Nanao bags gold at Youth World Championship
Native village joy and happiness filled the air
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, November 02 2008: THOKCHOM NANAO Singh continued his blazing form and stunned Cadet World Championship bronze medallist Grigoriy Nikolaychuk of Russia 15-5 to clinch the gold at the inaugural AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico.

This is the first time that an Indian boxer has won a gold at the Youth Championships, formerly known as Junior World Boxing Championships.

The Army boxer ended up being India's lone medalist in the event, where the team finished ninth overall with 15 points.

Despite being tied on points with 10th-placed Uzbekistan, India finished ahead of the Central Asian country due to a slightly better points-per-boxer average of 2.1 .

Nanao after winning the gold medal at AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico

Nanao, a gold medalist at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune last month and a silver medalist at last year's Commonwealth Championships, took a vital one-point lead against his more fancied opponent in the opening round which ended 4-3 in the Indian's favour.

The 18-year-old then built on the advantage in the next two rounds, stretching the lead to 10-4 against the Russian Youth Champion, who could score just one point in the second and third rounds.

Nanao went for an all-out assault in the final round, scoring five points against his opponent's one to round off his campaign with yet another dominating display.

Cuba topped the medal tally with four gold, a silver and a bronze.

The traditional boxing powerhouse finished the event with 40 points and a points-per-boxer average of 3.6 .

Russia was a distant second with 32 points after winning one gold, three silver and a couple of bronze medals.

The Russians had a points-per-boxer average of 2.9 .

A total of 287 boxers from 58 countries in 11 weight categories competed in the Championship.

India had sent a seven-member team for the event, six of which bowed out by the quarter-final stage.

Our Correspondent in Imphal add: The news of a young Manipuri boxer's victory in the ongoing World Youth Boxing Champion in Mexico wakes the people of this border state up with joy and happiness in the wintry Sunday morning.

The scene is comparatively different at Khoijuman Maning Leikai village as the joy and happiness filled the air.

The young Indian boxer Thokchom Nanao Singh who won a gold medal in 48 kgs category by defeating world champion Nikolaychuck Gregory of Russia on points (15:5) in the wee hours of the day hails from this small village in Manipur's Bishnupur district.

Nanao's father and mother in a photo session

"We're so happy to hear the news, I know him (boy) well.

So we're conducting widespread publicity to organise a reception soon" Elangbam Premjit, a footballer from Toubul village said here.

A number of villagers as well as sports lovers have been visiting this 21 year old boxer Nanao's residence to greet his family.

After his visit, Dr I Ibohalbi Singh, local MLA even announced a cash award of Rs 50,000 for the pugilist.

He also requested the sports minister N Biren to provide possible help to Nanao's family.

Nanao's father Thokchom Totobi while expressing his happiness on hearing his son's success in a foreign country speaking to this reporter over phone said, "I'm so happy today that I couldn't express in words".

This 60 year old father who depends on his wheel chair after his 1989 accident feels that he could walk as if he has the strength when he heard the news from his coach in Pune on Sunday morning.

"We heard the news from his coach" Totobi, formerly an orange trader informed.

"We're expecting this victory after his recent success in the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Pune" he felt.

His son, Nanao, become a recruit of the army sports complex at artillery centre, Hyderabad in 2003 with the help of coaches like Oja Chingkhei and Oja Khoibi Salam.

However to nurture his talent he later was shifted to Army Sports Institute Pune.

Nanao, a silver medalist in junior commonwealth champion in Scotland last year had defeated Beccu Jeremy of France on points(14:4) during his semi-final round in the Mexico championship wherein 287 boxers from 58 countries contested in 11 categories.

He is the only Indian boxer among it's seven member team to win a gold medal.

Nanao is arriving in India on November 4 .