Guwahati, Sept. 9: L. Jandhobi of Manipur and Bandangjungla of Nagaland became the first Indian women to qualify in the international Muay Thai examinations conducted by the Muay Thai Institute in Bangkok. The two took the test recently and came up trumps.

Three Thai masters, Chu Deng, Jae Panom, Let, and a Canadian master Kirbi Thib-eault had trained the Indian duo along with other trainees at the Bangkok academy.

While Jandhobi has already fought in World Muay Thai meet in Almaty, Kazakstan, in 2003 and won a bronze, Bandangjungla won a bronze in the World Muay Thai Championship in Bangkok in 2004.

Manipur finish third

Manipur Muay Thai players stood third in the sixth National Amateur Muay Thai meet held from 26-29 August at Sree Kanteerava Indore stadium in Bangalore with a total medal tally of 16, reports Atom Samarendra from Imphal.

Players of the Manipur Amateur Muay Thai Association, led by Md Alauddin Shah as coach and A.K. Mustafa as team manager, arrived yesterday. Chattisgarh emerged as champion with 26 medals while Karnataka won the runners-up title. Manipur bagged eight gold, five silver and three bronze medals.

The gold medallists are: Senior Male - Kh. Momocha (pin weight), Md Sohaj Khan (lightfly weight), S. Suraj (fly weight), Md Badrul (bantam weight), S. Ningtamba (feather weight), Th. Manaoba (light weight). Junior Female - N. Bidyarani Devi (light weight). Children Male - N. Michael Jackson.

The silver medallists are: Senior Male - Ch. Pahari (light fly weight), L. Malemnganba Meitei (bantam weight). Junior Male - Md Basiruddin Shah (cotton weight). Junior female - N. Sarita Devi (paper weight), N. Valentina Devi (light fly weight).

The bronze medallists are: L. Sanjoy (senior male fly weight), S. Diana Devi (junior female pin weight) and Ansar Mustafa (children, male).