New Delhi: World number one Vijender Singh (75kg) enthralled with a convincing win in just about five minutes to enter the quarterfinals along with Asian silver-medalist Jai Bhagwan (60kg) and Dilbag Singh (69kg) on yet another superb day for the Indians in the boxing competition of the Commonwealth Games here on Friday.
The Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist didn't just bring in commoners to Talkatora, he also pulled in celebrity guests in Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Olympic silver-medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Rathore as he pummelled Kenya's Dick Ombaka in less than two rounds to make the last-eight stage where he will take on Namibia's Elias Nashivela.
The 24-year-old Haryana-boxer, who won a gold medal at this year's Commonwealth Championships, was his usual cautious self to start with but once he got a measure of his opponent's game, Vijender was simply unstoppable launching a flurry of straight punches and body blows to unsettle Ombaka.
"I knew it would be a sell-out turnout for me and when I walked in, it was quite intimidating to see so many people. Mr Rahul Gandhi was there in the audience, so it was obviously very special," Vijender, who was also watched by CGF CEO Mike Hooper, Organising Committee Secretary General Lalit Bhanot among others, said after the bout.
"When so many people have so many expectations from you, you are obviously scared of disappointing them and that feeling does creep in on such big occasions but I am glad that I gave a good account of myself," he added.
Vijender's imposing frame tilted the bout in his favour against Ombaka, who seemed confused about whether to go on the offensive or wait for the Indian to make the first attack.
The crowd-favourite took full advantage of the Kenyan's lack of strategy and landed some telling straight blows, one of which even downed Ombaka prompting a countout.
Barely a minute into the second round and the beating became just too much to take for the African, leaving the referee with no choice but to award the bout to Vijender, bringing the full-to-capacity Talkatora to its feet.
"My height was a major advantage. I gauged him in the opening round because it is important to know what your opponent has in mind. I have a tougher bout next up and this win has given me a lot of confidence for that," he said.
Earlier today, Asian silver-medallist Jai Bhagwan (60kg) became the fourth Indian boxer to book a berth in the Commonwealth Games quarterfinals after defeating Tanzania's Nasser Mafuru 11-2 here on Friday.
Jai joined Amandeep Singh (49kg), Suranjoy Singh (52kg) and Manoj Kumar, who won their pre-quarterfinal bouts on Thursday, in the last-eight stage.
The lanky 24-year-old from Haryana found it hard to deal with an energetic Mafuru's offence in the opening round but gradually sneaked ahead as the bout progressed.
Leading 3-1 in the opening round, Jai, a gold-medallist at this year's Commonwealth Championships, defended stoutly and relied mostly on counter-punching to fetch the points.
With the home crowd egging him on, Jai gained in confidence even as Mafuru began to lose his cool.
In fact, the Tanzanian was cautioned for using his fist in the final round which only widened the margin of his defeat.
"My height worked to my advantage. His energy was remarkable and I had to be on my guard all the time to avoid getting hit," said Jai.
Dilbag's was the last bout of the afternoon session and the unorthodox nine-time national champion made his often wild swings count by notching up an 11--3 triumph over Trinidad's Aaron Prince.
The 29-year-old, considered a veteran in the national boxing circles, is just one win away from bagging perhaps the biggest medal of his career.
"From the way Dilbag fights, he comes across slightly naive but he has the power in his punches," said national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu.
Dilbag will now face Botswana's Moabi Mothiba who defeated Godfrey Mumba of Zambia 7-1.
Indian boxers are so far unbeaten in the competition and tomorrow, Manpreet Singh (91kg), Dinesh Kumar (81kg) and defending champion Akhil Kumar (56kg) will fight their pre-quarterfinal bouts, while Amandeep (49kg) and Suranjoy Singh (52kg) will fight for a semifinal berth, which would assure them of at least a bronze in the competition.
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