India’s Vijender cruises to boxing gold in Asiad

GUANGZHOU: Indian boxing pin-up Vijender Singh made up for his New Delhi heartbreak by strolling to gold at the Asian Games on Friday, as China's classy Zou Shiming retained his light-flyweight title.

Dubbed the "Indian David Beckham" for his good looks and star pulling power, 25-year-old middleweight Vijender crashed out in the semis of the Commonwealth Games last month on home soil.

But there would be no repeat in Guangzhou, as the part-time model and actor -- not to mention Olympic bronze medallist -- cruised to a 7-0 victory over Uzbekistan's Abbos Atoev, delighting the Indian's vocal band of supporters.

India, who seized gold and silver in the ring on Thursday, saw its two other finalists well beaten on the last night of boxing action at the Games.

In a one-sided light-welterweight final, Kazakhstan's Daniyar Yeleussinov outboxed and outclassed Santhosh Kumar 16-1, while Syria's Mohammad Ghossoun was never troubled by Manpreet Singh in winning the heavyweight crown 8-1.

Zou, 29, the reigning Olympic champion, was a point down to Birzhan Zhakypov after a lively first round which saw the Kazakh on the backfoot for most of the time.

But two-time world champion Zou made the pressure tell in the second, picking off Zhakypov time and again to go to the bell 5-1 in the lead, holding off a brave final round from the challenger to take gold.

The bantamweight title went to Worapoj Petchkoom after he saw off inexperienced Chinese Zhang Jiawei, who only made his international debut this year, 8-3.

The colourful Worapoj, 29, an Athens Olympic silver medallist, was banned for three months last year by the Amateur Boxing Association of Thailand after posing in a gay magazine.

The second women's title of the Games -- and second in the history of the Asiad -- went to China's Dong Cheng, the world silver medallist, after she beat Tassamalee Thongjan of Thailand 13-4 to comfortably win the lightweight final.

Li Jinzi completed an emphatic Games women's clean-sweep for the hosts as she destroyed Mongolia's Undram Erdenesoyol in the middleweight class, the referee stopping the contest in the final second with the Chinese leading 16-3.