Six Indians in finals of Asian Youth boxing in Dubai
New Delhi, (PTI): Six Indian boxers advanced to the finals of the Asian Youth Championships in Dubai with two of them getting walkovers after their Kazakh opponents were quarantined following a COVID-19 case in the contingent.
Of the six Indians who made the summit clashes, two were men and four women.
In the women's draw, Simran Verma (52kg) and Sneha (66kg) progressed after getting walkovers from Kazakh rivals Khava Bolkoyeva and Anar Turynbek respectively.
"One of these girls tested positive for COVID-19 and the other had to be also quarantined as she was the infected girl's room partner. That's why we got walkovers in these two categories," India coach Bhaskar Bhatt told PTI.
Joining them in the finals were Preeti (57kg) and Preeti Dahiya (60kg).
Preeti outclassed Narika Rai of Nepal RSC in the third round to book her final berth. Preeti Dahiya, on the other hand, defeated Uzbekistan's Rukhshona Uktamova 3-2.
Among the men, Vanshaj (64kg) defeated Iran's Faridi Abolfazl 5-0, while Vishal (80kg) outpunched Kazakhstan's Dauren Mamyr by a similar margin to move ahead.
However, Daksh (67kg) lost to Uzbekistan's Solijonoz Samandar 4-1.
Also ending with bronze medals were Abhimanyu (92kg) and Aman Singh Bisht (+92kg).
While Abhimanyu lost to Uzbekistan's Tokhirov Nusratbek 5-0, Bisht also went down to an Uzbek in Zokirov Jakhongir.
India's assured medal tally stood at over 20 on the day of the draws itself as many countries either skipped or fielded smaller squads due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.
The tournament, which is being held simultaneously for junior and youth boxers (both men and women) offers the gold medallists in the youth category a prize money of USD 6,000 while silver and bronze medallists will claim USD 3,000 and USD 1,500 respectively.
The junior champions will be awarded with USD 4,000 for gold and USD 2,000 and 1,000 for silver and bronze medallists respectively.
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How C.V. Raman’s Discovery is Saving Millions of Lives Today
Every year on 28 February, India celebrates National Science Day. It is the day we remember Sir C. V. Raman, an Indian physicist who made a discovery in 1928 that changed the world. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1930 for this work, becoming the first Asian to win that honour in science. The Government of India declared 28 February as National Science Day in 1986 to honour this achievement and to keep the spirit of scientific thinking alive in our country. This year, 2026, the theme is "Women in Science: Catalysing Viksit Bharat," reminding us that India's growth depends on every single mind, regardless of gender. But today, let us talk about something that most people do not know. The discovery Raman made while staring at the blue sea is quietly saving your life right now, inside hospitals and medical laboratories across the world.
Let us first understand what the Raman Effect actually is, in the simplest way possible. Raman noticed that when light passes through a clear material, a tiny portion of that light changes its colour slightly. Not much, just a little. In fact, only about 1 in every 10 million particles of light called photons changes. But that tiny change is enough to tell scientists exactly what a substance is made of. Think of it like a fingerprint. Just like no two people have the same fingerprint, no two molecules change light in exactly the same way. So when scientists shine a laser, which is a focused beam of light, on any material, they can read those tiny light changes like reading a name tag. This reading is called Raman Spectroscopy, and it is the most powerful identification tool science has ever created.
Now, why does this matter to a common person sitting at home? Because this technology has quietly walked into your nearest hospital and started doing things that were once considered impossible. Let us take cancer as an example. Detecting cancer early is the difference between life and death. Earlier, doctors had to remove a tissue sample, send it to a lab, and wait for days to get results. Today, Raman spectroscopy can examine living cells and tissues without cutting, without harming, without removing anything from the body. It reads the molecular fingerprint of the tissue and tells doctors immediately whether a cell is healthy or cancerous. This means faster diagnosis, less pain for the patient, and more time to begin treatment. For millions of families who have watched a loved one battle cancer, this is not just science. It is hope delivered at the speed of light.
The medical revolution does not stop at cancer. In pharmacies and drug manufacturing companies, Raman spectroscopy is used to check whether a medicine is pure and genuine. Fake medicines are a serious problem in India and across the world. People buy tablets trusting that what is written on the label is inside the tablet. Raman spectroscopy can verify this in minutes without even opening the packet. The laser passes through the packaging, reads the molecular fingerprint of the medicine inside, and confirms whether it is real or fake. This one application alone is protecting millions of people from consuming counterfeit drugs every single day.
In blood testing, in identifying kidney stones without surgery, in checking whether a wound is healing properly at a cellular level, in detecting early signs of diabetes through the skin without even taking a blood sample, Raman spectroscopy is showing up everywhere. Scientists and doctors are working on handheld Raman devices that a local doctor in a small town can use to diagnose patients on the spot, without needing expensive lab equipment or long waiting periods. In a country like India where medical infrastructure in rural areas is still developing, this could genuinely change how millions of people receive healthcare.
All of this began with one man refusing to accept a simple answer. Raman looked at the blue sea and asked why. That one question, followed by seven years of hard work, gave the world a tool that now fights cancer, catches fake medicines, and is slowly making quality healthcare reachable for every Indian, rich or poor, city or village. This National Science Day 2026, with its focus on women in science, is also a reminder that the next Raman could be a young girl sitting anywhere in this country, asking her own "why." The only thing she needs is for the world around her to stop saying "don't ask" and start saying "go find out."
(Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany.)
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views, policies, or position of the publication, its editors, or its management. The publication is not responsible for the accuracy of any information, statements, or opinions presented in this piece.
