Commonwealth Games 2014: Boxing - Laishram Devendro Singh romps into second round

Laishram Devendro Singh

India’s Laishram Devendro Singh made a stellar start to his campaign in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Monday. The talented Manipuri, who reached the quarterfinals of the 2012 London Olympics, pummeled Sri Lanka’s Madushan Gamage into submission in the light weight category (49-kg). The flee-footed Indian pugilist was all over the Sri Lankan decimating him with robust right and left punches.

Devendro’s onslaught dented the morale of Gamage, who failed to stay competitive in a bout, where the result was a foregone conclusion even before the third and final round started. He now faces Scotland’s Aqeel Ahmed on Wednesday for a place in the quarterfinals.

Another talented Shiv Thapa fell by the wayside, going down to Ireland’s Michael Conlan in the bantamweight category (54-kg). The Assam boy was passive for most part of the first round and when pressure mounted on him to deliver, he was unable to land clean punches even as his Irish opponent threw some clinical punches to surge ahead and advance to the second round.

Meanwhile, 2008 Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh meets Namibia’s Mujandjae Kasuto in the second round of the men’s middle weight (75-kg) category, while Mandeep Jangra faces Jamaica’s Kestna Davis in the second round of the men’s welterweight category (69-kg).