CWG 2014: Vijender, Mandeep settle for silver, India end with 5 medals from the ring

Vijender Singh

India’s boxing icon Vijender Singh put up his best effort against Anthony Flower of England, but it was just not enough as the English boxer packed too many guns for him, winning the middle weight (75 kg) gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The Bhiwani lad, wearing red attire, landed some handy blows on Fowler, but the English pugilist returned the favour showing supreme aggression in the first two rounds to surge ahead of the Indian. Vijender received the counting from the referee after a fall in the opening round, which hugely tilted the scales in Fowler’s favour.

The third and final round was crucial for the world number 13 boxer from India, and Vijender went for broke, throwing a barrage of punches even as Fowler went into a shell probably realizing the fact that he had done enough in the first two rounds to triumph. The English boxer held firm despite not throwing too many punches in the final round to corner glory.

This is Vijender’s third successive Commonwealth Games medal – he had won a silver in the 2006 edition in Melbourne in the welterweight category and a bronze in the 2010 edition in New Delhi.

Earlier in the evening, another Indian boxer Mandeep Jangra also settled for a silver medal after losing the welterweight (69 kg) final to Scotland’s Scott Fitzerald.

Two other Indians – Devendro Singh and L Sarita Devi – bagged the silver in the men’s light weight (48-51 kg) and women’s light weight categories (57-60 kg) respectively. Pinki Jangra had bagged a bronze in the women’s fly weight category (48-51 kg).

Thus, India have finished with 5 medals – four silver and one bronze – with the men’s team accounting for three, and the women’s contingent delivering two medals.