Impressive Deepak Kumar clinches silver medal at Strandja Memorial Boxing

Indian boxer Deepak Kumar settled for a silver medal in the 52kg final at the 72nd Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Saturday.

Deepak Kumar lost by a split decision to local favourite and Rio 2016 Olympian Daniel Asenov. This was the second medal won by an Indian boxer after Naveen Boora had won bronze in the 69kg category on Friday.

The 22-year-old Deepak Kumar started slow in the opening round but countered Asenov’s attacks in the second, using his jabs to good effect against the attacking Bulgarian. As the round progressed, the Indian landed a few punches that kept Asenov in check.

In the final round, Deepak Kumar - a silver-medallist at the Asian Championships - resorted to combinations and measured punches that landed well and often. But the Indian’s efforts didn’t prove to be enough against the two-time European champion.

Though he fell at the final hurdle, it has been a good run for the young Indian boxer.

Deepak Kumar had stunned reigning Olympic and world champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan 4-1 in the semi-final. Zoirov incidentally had won the world championship after beating Amit Panghal in the final in Russia in 2019.

“I knew it would do me good if I beat the Rio 2016 champion,” Deepak said. “You can only make your name if you beat the best.”

Earlier in the tournament, former world youth champion Jyoti Gulia had upset two-time world champion Nazym Kyzaibay of Kazakhstan 3-2 to reach the quarter-finals in the 51kg. Gulia, however, lost 5-0 to Romania's Lacramioara Perijoc in the next round.

None of the Indian women boxers managed to win a medal.

India had won three medals -- a silver and two bronzes -- at the last edition of Strandja.

A 12-member Indian team -- comprising seven men and five women -- took part in the Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament. In all, 220 boxers from 30 countries participated in the event.

Lead photo: Boxing Federation of India