Young boxers keen to make most of Pakistan chance

“We focused on working on the basics in the camp and the boxers are in good shape. Suranjoy’s gold medal in the President’s Cup has definitely lifted their morale. Even Cuba is sending a young team and that will give us a chance to learn about their strategies. It is a huge opportunity for the youngsters,” Shiv Singh says.

Sanjay Singh,who will be competing in the flyweight (51 kg) category,has seen Suranjoy winning three top spots in international events this year in the same weight group. “It will be a good opportunity for us to start the year with some international exposure. A lot of young boxers are coming from countries like Chinese Taipei,Singapore and Cuba and we are keen to perform well against these teams. We have been attending the Commonwealth camp at NIS,Patiala,so we are not short on match practice,” he says.

Sanjay,who plays for RSPB in the domestic circuit,says the tough competition in the country in the lighter weight categories provides boxers with limited opportunities. “We only have one spot per category for most international meets,so we have to take the chance that we’ve got. National coach GS Sandhu has charted out a strict routine for each of us in the camp,” he says.