Nupur assures India of first medal at World Boxing Championships
Liverpool (PTI): Heavyweight boxer Nupur Sheoran secured India's first medal at the World Boxing Championships, while two-time champion Nikhat Zareen bowed out in the quarterfinals here on Wednesday.
Granddaughter of legendary boxer Hawa Singh, 26-year-old Nupur overcame a scrappy contest to beat Oltinoy Sotimboeva of Uzbekistan 4-1 in the +80kg event, which is a non-Olympic weight category and features just 10 boxers in the ongoing competition.
But India's hopes of a marquee medal through Nikhat ended as the 29-year-old went down 0-5 to two-time Olympic silver medallist Buse Naz Cakiroglu of Turkiye in the 51kg quarterfinals.
The bout was always expected to be a stiff challenge for Nikhat, who is returning from injury. Having sparred before the Paris Olympics, both the boxers were familiar with each other's style.
While Nikhat briefly landed a flurry of hooks, Cakiroglu controlled most of the contest with clean punches.
Nikhat rushed to claim the centre of the ring, but Cakiroglu confidently back pedalled striking the Indian rather easily.
There was a passage of play where Nikhat claimed the upper hand, as she hit a flurry of hooks. But the Turkish boxer, who had a point docked soon regained momentum, landing sharp shots to claim her fourth World Championships medal.
Nupur, who entered the competition directly in the quarterfinals owing to her gold medal finish at the World Cup in Kazakhstan, started brightly, landing a sharp combination early on.
The Uzbek responded with a straight jab, but frequent clinching disrupted the flow. Cleaner punching helped the Indian take the opening round on four of the five cards.
Sotimboeva, 20, refused to bow down in the second round, keeping the exchanges messy yet managing to sway two judges despite Nupur finishing the round with a flurry of shots.
Sotimboeva was docked a point for excessive holding in the final round while Nupur had a point deducted for using her head soon after, cancelling the advantage.
Though the closing stages saw more swinging than scoring, Nupur's ability to land cleaner punches proved decisive as she booked her spot in the semifinals, where she will meet Turkiye's Seyma Duztas.
On Tuesday night, Jadumani Singh (48kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) had progressed to the men's quarterfinals with comprehensive wins, while Jugnoo Ahlawat’s (85kg) campaign ended in the opening round against Scotland’s Robert McNulty.
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Kerala not a drug hub, says DGP; Over 30,000 cases registered in 'D-Hunt' drive
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Police chief Ravada Chandrasekhar has said more than 30,000 drug-related cases were registered in the state last year as part of the government's ongoing 'D-Hunt' drive against drug abuse and trafficking.
In an interview with PTI Videos, the Director General of Police dismissed allegations that Kerala has become a drug hub. The police chief said the higher number of cases reflects stronger detection, not increased drug activity.
Speaking on the 'D-Hunt' campaign, he said it is a coordinated effort by the police and excise departments to crack down on both the supply and demand sides of the drug trade.
Chandrasekhar did not rule out a shift towards synthetic drugs, saying there were clear signs of rising demand.
"The shift towards synthetic drugs is a great possibility, as we regularly seize MDMA. That shows there is an increase in demand. We are addressing it, and we are taking very strong action," Chandrasekhar said.
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The DGP said the police force is giving greater importance to prevention, with awareness programmes organised across the state with community support.
"Our main aim is to reduce the demand side. We are organising various programmes with the help of Student Police Cadets, Janamaithri police and strong community participation," he said.
Highlighting a new initiative, he said the police had launched PODA (Prevention of Drug Abuse) in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Young India chapter in Thiruvananthapuram.
"Twenty-one companies have come forward and more than 1,000 employees have voluntarily declared they will not use drugs and are ready for random checks. It is a very good initiative," he said, adding that the programme would be expanded across the state.
On enforcement, Chandrasekhar said the police have made major commercial quantity seizures, tightening pressure on drug suppliers and traffickers.
"In all commercial quantity cases, we invoke provisions of the Preventive Detention Act and also forfeit their properties. This sends a strong message to major suppliers," he said.
Dismissing allegations that Kerala has become a drug hub, Chandrasekhar said, "The allegation is unfounded. There is definitely an increase in detection of cases, which means officers are working very hard to identify and take legal action."
The police chief also said that during a special drive on Tuesday, police detained more than 1,200 people, including hundreds against whom warrants were pending.
He said the operation was conducted in the backdrop of the recent Thiruvalla parlour attack, where a woman was assaulted in broad daylight.
"We will continue such drives to take action against criminal elements and enforce preventive custody. These drives will be intensified as the state is heading for elections," Chandrasekhar added.
Chandrasekhar said the Kerala Police largely perform their duties well and receive widespread appreciation from the public, with only a few stray cases of misconduct reported.
The police chief said that in a force of around 60,000 personnel, who interact with 10,000 to 15,000 people every day, only one or two cases of aberrant behaviour come to notice, and strict action is taken in such instances.
"We have 60,000-odd police personnel. There may be a few troublemakers. Every day we touch 10,000 to 15,000 lives either directly or indirectly. One or two small aberrant behaviours come to our notice and we definitely take note of them and take appropriate action against the officers or personnel involved," the DGP said.
He said that overall, the Kerala Police have earned praise for their conduct, citing their role during major events.
"Generally, Kerala Police get a lot of kudos for good behaviour. You have seen it during the Sabarimala season, during the local body elections. In all these areas, police officers conducted themselves extremely well, and their hard work has actually earned us praise," Chandrasekhar said.
The DGP said police personnel have been clearly instructed to behave respectfully with the public, especially with those who approach police stations seeking help.
"My directive to policemen is that we should conduct ourselves with utmost restraint. Behaviour should be the standard norm and we would like to encourage that. I urge my colleagues to do the same and I request the public to support the police so that we can give better service," he said.
He said there is a strong emphasis on mutual respect between the police and the public.
"Anybody coming to a police station should be handled with respect, and all interactions with the public have to be very cordial. Police are public, and public are police. We need to respect each other. Kerala Police is a professional force and we act as per the law," the DGP said.
