India sweeps Asian boxing Confederation's online poll
New Delhi, Dec 13 (PTI) India dominated the Asian Boxing Confederation's online poll to pick the Best of Asians for 2018 with as many as six from the country taking the top positions.
The online poll saw a record number of votes being polled with Boxing Federation of India (BFI) figuring among the top three federations in the continent along with Uzbekistan and Thailand for their overall performances in the year.
Commonwealth gold medallist, Gaurav Solanki (52kg) was adjudged the best find of the year in the Asian Discovery of the Year category with 39.35 percent voting. He had qualified for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games at the age of 17 and the Indian who showed progress in flyweight (52kg) boxer winning title at the Chemistry Cup in Germany in June had defeated top-ranked Cuban and Russian.
Indian youth pugilists Sakshi Choudhary, was adjudicated as the best Asian Women's Youth Boxer in 57kg, winning 67.36 percent votes and compatriot Nitu Ghanghas, coming second after she received 13.44 percent votes.
Shakshi had won her first big title at the Taipei 2015 AIBA Women's Junior World Boxing Championships and is a World Youth Champion in 57 kg consecutively for the last two years. Sakshi is only 18 but she is already a three-time AIBA World Champion.
Indian Keisham Sanjit Singh (46kg) was also voted the winner with 31.61 percent votes to be chosen as the Best Asian Men's Junior Boxer while the Best Asian Women's Junior Boxer went the way of Arundhati Chaudhary in 66kg, who got 29.09 percent votes while compatriot Komal polled 18.45 percent to finish third behind Kazakh Eldana Talipova (28.89).
Other Indian boxers to shine included Mohammed Etash Khan in 56 kg, having been declared the Best Asian World Series Boxing (WSB) Boxer with 31.15 percent votes in his favour ahead of two Uzbek pugilists who finished second and third.
BFI president Ajay Singh said, "We are extremely happy and proud of the recognition for our boxers as well for the Federation. Since the inception of BFI, we have been working hard to bring back the lost glory for Indian boxing.
"I am confident the way our boxers are performing and strive for excellence. There is no doubt that India will soon be a boxing power house in global map."
Raffaele Bergamasco, the chief coach for women's boxing from Italy attached to the Indian squad was voted as the Best Asian Coach with polling, 29.32 percent votes.
The winners of the Best of the Asians 2018 were declared following online voting in 13 different categories, receiving a record number of 5,675 votes.
Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom figured amongst the top three women elite boxer in Asia with 36.29 percent of votes and Jakarta Asian Games gold medallist, Amit Panghal, received 28.3 percent votes to secure second position in comparison to Israin Madrimov of Uzbekistan, who polled 46.76 percent popular votes to be declared the Best Asian Men Exlite Boxer for the year.
Leny D'Gama of India came second receiving 26.08 percent votes in the Best Asian International Technical Official in 2018. The winner in this category was Dilshod Kazakov from Uzbekistan who got 44.31 percent votes. Among Best Asian Referee & Judge, Indian Farhad Engineer Kavasji finished third (17.05 percent).
Last, but not the least, the Boxing Federation of India polled 36.64 percent of votes to be the second best Asian federation while the Uzbek federation, which topped, received 41.74 percent. Thailand was adjudged the third best