NEW DELHI, May 3:
Indian pugilists had a mixed day at the third International Republic of Kazakhstan President’s Cup with Manpreet Singh and L Devendro Singh advancing to the semifinals while Shiva Thapa and Manoj Kumar crashed out on the second day of the tournament in Almaty.
In the light fly weight division, L Devendro Singh (49kg) breezed past his Russian opponent Egorov Vasily with consummate ease.
The 20-year-old dominated the quarterfinal with his swift counter-attacks and agile footwork. Vasily had no answer to Devendro’s superior power play as he led 7:2 in the first round and 16:6 by the end of the second.
In the last round, the Manipuri boxer continued to attack with his three punch combination and added six more points to his tally, finally winning the bout on points 22:9.
Devendro will have a tough ask ahead in the semis on Saturday as he takes on the Olympian and Asian Games silver medallist Birzhan Zakipov of Kazakhstan.
Asian Games silver medallist Manpreet Singh (91kg) also secured his last-four spot with another power-packed performance. He defeated Telesenko Alaxander of Ukraine in a completely lop-sided contest.
The 23-year-old heavy weight was at his menacing best as he overwhelmed the Ukrainian boxer with his hard hitting jabs and body blows. The reigning national champion eventually won the bout 17:7 on points.
In the semis, he will take on local challenger Abduganiev Arbek.
Having made it to the semifinals, both Manpreet and Devendro are now assured of at least a bronze medal finish. (PTI)
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