Vijender, Akhil lead Indian charge in Commonwealth boxing

Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist Vijender Singh and the experienced Akhil Kumar will spearhead a 10-strong Indian challenge in the Commonwealth Boxing Championships, to be held from March 10 to 18 in New Delhi.

Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist Vijender Singh and the experienced Akhil Kumar will spearhead a 10-strong Indian challenge in the Commonwealth Boxing Championships, to be held from March 10 to 18 in New Delhi.

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Featuring close to 140 boxers from about 20 countries, the tournament, which is a test event for the Commonwealth Games, will be held at the renovated Talkatora Stadium and is the first tournament where boxers will compete in the new weight categories announced last year.

The world number one in the middle weight (75kg) division, Vijender was an automatic pick in the team as he was hardly challenged in the selection trials held on February 13 and 14 in Patiala.

Akhil, a Commonwealth Championships and Commonwealth Games gold medallist, beat off younger rivals in Jitender Kumar and Chhote Lal Yadav to earn his place in the team for the revised bantam weight (56kg) division.

While Jitender is an Asian Championship bronze medallist, Yadav had also impressed with a gold in the South Asian Games in January.

With the International Boxing Association (AIBA) scrapping feather weight (57kg), the upper-limit for bantam weight, which was previously set at 54kg, was increased to 56kg last year.