New Delhi, May 3: Vikas Krishan (60kg) notched up his second successive international gold, while Shiva Thapa (54kg) settled for a silver as India rounded off their world youth boxing championship campaign with two medals in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.
Vikas held off stiff competition from Lithuania’s Evaldas Petrauskas to triumph 4-3 and win his second gold in two months. The Haryana boxer had clinched top honours in the Asian youth championships in Iran last month.
Shiva, however, had to be content with a second-place finish on the podium after being outpunched 1-14 by Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez Carrazan.
“Vikas’ bout was very close because his opponent kept guard and was trying to connect wild hooks,” coach G. Manoharan said.
“I just told him to hit and move.
“The trick was to keep a distance from the guy. Vikas stuck to that and managed to pull it off in the end but it was very tense,” he said.
“Shiva, on the other hand, tried very hard but the Cuban boxer was too good. Maybe facing a Cuban played on Shiva’s mind. But overall he has performed exceptionally well in the tournament,” he added.