Odisha found its first national champion in boxing as Arijit Mahapatra bagged the gold medal in above 91kg super heavy weight category of the 46th Junior Men National Boxing Championship, which was held at Chennai from October 28 to November 1, 2017.

Ninteen-year-old Arijit, who hails from Jaypore town of Koraput district, clinched the yellow metal, defeating Vonand of Meghalaya in the final 3-2. Earlier, he prevailed over Mukesh Shankar of Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinals and Kapil of Maharashtra in the semifinals.

Boxing Odisha president T Krishna Patro, general secretary Kabiraj Gouda and boxing coach Shankar Prasad Adhikary congratulated Arijit for his historic achievement.
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PHOTO: Odisha boxer Arijit Mahapatra (Centre) receives the gold medal and certificate in Chennai on November 1, 2017.