South Asian Games – Finals
India has done incredible job winning all of the ten gold medals in the South Asian Games
The boxing tournament of the South Asian Games finished with the women and men finals in Shillong, India where the host nation proved perfect performance winning all of the ten gold medals in the front of the home crowd. The best Pakistanis and Sri Lankans claimed silver medals in the South Asian Games. Women boxers could fight in the South Asian Games at the very first time in the history of the multisport event.
Women’s Flyweight class (51 kg):
India’s five-times AIBA Women’s World Champion Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte won the first historical women bout against in the South Asian Games and had to meet with Sri Lanka’s best woman boxer veteran Anusha Dilrukshi Kodituwakku who eliminated Nepal’s Minu Gurung in the semi-finals. Mary Kom was even more focused than in her previous contests and stopped her experienced Sri Lankan rival very quickly which meant besides to her plenty of titles she won the first woman gold medal of the South Asian Games.
Women’s Lightweight class (60 kg):
India’s former AIBA Women’s World Champion 34-year-old Sarita Devi Laishram had to do her very best to beat Nepal’s top woman boxer Saraswati Rana in the semi-final but following that she was able to raise her efforts in the final. For the gold she met with Sri Lanka’s Viushika Prabadi who moved up two weight classes in the recent years but her strength was too much for Pakistan’s newcomer Ruksana Perveen in the semi-finals. Devi won all of the rounds clearly and secured a gold medal in Shillong which is her first international tournament victory since 2014.
Women’s Middleweight class (75 kg):
India’s ASBC Asian Women’s Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Pooja Rani was too strong for Pakistan’s newcomer Sofiya Javed in the semi-final which contest finished in the opening round. The 24-year-old Indian promising boxer did not give any chance also to Sri Lanka’s Nilanthi Andaraweera who replaced experienced boxers in the national squad but her performance was more than enough get a silver medal in the South Asian Games in Shillong.
Men’s Light Flyweight class (49 kg):
The top favourite of the lowest weight class India’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist 24-year-old Devendro Laishram Singh defeated Sri Lanka’s Thiwanka Ranasinghe in a spectacular semi-final contest and following that he needed to do his very best once again in the gold medal bout. The Indian boxer had another competitive rival, Pakistan’s Mohibullah Bacha who surprised Singh with is great footwork but his efforts were not enough to beat the host nation’s fighter.
Men’s Flyweight class (52 kg):
India’s Madan Lal has got experiences from the international competitions since 2008 but he had warm moments in his semi-final contest against Afghanistan’s Mohammad Aref Nazari and h had also another hectic battle Pakistan’s two-time National Champion Syed Mohammed Asif who eliminated Sri Lanka’s younger hope Ishan Sanjeewa Bandara in the semi-final of the category. Asif demonstrated his power in the opening round but Madan Lal was able to adopt the level of the bout and finally his hand was raised. The final verdict of the contest was split decision to Madan Lal.
Men’s Bantamweight class (56 kg):
Sri Lanka’s Layton Cup and Clifford Cup winner Ruwan Thilina Weerakoddi proved his strength once again in the international level and he needed only few minutes to stop Pakistan’s Naimat Ullah in the quarter-finals and Afghanistan’s Nimat Shukrollah in the semi-finals. His final opponent was India’s AIBA World Boxing Championships bronze medallist and former ASBC Asian Champion Shiva Thapa who is a star athlete. The 22-year-old Indian was too strong for the Sri Lankan boxer but Weerakoddi proved he can reach good results in the upcoming years.
Men’s Lightweight class (60 kg):
India’s World Military Games winner Dheeraj Kumar is a new national team member who won all of the rounds against Afghanistan’s experienced Mohammad Khaibar Nooristani in a semi-final and continued the winning path. The Indian newcomer boxed for the gold medal with Pakistan’s Commonwealth Games competitor and National Champion Ahmed Ali and his clear victory was not in danger in their nine minutes battle. Sri Lanka’s multiple National Champion Gayan Sanjeewa claimed bronze medal besides to the Afghan boxer in the Lightweight class (60 kg).
Men’s Light Welterweight class (64 kg):
India’s former Commonwealth Games winner and London 2012 Olympian Manoj Kumar won all of the rounds in the semi-final against Bhutan’s Tshering Wangchuk who won his first international contest in the quarter-final of the South Asian Games. Kumar was well motivated in the front of the home crowd and his aggressive tactic paid off against Sri Lanka’s Commonwealth Games competitor Dinidu Saparamadu in the final of the category. Kumar claimed India’s next gold medal in Shillong while Nepal’s experienced Deepak Shrestha claimed bronze besides to Wangchuk.
Men’s Welterweight class (69 kg):
India’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist Mandeep Jangra had to meet in the semi-final with his main rival Sri Lanka’s Sisira Ruwangala Gedara Kumarasinghe but the host nation’s 23-year-old pride was able to solve that tactical issue in the front of the home crowd. His next opponent was Afghanistan’s lone finalist two-time National Champion Allah Dad Rahimi but the Indian boxer was in different level and claimed his first South Asian Games title in Shillong.
Men’s Middleweight class (75 kg):
India’s ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships silver medallist and former AIBA Youth World Champion Vikas Krishan Yadav knocked down Bangladesh’s former South Asian Games winner Ahmed Jewel Jony in the quarter-finals, defeated Afghanistan’s newcomer Folad Wali Shah in the semi-finals. The 24-year-old Indian star knocked down Pakistan’s two-time National Champion Ahmad Tanveer and their bout finished before the final bell. Vikas Krishan proved he is in top shape before the AIBA Asian & Oceania Olympic Qualifiers.
Women’s 51 kg: Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte, India
Women’s 60 kg: Sarita Devi Laishram, India
Women’s 75 kg: Pooja Rani, India
Men’s 49 kg: Laishram Devendro Singh, India
Men’s 52 kg: Madan Lal, India
Men’s 56 kg: Shiva Thapa, India
Men’s 60 kg: Dheeraj Kumar, India
Men’s 64 kg: Manoj Kumar, India
Men’s 69 kg: Mandeep Jangra, India
Men’s 75 kg: Vikas Krishan Yadav, India