A report in the DNA said that on Saturday, Laishram Devendro Singh stormed into the quarterfinals of the London Olympics after he beat Serdamba Purevdorjv of Mongolia at the Excel Centre. The young Indian pugilist dominated the bout and humiliated Purevdorj 16-11.
Devendro’s agility, strength and endurance impressed all and moved at a lightening pace and struck with venom. One of his punches in the second round hit Purevdorj so hard that he fell flat and took a few seconds to recover. “His biggest quality is he doesn’t look at the opponent’s ranking or past. Reputation counts for nothing for Devendro. He enters every bout thinking he can win and that’s a terrific attitude,” coach Sandhu was quoted as saying.
Devendro set the tempo from the first bell and never let his guard down. After racing to a 8-5 lead by the end of round 2, the Manipuri defended well in the final round and caught his opponent with counter-punches at the same time.
Meanwhile a report in The Times of India says that 20-year-old faces Paddy Barnes of Ireland in the next round. Devendro started from where he left in his opening bout and kept Purevdorj under pressure by adopting an aggressive attitude.
The Indian, who got an RSC in his favour in the previous round, was quick in his footwork. The fourth-seeded Mongolian found his punches too fast to handle as he was brought down to the canvas twice in the bout.
By Indian Sports News Network