Jitender Kumar became the final Indian boxer to qualify for the Beijing Olympics with a win in the 51 kg bronze medal bout of the Asian qualifiers in Kazakhstan. This means India’s boxing squad for the Summer Games swelled to five.

The other Indian aspirant on the final day — Dilbag Singh — missed a chance to qualify as he narrowly lost his gold medal bout. While Jitendra won his bout 13-6, Dilbag lost 11-16. Coach Gurbux Singh Sandhu, speaking to The Indian Express from Kazakhstan, praised Jitender for delivering at the right moment. “He timed his bout well. He was aggressive in the first round and counter-attacked in the second. He followed the same pattern in the next two rounds as well,” he said.

But Sandhu dropped his voice when speaking about Dilbaug’s bout. “It was a close affair and I am disappointed that he missed out narrowly.

He was leading by three points till the third round, but in the last round he received a warning and two points were docked. He went down fighting,” the coach said.

Gold for Vijender

Meanwhile, Vijender, who had already qualified for the Olympics, ended his campaign by bagging a gold medal in the 75 kg category. He dominated the final to record a 15-3 victory against his Korean opponent. The coach said, “Vijender’s bout was very satisfying as he thrashed the same boxer to whom he lost in the World Championships in Chicago,” said Sandhu. The Indians returned home with a tally of one gold, two silver and three bronze medals.

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