India include Manoj Kumar and L Devendro Singh in boxing team for Cyprus

Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar and rising star L Devendro Singh are the prominent faces in an inexperienced 10-member Indian boxing team which left today to compete in the FXTM International Limassol Boxing Cup in Cyprus from May 16 to 19.

Close to 100 boxers from 15 countries are expected to participate in the event, where India have sent a team for the first time.

Manoj (64kg) won a gold medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and followed it up with a fine quarterfinal show at the London Olympics last year.

"It has been quite a while since we competed after the Olympics. Hopefully, it would be a successful trip and we will come back with good number of medals," Manoj said.

The diminutive Devendro (49kg), who impressed many by reaching the Olympic quarterfinals with some lion-hearted performances, also returns to competitive action after almost a year.

"No tournament is easy, so, we can't think about draws and the level of competition. We just have to focus on what we can do the best of our ability," he said.

Medals would also be expected of reigning national champions Mandeep Jangra (69kg) and Sukhdeep (75kg).

Also in fray would be Asian Games silver-medallist in the 81kg division, Dinesh Kumar, who would try his luck in the 91kg category.

The Team: L Devendro Singh (49kg), Madan Lal (52kg), Durga Rao (56kg), Anil Kumar (60kg), Manoj Kumar (64kg), Mandeep Jangra (69kg), Sukhdeep (75kg), Jagroop (81kg), Dinesh Kumar (91kg), Praveen Kumar (+91kg).