Hyderabad to host National boxing championship

NEW DELHI: The 56th Senior National men's boxing championships will be held at Saroornagar Indoor Stadium, Hyderabad from October 26 to November 01 2009.
D Nagender, Health Minister, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh will inaugurate the week-long event. A total of 321 boxers representing 37 states and boards are participating in this championship.
The opening day will have some spectacular bouts in store.The second bout of the day in 48 kg will see SSCB's Nanao Singh, who is the first Indian boxer to be a World Champion in Youth men's category as well as a silver medallist at Asian Championships, in action against Aditya Singh of West Bengal.
The tournament assumes significance as IABF's Selection Committee will pick boxers for the Commonwealth Core Group as well as for the Commonwealth Boxing Championships to be held in March next year. Moreover, all the quarterfinalists at the Championship will qualify for the next National Games.
Also in 48 kg, Devendro Singh of Manipur who is the World Cadet Champion will take on Biswajit of Assam Rifles. Fireworks are expected in the 51 kg category when Asian Championship Gold Medalist Suranjoy Singh of SSCB meets Sanjay Singh of RSPB.
Other reputed Boxers who are fighting on the opening day are Amandeep Singh of RSPB in the 48 kg who is pitted against Sudhir Kumar of BSF.
Amandeep was a bronze medallist at the second 2008 Beijing Olympics qualifiers, where he had defeated Mongolian boxer in quarters who later went on to win the silver medal at the Olympics.
In the 51 kg category World Cadet Champion Vipin Kumar of Uttaranchal will take on Suraj Singh of Meghalaya.
This is for the first time that a 'Special Incentive Awards' are being introduced for the Winners of every bout of the National Championships courtesy 'Sahara' who is also the title sponsors of the event.
Each boxer who wins a bout in the preliminary rounds will get cash reward of Rs 500. The winners of the pre-quarterfinals will get Rs 1000, quarter-finals Rs 2000, semi-finals Rs 3000 while the winners of finals will get Rs 5000 each for their supplements.
This support given magnanimously by the sponsors marks a new beginning for the sport in India. All the boxers and coaches are thrilled and extremely elated as they now feel that they are being honoured and recognised for their efforts.
The Annual General Body Meeting and Executive Committee Meeting of Indian Boxing Federation (IABF) are scheduled to be held on Tuesday.