Boxers head to Cuba for training
Newly-married Vijender Singh has decided to skip the upcoming training-cum-competition trip to Cuba where 12 other Indian boxers will compete as part of their build-up to the Olympic qualifiers starting in September.
Vijender, who tied the knot last week, will instead train in Patiala during this period. “I was supposed to go but I have decided that it would be better for me to train here. I will be training in Patiala only,” the world number one middleweight boxer explained.
Indian Boxing Federation officials said the star boxer pulled out citing ‘domestic reasons’.
In his absence, the middleweight slot in the team has gone to three-time national champion Kuldeep Singh. But the likes of Asian Games bronze-medallist Suranjoy Singh (52kg), fit-again Asian Championships silver medallist Thokchom Nanao Singh (49kg) and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Paramjeet Samota (+91kg) will be in action in the three-week training and competition at the 41st Giraldo Cordova Cardin -- an International Tournament to be held in Havana from May 24 to June 8.
The 12 boxers would be accompanied by four coaches during the tour.
Squad: Nanao Singh (49kg), Amandeep Singh (49kg), M Suranjoy Singh (52kg), Santosh Harijan (52kg), Shiva Thapa (56kg), Vikas Krishnan (60kg), Manoj Kumar (64kg), Balwinder Beniwal (69kg), Kuldeep Singh (75kg), Dinesh Kumar (81kg), Manpreet Singh (91kg), Paramjeet Samota (+91kg).
