Samota, Manpreet lead 10-member Indian team for Kazakh boxing meet

By Indo Asian News Service | Wednesday, February 08, 2012 | 4:45:09 PM IST (+05:30 GMT) 0 Comment

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Established pugilists Paramjeet Samota, Manpreet Singh and L. Devendro Singh figure in a 10-member Indian team which has been picked for an international boxing tournament being held in Almaty, Kazakhstan from Feb 14 to 18.

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) Established pugilists Paramjeet Samota, Manpreet Singh and L. Devendro Singh figure in a 10-member Indian team which has been picked for an international boxing tournament being held in Almaty, Kazakhstan from Feb 14 to 18.

The tournament is a fairly small event, but boasts of teams like Russia and France besides India and hosts Kazakhstan. All participating nations are going to field a ten- member team. The event will also serve as a warm-up event in the Olympic year.

"The tournament will give the selected boys a chance to ease into international competition and also an opportunity to rub shoulders with and challenge some good boxers," said P.K. Muralidharan Raja, Indian Boxing Federation secretary general.

"This is the Olympic year and our preparation will determine the kind of results we yield in London, Therefore, we have to make sure the boys are match-ready and grab every opportunity that we get."

National coach G.S. Sandhu, who would also be travelling with the team, believes that although the event is small, the competition on display promises to be good.

"We are not sending a full strength team, it is a mixed squad. Our aim is to provide the boxers with a platform that offers a favourable challenge. The event will allow us to judge our boxers'' performances and also an opportunity to study the opposition."

Super heavy-weight boxer and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Samota will be leading the Indian charge in Almaty. The burly 23-year-old will look to make amends for the first round defeat he suffered at the AIBA world Championships in Azerbaijan.

"Everyone is looking to secure an Olympic berth and so am I. This tournament would be a good way to start the year and prepare for the Continental Qualifying tournament which will also be held in Kazakhstan. A good performance here will certainly be a confidence booster," said Samota.

Asian games silver medallist Manpreet (91kg) is also part of the team along with L Devendro Singh (49kg) who has already secured an Olympic berth at the World Championships in October last year. Gold medallist at the 2010 SAF games Chhote Lal Yadav (56kg) will also be seen in action at the event. Yadav is also taking this event as an opportunity to get good match practice.

"Qualifying for the London Olympics is the main objective, but my immediate goal is to train hard and get good exposure so that I can perform well in the selection trails for the Olympic qualifying event," he said.

The complete squad is as follows:

L Devendro Singh 49 Kg

Sunil Kumar 52 Kg

Chhote Lal Yadav 56 Kg

Vinay Kumar 60 Kg

M Thomas 64 Kg

Vijay Kumar 69 Kg

Kuldeep Singh 75 Kg

Sumit Sangwan 81 Kg

Manpreet Singh 91 Kg

Paramjeet Samota +91 Kg

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