The Hindu : Sport / Boxing : It’s a great honour, says Chandralal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Aug 19, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Boxing

It’s a great honour, says Chandralal

M.R. Praveen Chandran

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: “It is a great honour and recognition for hard work,” said D. Chandralal, the assistant coach of the National women’s boxing team who was chosen for the prestigious Dronacharya award.

“I was expecting the award when the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) proposed my name again for the award this year. Last year the federation had proposed my name along with Munuswamy Venu’s who was chosen for the award. I wasn’t really surprised when I got it this year,” Chandralal said.

Chandralal’s name has become synonymous with women’s boxing in Kerala. As a Sports Authority of India coach attached to the Kollam centre, Chandralal was responsible for SAI sanctioning women’s boxing as discipline to its Kollam centre in 2001.

In six years, Chandralal moulded a group of novices to world beaters. World Champion K.C. Lekha, Asian bronze medallist Ashwathy Mol and international Aswathi Prabha are his famous trainees who brought laurels to the country.

Closely-watched sport

Thanks to exploits of Chandralal’s trainees, women’s boxing has been one of the closely-watched sport in the State. The former athlete, who had won medals in pole vault in the Kerala Schools competitions, turned to boxing when he was in college. Chandralal took his NIS certificate from Patiala in 1983-84 and was the best trainee. He joined SAI as a coach in 1986 at its Bangalore centre and was posted in Kollam in 1991. Chandralal was associated with the Indian junior boys camp from 1997-2001 and it was during his tenure as national coach that India won its first-ever medal in the junior world championship.

The seven-member Indian team came up with a commendable show in the World Junior championship at Budapest. Praveen Kumar won the first-ever bronze medal for India in a world meet.

Apart from that, six boys entered the quarterfinals and it was a big break in coaching career for Chandralal.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport