Asian Games: Ferocious Devendro delivers knockout, storms into quarters

Laishram Devendro Singh

The Indian men boxers are on a roll at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games in Incheon. Laishram Devendro Singh continued the country’s stellar run in the event, easing into the light flyweight category quarterfinals. The 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games silver medallist and the 2012 London Olympics quarterfinalist was at his ferocious best as he made mincemeat of Lasavongsy Bounphone of Laos in a ridiculously one-sided bout.

The Manipuri was in such rampaging mood that his Laos opponent could hardly offer any serious challenge and was taken to the cleaners. Devendro unleashed a flurry of punches on Lasavongsy that the referee had to stop the contest with the bout lasting only one minute twenty seven seconds declaring the winner on technical knockout. The 22-year-old Indian pugilist had earlier got the better of Kuwait’s Fahad Albathali in the opening round.

Devendro’s win means India now have five men boxers in the quarterfinals. Gautam Bhiduri (flyweight), Shiva Thapa (bantamweight), Mandeep Jangra (welterweight) and Kuldeep Singh (light heavyweight) have earlier reached the quarterfinals. Three women boxers – MC Mary Kom (flyweight), L Sarita Devi (lightweight) and Pooja Rani (middleweight) - have entered the quarterfinals, making it a total of eight Indian pugilists in the last eight stage of the tournament.

2010 Asiad gold medallist Vikas Krishnan will play in the middleweight category (75-kg), while Satish Kumar will fight in the super heavyweight category (+91-kg). Indian boxers will be looking to put on a stellar performance after capping a splendid effort at the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where they won five medals including four silver medals and a bronze – they created history as for the first time four Indians reached the final of the Commonwealth Games.