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Chandigarh pugilists land golden punches at Khelo India Youth Games
Chandigarh team members Achal Veer and Ankit won the gold medals in the bantam and welterweight categories at the Khelo India Youth Games
Chandigarh pugilists ensured that the fourth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games ended on a high note for their side as they bagged five medals — two gold, a silver and two bronze medals — as the sporting extravaganza came to a close on Monday.
The last day of Games began with Ankit defeating Viktor Singh of Maharashtra in the bantamweight (51-54kg) category. Trailing 0-5 at the end of Round 1, the boxer took on a more aggressive approach to the contest, as advised by his coach. He was rewarded for the same, posting 3-2 in Round 2 and 5-0 in the final round to complete the sensational comeback.
The 18-year-old Achal Veer, born to a boxing coach, also posted a strong performance as he beat Anjani Kumar of Andhra Pradesh by 3-2 for gold in the welterweight (63.5-67kg) category.
Speaking after his win, Veer said, “The most difficult fight was the quarterfinals for me where I had to beat an Asian youth bronze medalist from Delhi. But this match was not tough and I was able to dominate.”
Ashish Hooda, meanwhile, lost the light middleweight (67-71kg) gold medal bout to Harshit Rathee of Haryana by a 4-1 margin. The 17-year-old was, nonetheless, high-spirited after bringing back a silver medal.
Renu Rajbir, the only female medalist for the side in boxing had beaten opponents from Jammu and Kashmir and UP, before falling short against a Manipur-based boxer in the semis to settle for the bronze. Kavi Kumar also bagged bronze, having beaten a Himachal Pradesh bozer before losing in the semis. \
Boxing was the most successful sport for the Chandigarh side in terms of medal count behind Gatka.
Speaking on the occasion, Bhagwant Singh, head coach of boxing at sports complex, Sector 56, said, “The athlete is the face of the performance, but the effort from the back by the support staff has a major impact on the result.”
Singh could be seen willing on his charges from outside the ring throughout.
Chandigarh ended the tournament in the 13th position with 16 medals — five gold, four silver and seven bronze.
