Eight-member youth boxing team for Agalarov Cup

New Delhi: An eight-member boxing team, consisting of six boxers and two coaches, today left for Baku, Azerbaijan to take part in the Agalarov Cup, an international youth boxing tournament, to be held from December 19 to 24.

A Silambarsan (52kg), who won the gold medal and the best boxer trophy at the recently concluded Indo-Sri Lanka Duel Boxing Championship in Colombo, will lead the Indian charge at Baku. Former Sub-junior National champion, Abhishek Beniwal (81kg), a participant of the Youth Cuban Olympic Games, will also be seen in action along with reigning Youth National champion Aman Indora (56kg). Chief coach of the Indian youth team, G Manoharan said that strong boxing nations like Russian, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and few teams from the host nation have been a part of the this tournament in the past and this year also the level of competition is expected to be extremely good. "This exposure tour is a part of our long term development plan for the youth team and will help in our preparations for the Youth Asian Boxing Championship," Manoharan said. "Competitions like these are a stepping stone in a young boxers career and play a very significant role in the overall development," he added. In the previous edition of the tournament in 2011, the youth Indian glove men returned with three medals and this year as well, the Indian team is confident of a good showing. Coach CP Vilasini Bijilal, who is accompanying the team to Baku, said, "We are fielding a team of young boxers who haven`t had much exposure at the international level. But the boys have shown a lot of promise in the training camps and I am positive that we will return with a rich medal haul." PTI