18 May,2009 05:05 PM IST | | PTI
Beijing Olympics bronze medallist Vijender Singh, World youth champion T Nanao Singh and another Olympian Jitender Kumar will spearhead an 11-member strong Indian challenge at the Asian Boxing Championships in Zhuhai, China from June 5 to 14.
Vijender won a bronze medal at his first tournament since Beijing u00e2u0080u0094 the European Grand Prix event in Usti Nad Labem, Czech Republic. The middle-weight pugilist will now be seen in action in the Asian Championships as he continues the build-up to the high-profile World Championships in Milan, Italy.
"Doing well at the World Championships is obviously the target and for that, it is very important that I perform in the Asian Championships," the Haryana boxer said.
Vijender will have his cousin Balwinder Beniwal (64kg) for company. Balwinder had won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune last year. Meanwhile, Jitender would be striving for success in his new bantam weight division. The 21-year-old, a fly-weight boxer until last year's World Cup in Moscow, is yet to taste success in bantam weight.
The squad: T Nanao Singh (48kg), Suranjoy Singh (51kg), Jitender Kumar (54kg), Chhote Lal yadav (57kg), Jai Bhagwan (60kg), Balwinder Beniwal (64kg), Jagat Singh(69kg), Vijender Singh (75kg), Dinesh Kumar (81kg), Gurlal Singh (91kg) and Paramjeet Samota (+91kg).
