Formidable Gujarat Giants, spurred by a stunning win for Chirag in the opening bout, adopted a business-like approach and stormed to the top of the league table with a 5-2 victory over the MC Mary Kom-led Punjab Panthers in the Big Bout Indian Boxing League at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium Complex on Tuesday.
Though the legend Mary Kom herself and evergreen birthday boy Manoj Kumar helped Punjab Panthers stay afloat after Gujarat Giants opened with wins in the first three bouts, the Amit Pangal-led outfit sealed a morale-boosting victory when veteran Sarita Devi upstaged a zestful Manisha in the women’s 60kg bout.
Skipper Mary Kom believed she had done Punjab Panthers a favour by blocking the 91kg bout, thus denying Gujarat Giants the chance to pick up a point through British champion Scott Forrest. But she was in for a shock when her team-mate Abdulmalik Khalakov was out-thought and beaten on points by Gujarat Giants’Chirag in the 57kg bout.
After eight of the 15 league matches, Gujarat Giants (14 points from three) leapfrogged to the top of the table. Punjab Panthers slid to the second spot with 12 points from three matches. Odisha Warriors (10 from three), Bombay Bullets (7 from two), NE Rhinos (7 from two) and Bengaluru Brawlers (6 from three) follow the leaders.