CHANDIGARH, SEPT 4 :Indian Boxing Federation president Khel Rattan Abhey Singh Chautala congratulated the Indian boxers, particularly Vijender Singh for winning the first ever Olympic medal in boxing in Beijing. Vijender, who hails from Bhiwani earned the distinction of winning a bronze medal in Olympics. Abhey Chautala also praised boxers Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar, Dinesh Kumar and Anthresh L Lakra for their outstanding performance in Beijing.
Addressing a press conference here today, the Haryana Olympic Association president Abhey Chautala disclosed that nine out of 56-member Indian team for Beijing Olympics were from Haryana. The Olympians were Vijender Singh, Akhil Kumar, Jitender Kumar, Dinesh Kumar (boxing), Krishna Punia (athletics), Yogeshwar Dutt (wrestling), Divya Tomar (judo), Devender Kumar Khandelwal (rowing) and Sanjeev Rajput (shooting).
Abhey Chautala was confident that Indians would win more glory in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games and London Olympics. Contribution of Haryana would be more impressive.
In a lighter vein Abhey Chautala thanked the Haryana Chief Minister for implementing a part of the sportsmen-friendly sports policy framed by the former Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala for reserving three percent jobs for outstanding sportspersons, direct appointment to the post of DSPs and giving cash incentives. Had the present Government adopted our progressive sports policy in toto, the results would have been still much-much better.
Abhey Chautala criticized the Hooda Government for not allowing the sports associations to conduct their State Championships. The Government is not providing any financial, technical help/assistance to the state sports associations. Consequently Mr Hooda is bent upon eroding the sports base in Haryana.
The State Government recently did not sanction the coaching camp for the State team for participation in 55th National Senior Boxing Championship being organized at Bathinda from September 6 to 12.