Diwakar Prasad sails into second round

Athens:

India's boxers provided mixed fare in the Olympic Games with light flyweight boxer Akhil Kumar going down in the first round, while bantamweight Diwakar Prasad sailing into the second round on Tuesday night. Kumar lost the bout 16-37 to former world champion and Sydney Games bronze medallist Jerome Thomas of France, while Prasad showed good technique to outfox Moroccon Hamid Ait Bighrade 25-17 in the 54 kg bout. Prasad, who was adjudged as having been ahead of his rival in the first three rounds, would now face Nigerian Bolum Nestor in the round of 16. He fought intelligently, gathering points with quick and telling blows and then moving out, to take the first three rounds 5-3, 10-4 and 5-4 to build up a healthy 20-11 lead. Prasad's opponent came charging at him in the last round and the Indian backpedalled for the most part, probably realising he was ahead on points, and though it went in the Moroccon's favour the Indian was far ahead on points by then. (PTI)