Riscan drubs Madan Lal

India’s campaign at the World Boxing Championships got off to a disappointing start as Madan Lal (52kg) went down in the first round on Monday.

Madan, a former national champion and the lone Indian boxer in action on Monday, lost 0-3 on points to Alexandros Riscan of Moldova.

Under the new 10-point scoring system being used here, boxers are judged not just on the number of connected punches but also their overall ring craft. It is also the first event in which boxers are fighting it out without a head-guard.

Madan managed to clinch just one round in the mandatory three and eventually fell short by a solitary point in the final analysis, leading to a 3-0 win for Riscan.

On Tuesday, Vikash Malik (60kg) will be in action against Kyrgyzstan’s Meder Mamakeev. Five boxers of the 10-member Indian team have got first-round byes.

Of the five, Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Manoj Kumar (64kg) have been seeded in the showpiece event.