Asian Games: Satish Kumar Settles for Boxing Bronze

Indian boxer Satish Kumar won a bronze in the Super Heavyweight (+91 kg) category to give India their 51st medal on the penultimate day of the 17th Asian Games in Incheon on Thursday. (Day 13 Blog | Medal Tally)

Satish was comprehensively outpunched by Kazakhstan giant Ivan Dychko in the semifinals with a clear 3-0 verdict in all the rounds. (Read: Olympic Council of Asia to Decide Fate of Boxing Medal Sarita Devi Refused)

Satish was no match for the huge 6ft 9 inch Kazakh, who is a London Olympics bronze medallist as well as a silver medallist at the Guangzhou edition, four years back.

The Kazakh, who was at least half a head taller than Satish, who is no mean unit at 6 ft 2 inch, boxed stylishly and used his superior reach to punch from a distance. Satish found it difficult to land his jabs and hooks as Dychko would easily evade his Indian opponent with swift footwork. (Also Read: Indian Men, Women in Kabaddi Final)

Dychko used his left jab to the Indian's face to score points in each round and once rocked the Bulandshahar lad with a straight punch followed by a nice right-left combination.

"He had a great height advantage and I could not go near him. He is an Olympic Games medalist and I had also lost to him in the last World Championship. My coach thinks I fought better today than in the worlds. I am happy to become the first Asian Games medalist from UP in boxing," said Satish after the bout. (Read: India Finish Fifth in Men's Volleyball)

Satish's exit on the penultimate day of boxing has left lone Indian Vikas Krishan (75kg) in the fray. Having secured a bronze medal already, Vikas will be trying to repeat his gold medal feat, he achieved during the Guangzhou edition in 2010.

The boxers came here aiming to match or better their fine show in 2010 (2 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze) but will return home with only five medals. So far India have got one gold courtesy legendary MC Mary Kom and three bronze medals with Vikas' bout still left.