Qatar’s Yahea al-Rafeek leaves the ring after beating Sri Lanka’s Prabashwara Muththukarage Malith unanimously in the light fly category in the Doha International Boxing Tournament at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena yesterday. Right: Qatar Boxing Federation president Yusuf Ali al-Kazim speaks during the opening ceremony yesterday. PICTURES: Jayaram

By Mikhil Bhat/Doha

Day One of the Doha International Boxing Tournament 2015 had different storylines running parallel at the Ali Bin Hamad Al Attiyah Arena.
Indian boxers were in an international tune-up tournament for the first time since Asian Games in Incheon last year.
Qatari boxers were still getting used to the pressure of facing quality international opponents at home.
Nepalese pugilists were trying to overcome a devastating earthquake back home by performing in the ring.
Yesterday, Devendro Singh Laishram ensured that the Indian contingent started the tournament with a unanimous 3-0 win over Australia’s Joshua English in the light fly weight category.
“It is my first bout in a long time, but I feel I did well. My confidence has grown with this win,” said Laishram, who won silver at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games last year. “It is my first bout since Asian Games. The rules have changed a bit, so the coaches have helped us to fight accordingly. I have won my first bout of the tournament and I believe now I will do well in the coming bouts too.”
Indian coach Gurbaksh Singh said the team has been trying to deal with new rules as well as participating in an international competition after a gap of almost seven months.
“It is their first competition since Asian Games 2014. The teething troubles are inevitable because they are participating in an international tournament after a long time. Our real goal here is to get good experience, good partners. If we do win the competition it will be a good morale-booster and that will help the boxers,” he said.
Singh added: “In line with the new rules (which will also be enforced at 2016 Rio Olympics), the boxers have been training without head gear. In these three rounds, there is more combativeness. The speed element has become crucial. Now at no time are you sure who is winning. So they need to get a few bouts under their belts.
“We are building relationships with the Qatari organisers. We would want to build on this relationship with exchange programmes, etc. For all you know, we might be able to come here ahead of the World Boxing Championship for training. We have been talking to them about this.”
And after Laishram was done going past English in a one-sided affair, the 23-year-old stood conspicuously in a corner to observe the match, which decided his next opponent.
Laishram, whose last outing was at the Asian Games in Incheon where he lost in the quarter-finals, will face Qatar’s Yahea al-Rafeek in the semi-finals.
Al-Rafeek also earned a hard-fought 3-0 win over Sri Lanka’s Prabashwara Muththukarage Malith, that left both the pugilists with noticeable bloody bruises.
“I had a very good game and I am very happy with my fitness. We have been training for long. We have also been under pressure because it is being hosted in Qatar and we want to perform well. But now that I have won the first bout of the tournament it has given me the confidence to do well in the coming rounds,” the 21-year-old said.
Nepal’s Dinesh Shreshtha also got a massive boost in the tournament with a win in the lightweight category. Shreshtha, who beat Sri Lanka’s Udaya Kumara Chinthana in a 2-1 split decision bout, had only trained for two weeks before the tournament.
“It was a very difficult bout for me. After the earthquake, the preparations almost came to a standstill, we have only trained for two weeks in Kathmandu before we came here,” 31-year-old Shreshtha said. “I did not have much preparation but still gave it my all.”
Even as he tries to focus on his future bouts, the calamity back home has made it difficult for him. “I can’t say anything now. I called a friend yesterday and he said there were tremors yesterday too,” said Shreshtha, who is participating in his first tournament since 2013 World Boxing Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Talking about the difficulties the three-man contingent has faced in getting to Doha for the tournament, Nepal coach Om Maskey said, “With the earthquake, we were not sure that we would be able to make it. Another coach was supposed to join these players here but his house developed many cracks because of the earthquake, his blood pressure shot up and now I have come. I have just landed hours ago, and these players came earlier.”
The only other Nepalese boxer in the tournament, Bikash Lama lost his welterweight fight 0-3 against Sri Lanka’s Madusaka Hettiarachchilage Niel yesterday.
Earlier, in the first match of the day, Filipino boxer Aldren Moreno beat Iraq’s Hasan Ali Nasser Hasan 3-0 in the light fly category, to set up a semi-final match with Morocco’s Zahir Yassine.
Morocco’s Said Malek won his bantamweight bout against Jaafar Abdulridha Ali Jaafar of Iraq with a unanimous decision.
Today, the tournament will see 20 matches across various weight categories and the action begins at 3pm.
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RESULTS
Light Fly (46-49kgs): Aldren Moreno (PHL) beat Hasan Ali Nasser Hassan (IRQ) 3-0; Devendro Singh Laishram (IND) beat Joshua English (AUS) 3-0; Yahea al-Rafeek (QAT) beat Prabashwara Muththukarage Malith (SRI) 3-0
Bantam (56kg): Said Malek (MAR) beat Jaafar Abdulridha Ali Jaafar 3-0; Bilel Mhamdi (TUN) beat Jonas Bacho (PHL) 2-1
Light (60kg): Dinesh Shreshtha (NEP) beat Udaya Kumara Chinthana (SRI) 2-1; Mahmoud Abdelaal (EGY) beat James Palicte (PHL) 2-1
Light Welter (64kg): Eslam Ahmed Aly Mohamed (EGY) beat Charaka Asanka Ayagama Pitadenyala (SRI) 3-0; Waisuddin Ghawsi (AFG) beat Aderoonba Tunde (QAT) 2-1
Welter (69kg): Mohamed Amine Meskini (TUN) beat Huzam Nabah (QAT) 3-0; Madusaka Hettiarachchilage Niel (SRI) beat Bikash Lama (NEP) 3-0


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