beat MEG Bangalore’s K. Rajkumar in the bantam weight category of the South Zone boxing championship here on Sunday.

The 23-year-old Senthil started on the wrong note but picked himself up to prevail on points.

Rajkumar landed a series of blows on Senthil in the first round. Senthil however began to slowly assert himself. The fourth round was crucial and Senthil excelled with some telling punches.

Four Services Sports Control Board boxers are representing Tamil Nadu this time. Among them, Guru Sahib was the most impressive. Guru defeated Jitender Kumar of Karnataka on points in the super heavy category.

Outpunched in the first round, Guru came back strongly in the remaining three to seal the title. “I was hit in the eye and I felt a bit hazy in the first round,” revealed Guru later.

The results (all finals): Super heavy: Guru Sahib (TN ‘A’) bt Jitender Kumar (Kar) on points; Heavy: Jagmeet (TN ‘A’) bt K.M. Ganesh (Kar) on points; Light heavy: Amarjeet (TN ‘A’) bt Gurudev (TN ‘B’) retd (II).

Bantam weight: G. Senthil Nathan (TN ‘A’) bt K. Rajkumar (MEG Bangalore) on points; Light fly: Raghuvaran (TN ‘B’) bt Jolly Horoka (Ker) on points; Fly: L. Mahminathan (Kar) bt G. Santosh Kumar (TN ‘B’) on points. — Principal Correspondent