Teenager boxer Shiva Thapa from Assam is on a high after winning medal in the senior international boxing tournament. The 17-year-old from Assam was the youngest in the bantam weight (56kg) draw of the Invitational tournament in Belgrade, Serbia where India had been invited for the very first time.
Commonwealth Games gold-medallist and Asian Games bronze-winner Paramjeet Samota (plus 91kg) got a gold, while Asian silver-medallist Manpreet Singh (91kg) settled for a bronze in the event.
Shiva beat Bulgaria’s Detelin Dalakliev, the world champion from the 2009 Milan edition. Shiva, who had done well for himself in the youth events, winning a silver in the world championships and a bronze in the inaugural Youth Olympics, was the youngest in the Indian team that participated in the event.But it was altogether a different ball game at the senior level as he faced stronger and more experienced players than him. The transition from youth to senior level has been seemingly smooth for him but Shiva said he had to do a lot of mental preparation. He also said that he is gearing up to present himself as a strong contender for next year’s London Olympics. “I hope to make a mark in the Olympic qualification round and book a berth for 2012 games,” said the boxer from Assam.