Three Indian pugilists -- Shyam Kumar Kakara (46kg), Abhay Singh (54kg) and Malkhan (60kg) -- went down fighting in the quarterfinals on the second day of the second AIBA Junior World Boxing Championships on Sunday.
Shyam Kumar did not start well against Dmytro Zamotayev of Ukraine and had a four point deficit after the opening six minutes of play. But he staged a stunning comeback, scoring eight points alone in the third round. That was, however, not enought as the Ukrainian won 15:12 in the end.
It what was another hard fought contest when national champion in the light weight category Malkhan locked horns with Fraser Gorn of Scotland.
After three rounds of intense action, where Malkhan matched his opponent punch for punch, it was the Scottish boxer who triumphed with a score of 13:12.
Abhay Singh, the last Indian in the fray on Sunday suffered similar fate against Samuel Ball also of Scotland in the bantam weight division. The scores were knotted at five all after the first round.
But the Scottish boxer took the game away from the Haryana lad in the second and third. The 16-year-old India lost 11:17 but not before showing glimpses of his talent.
{{/usCountry}}But the Scottish boxer took the game away from the Haryana lad in the second and third. The 16-year-old India lost 11:17 but not before showing glimpses of his talent.
{{/usCountry}}Day three of the championship tomorrow will witness three Indians take to the rings in the round of 16. While Lalitha Prasad Polipalli (48kg) will take on Luke McCormack of England, Manish Kaushik (52kg) will be up against Sultan Zhanyshev of Kirgizstan and Sandeep Kumar (57kg) will fight Yerbolat Yermekov of Kazakhstan.