India claimed finally dozen of titles in the South Asian Games but Nepal and Sri Lanka also won weight classes in Kathmandu
The second part of the finals was held in the fifth and last competition day of the 13th edition of the South Asian Games in the capital city of Nepal in Kathmandu. Further eight champions have been crowned in the final day when India claimed another six gold medals increasing their titles up to 12. The remaining two gold medals were earned by Nepal and Sri Lanka in the last day of the South Asian Games.
Altogether 24 female and 49 male boxers attended in the multisport event in Kathmandu. Nepal hosted the South Asian Games in Kathmandu in 1999 and after 20 years of break the event returned to their capital city. The last edition of the South Asian Games was held in Shillong, India on February 2016.
India is the boxing power in the South Asian region and some of their stars are involved to attend in the Games, but Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, host Nepal and Bangladesh also had experienced hopes. The boxing tournament of the South Asian Games was scheduled in six female and ten men’s weight classes in Kathmandu.
The
ninth title of the South Asian Games was won by India’s Pinky Jangra Rani
India has got excellent female boxers at the flyweight
(51kg) where their two stars are six-time AIBA Women’s World Champion
Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte and Nikhat Zareen. Their No.3 Pinky Jangra Rani
attended in the South Asian Games but due her previous experiences, she was the
main favourite for the title in Kathmandu. The 29-year-old boxer attended in
the last Commonwealth Games and several other events therefore her success over
Nepal’s Mala Rai was not a surprise.
India’s
next two female titles were achieved by Sonia Lather Singh and Manju Bamboriya
India’s Sonia Lather Singh is not the best boxer in
her homeland at the featherweight (57kg) in spite of the fact she claimed
silver medal at the Astana 2016 AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. The
27-year-old boxer had a Sri Lankan rival in the final of the Games and Lather
was better than Krismi Ayomi Dulanjani Dharmathilake. India’s three-in-a-row
female success was guaranteed by Manju Bamboriya who is the most inexperienced
in their squad but she was slightly better than Nepal’s Punam Rawal in the
final of the light welterweight (64kg).
Kumar,
Shahi and returning Krishan were the first male gold medallists on Day5
India’s Sparsh Kumar had a tough job in the final of
the men’s flyweight (52kg) but he was able to win two rounds against Pakistan’s
Commonwealth Games competitor Muhammad Syed Asif. Nepal’s third gold medal in
the Games was achieved by Sanil Shahi who exceeded all of the previous
expectations winning the title of the men’s lightweight (60kg) following his
narrow success over India’s Varinder Singh. Two-time Olympian Vikas Krishan
Yadav returned at the welterweight (69kg) and the former Asian Games winner
captured the gold of the category after beating Pakistan’s Gul Zaib.
Sri
Lanka’s big surprise at the men’s light heavyweight (81kg)
Sri Lanka’s National Champion Wanni Arachchige Rumesh Sandakelum had disadvantage after the first round in all scorecards against Pakistan’s AIBA World Boxing Championships competitor Awais Ali Khan in the semi-finals. The Sri Lankan knocked out his favourite Pakistani rival in the second round of their semi-final and joined to the final. Sandakelum had to meet for the title with Nepal’s Ganesh Pradhan who became the first boxer in the whole South Asian Games who could beat an Indian rival in the event. The Nepali light heavyweight (81kg) boxer was unable to repeat that performance which means Sandakelum delivered Sri Lanka’s first boxing title in the Games.
List of the winners in the South Asian Games
Women’s 48kg: Srinivasan Kalaivani, India Women’s 51kg: Pinky Jangra Rani, India
Women’s 54kg: Minu Gurung, Nepal Women’s 57kg: Sonia Lather Singh, India Women’s 60kg: Parveen, India Women’s 64kg: Manju Bamboriya, India Men’s 49kg: Vinod Tanwar, India Men’s 52kg: Sparsh Kumar, India Men’s 56kg: Sachin Siwach Singh, India Men’s 60kg: Sanil Shahi, Nepal Men’s 64kg: Bhupendra Thapa, Nepal Men’s 69kg: Vikas Krishan Yadav, India Men’s 75kg: Ankit Khatana, India
Men’s 81kg: Wanni Arachchige Rumesh Sandakelum, Sri Lanka Men’s 91kg: Gaurav Chauhan, India Men’s +91kg: Narender Berwal, India
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Boxing2019 – South Asian Games Medallists