Ghanshyam of Arunachal Pradesh displayed a commanding performance to outlast Ashim Dey in two rounds and reach the 49kg second round in the National boxing championship at the Nabin Chandra Bardoloi Indoor Stadium, Sarusajai, here on Thursday.
Even though the opening day’s action started was delayed by several hours and began after 6 p.m., Ghanshyam’s action-packed performance provided some good entertainment.
After the formal inauguration by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, bouts could not start in time due to late arrival of boxers owing to fog and a train accident that happened in Assam on Tuesday.
The arrival of four teams, who did not confirm their participation earlier, complicated the matter as the organisers struggled to prepare the draws in time.
Courage and aggression
Ghanshyam’s thrilling win over Ashim was a tale of his courage and aggression. The Arunachal boxer attacked from the word go and did not allow his taller opponent to settle down.
He used his combination of left and right hooks effectively to knock down his opponent from Daman and Diu in the first round itself. Ashim also got a standing count in the opening three minutes.
Ashim, who maintained a close guard, tried to score through counter-attacks but was unable to handle Ghanshaym’s speed. Ghanshyam landed a massive left to see his rival being airborne before getting floored. Ashim was brave enough to continue even after experiencing another standing count, but his stay in the ring was short-lived. Ghanshyam threw a terrific right to ensure that referee stopped the contest.
This was the first instance of the RSC decision being applied in a domestic event after it was reintroduced by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) in place of technical knockout.
Earlier, World championship medallist Shiva Thapa, who fought in a higher 60kg category, won his opening bout 5-0 against Gumin Gara of Arunachal Pradesh and celebrated his 23rd birthday in style.
Shiva, a two-time Olympian, was extremely watchful in his first competitive bout in 60kg. He stepped up the attack after getting into rhythm and landed some clean punches even while preserving his energy.
Shiva established a complete control and saw Gumin get a standing count in the final stages of the third round.
The results (preliminary rounds): 49kg: Mohan Lal (Raj) bt Kaliya Sarwan (Pud) 5-0; Ghanshyam (Aru) bt Ashim Dey (D&D) RSC, Akshay (Mah) bt Manivelu (Kar). 52kg: Kavinder Singh (SSCB) bt Mosin (Asm) 5-0, Himanshu Sharma (Del) bt V. Vinoth (TN) 3-2. 56kg: Akshay (RSPB) bt Ajith R. (Pud) RSC.
64kg: Puran Dey (HP) bt Vimal (Kar) 3-2, Prasadula (AP) bt Amandeep (Pun) 5-0, Akssh Naik (Goa) bt Munna Kumar (Bih) 4-1.
