Devendro Singh storms into quarters, Manoj in last 16 of Olympic qualifiers
Source: The Sangai Express / PTI
Imphal, June 20 2016:
Commonwealth Games silver-
medallist L Devendro Singh
(49kg) stormed into the
quarterfinal, while the
experienced Manoj Kumar
(64kg) entered the last-16 stage
of the International Boxing
Association's World Olympic
Qualification tournament after
notching up comprehensive
victories here.
Fourth seed Devendro,
who got an opening round
bye, defeated Argentina's
Leandro Blanc 3-0 in a lop-
sided contest, while former
Commonwealth Games gold-
medallist Manoj upstaged
second seed Mohamed Eslam
Ahmed Aly of Egypt with a
dominant 3-0 show.
Devendro, also an Asian
silver-medallist, will on Tues-
day be up against South
Africa's Sibusiso Bandla,
who defeated Korea's Lee
Yechan in his prequarterfinal
bout.
The 23-year-old Indian
has to make the final to book
himself a berth in the Olym-
pic Games.
"Devendro used his right
straights and left hook
punches in brilliant combina-
tion.
His uppercut was also
very good and precise.
In the
second round, he somehow
twisted his foot but managed
to handle the situation on his
own.
He was brilliant in all
three rounds and won the
bout unanimously," national
coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu
said.
Manoj, on the other hand,
will take on Bulgaria's Ayrin
Smetov Ismetov in his pre-
quarterfinal bout on Tuesday
after upstaging a more fan-
cied rival.
Manoj, also a
former Asian bronze-medal-
list, will be assured of an
Olympic spot if he makes the
semifinals of the ongoing
event.
"Manoj put up a superb
show, one of the best of his
career.
He was very sensible,
I have never seen him this
calm and measured in his
approach.
He kept his oppo-
nent at long range, totally
avoided close contact with
Mohamed," Sandhu said.
The tournament has 39
qualifying spots up for grabs
� two in the 49kg category,
five each in 52kg, 56kg,
60kg, 64kg, 69kg, 75kg and
81kg, and one each in 91kg
and +91kg.Over 400 boxers
from more than 100 countries
are vying for these slots in
the final qualifying tourna-
ment for amateur boxers.
India have not sent any
entry in the 56kg category as
Shiva Thapa has already
qualified for the Rio Games
during the Asian qualifiers in
March.