India, July 26 -- Unburdened by the need to shed 10 kg before every bout, India's Jadumani Singh registered a facile win against local favourite Aaron Cullen in the men's 55kg contest at the Commonwealth Games here on Friday.

Fighting in front of a partisan crowd, Jadumani was technically and tactically too strong for Cullen, beating the Scot by a unanimous decision to move to the pre-quarters, where he will take on Sumama Rehman of Pakistan. For years, every tournament began with a battle before Jadumani Singh even stepped into the ring.

The reigning national boxing champion would routinely shed nearly 10 kilograms to squeeze into the men's 50kg category, sacrificing strength, recovery and peace of mind in pursuit of success. "I was co...