Suranjoy wins gold,declared best boxer of Presidents Cup

This is the best performance by an Indian in the intercontinental tournament. Last year,Vijender Singh had won a bronze in the Chinese Taipei edition of the event.

This win is special for me, Suranjoy told The Indian Express from Baku. The Asian championship,where I won the countrys first gold in 15 years,was also a great achievement but that event had boxers from the continent only. In this tournament,top boxers from across the globe participated.

European boxers have always been a challenge and after I bowed out early in the world championships,this win has come at the right time for me.

Early domination

Entering into the ring,the stocky India boxer had a psychological advantage over his French opponent,whom he had defeated 43-31 in the world junior championships in 2004. He dominated the bout right from the start and earned his first point with a lower left jab before taking a 3-0 lead in the opening round. He put the result beyond doubt by increasing the margin to 7-0 after the second.

Nordine is always quick on his feet and I spent some time last night with the coach (GS Sandhu) to work on my counterattack. The 2004 win was fresh in my mind and it certainly boosted my confidence. It feels great to fetch the first gold medal for India in the event, said Singh,who was one of the two Indians to take part in the event.

The win,the 24-year-old boxer hoped,would also impress various franchises for the World Series of Boxing to be held in November next year.

As the franchises are set to pick teams for the WSB in January,this performance will certainly boost my chances. We are not playing any tournament before January and we all are eager to get back at NIS,Patiala, said the boxer.