New Delhi: Teen Indian boxing sensation Vikas Krishan’s dream run at the World Championships came to an end as he settled for a bronze medal after losing his welterweight (69kg) semifinal bout in Baku, Azerbaijan on Friday.
Up against Ukraine’s European Championship bronze-medallist Taras Shelestyuk, the 19-year-old Vikas went down 12-15.
The Asian Games gold medallist thereby repeated the bronze-medal winning feat of Olympian Vijender Singh at the mega-event but has become the youngest Indian to notch a medal at the showcase.
Facing a stronger rival, Vikas kept a shell guard to stave off an early assault but the sheer power of Shelestyuk’s hooks and uppercuts forced him to open up which allowed the Ukrainian to connect a few telling jabs.
Strength proved to be a key factor as Vikas found it tough to cope with a muscular rival, who threw caution to the wind and fought aggressively to lead 4-2 in the opening round. In the second round, Vikas changed strategy and tried keeping Shelestyuk at bay by fighting from a distance but the Ukrainian’s precision was hard to deal with for the Indian.
Bronze medal apart, Vikas has also qualified for the Olympics along with three other Indians Jai Bhagwan (60kg), Manoj Kumar (64kg) and L Devenmdro Singh (49kg). (PTI)
