Junior Boxing Champion's Rio Olympics Dreams Dashed As He is Sent to Jail

Deepak Pahal was eyeing for greater glory when he won the gold medal in the national junior boxing event in 2011 in Pune. His main dream was to represent India in the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, those dreams are now dashed after the boxer landed in jail for helping a gangster escape.

According to a report in the Indian Express, Pahal was accused of helping a gangster escape from the police. He is currently under police custody.

Deepak, 20, and Mohit 21, were part of a 10-member gang that helped Jitender aka 'Gogi', a gang member, escape from police custody while he was being taken by bus from Rohini jail to a court in Sonepat.

The gang threw chilli powder in the eyes of the policemen escorting Jitender and also robbed a sophisticated MP5 sub-machine gun from the police and 20 cartridges.

Deepak and Mohit had arranged the two cars -- a Hyundai i20 and a Maruti SX4 -- in which the gang members accosted the state roadways bus and drove away with Jitender.

Pahal, who had competed in the 60kg lightweight division, had won another event in 2013 but his crowning moment came when he represented India in the Haydev Aliyev Cup Boxing tournament in Uzbekistan in 2012.

In December 2012, the Indian Boxing Federation was banned by the international body for rigging elections. The ban meant an end to all international tournaments and this affected Pahal the most. Any medal acquired in the national events would have helped boxers to get government jobs in the sports quota.

Pahal's life never became the same again and he was expelled from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Sonepat after a case was filed against him for reportedly breaking the jaw of another boxer in a brawl.

- With Inputs From IANS-