New Delhi:
World number one Vijender Singh and defending champion Akhil Kumar would be the cynosures of all eyes when Indian boxers step into the ring aiming to fetch at least half a dozen medals against a formidable field comprising England and Africa in the Commonwealth Games here on Tuesday.
Just two Indian boxers would be in action on the opening day tomorrow with Commonwealth champion Amandeep Singh taking on Peter Warui of Kenya in the light fly weight 49kg category.
In the light welterweight 64kg division, former Asian bronze medallist Manoj Kumar will be up against Daniel Lassayo of Sierra Leone in the afternoon session at the Talkatora Stadium.
Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist Vijender (75kg) has got a bye in the opening round and would be seen in action only on October 8 against Dick Ombaka of Kenya.
For all their success in the past two years, Indian boxers have managed just two gold medals -- Akhil (2006) and Mohammad Ali Qamar (2002) -- in the Commonwealth Games record books but the sport has not been the same ever since Vijender clinched the historic Olympic bronze in Beijing.
Indians have not returned empty-handed from any major international tournament since then and if their form continues, there could well be another medal rush in the offing in the Commonwealth Games.
Leading the charge would be Vijender. The strapping six-footer from a Haryana small-town is undoubtedly the face of the Indian boxing and one of the few millionaire sportspersons outside cricket.
The first Indian boxer to clinch a World Championship medal, when he won the bronze in Milan last year, Vijender will be the cynosure of all eyes when he would fight to better the silver that he won in 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games.
At the Commonwealth Championships, which give an indication of the level of competition to come at the Games, Vijender had little trouble getting past opponents to clinch the gold this March despite the fact that he fought with a bleeding nose in the final bout.
"I got a silver medal the last time around but I am not the same boxer anymore. I am more confident about myself and that will show in my performance also, especially when I will have my own people cheering for me," said the nimble-footed boxer, who is one of the six brand ambassadors of the Games.
While the Games are an opportunity for Vijender to go a step up on the podium, for Akhil the event is a challenge to hold on to what he has already achieved.
Injuries sustained in the past two years have failed to deter him and he is back in the team to defend what was India's only boxing gold in Melbourne. Ranked number 10 in the world, the 28-year-old bantam weight (56kg) pugilist will have to dig deep from his experience against fresh talent such as England's Iain Weaver, the 20-year-old who beat him in the very first round of the Commonwealth Championships in March.
Akhil, a Haryana-lad, is known for his razor-sharp reflexes and open-guard style of fighting, which draws criticism and appreciation in equal measure.
Akhil will take on Qadir Khan of Pakistan in the opening round on October 7 and might face Weaver in the second round itself according the draw released today.
"It's a tough draw but I have the experience to make it through," he said.
But India's medal hopes don't end at these two boxers, who are without doubt the most recognisable faces of the sport currently.
Suranjoy Singh, an unassuming 23-year-old fly weight (52kg) boxer from Manipur, is one of the brightest prospects given the form he has shown in the past one year.
The diminutive counter-puncher, whose tempo often leaves his rivals gasping for breath, has clinched six international gold medals in the past one year and he will open his campaign against Manyo Plange of Ghana.
Sunranjoy was India's only gold-medallist at last year's inter-continental President's Cup where he also bagged the 'Best Boxer' trophy.
In the light weight (60kg) division, Jai Bhagwan is a strong medal contender for the country. Not much talked about but a consistent performer, Jai was a silver-medallist at last year's Asian Championships and also won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Championships.
Jai can expect to have it easy against Colan Caleb of Nauru on Wednesday. Nine-time national champion Dilbagh Singh (69kg) will start his campaign against Viliami Latu of Tonga on the same day.
In the light weight 81kg, this year's Arjuna awardee Dinesh Kumar, who was among India's six gold medallists at the Commonwealth Championships earlier this year, is a medal hope at the Games too. Relying mostly on the sheer power of his punches, Dinesh has grown in confidence after his first-round loss in the 2008 Olympics.
But he has a tough bout at hand in the opening round against Obed Mwakongo of England.
The heavy and super heavy weight divisions have fetched just two medals -- a silver and a bronze -- for India at the Commonwealth Games and it would once again be a challenge for Manpreet Singh (91kg) and Paramjeet Samota (+91kg) to better that.