Athens: India's boxers provided mixed fare in the Olympic Games with fly weight boxer Akhil Kumar going down in the first round while bantam weight Diwakar Prasad advancing to the second round.

Akhil lost 16-37 to former world champion and Sydney Games bronze medallist Jerome Thomas of France while Diwakar outclassed Morocco's Hamid Ait Bighrade 25-17 in the 54 kg bout last night (Aug 17, 2004).

Diwakar will now face Nigerian Bolum Nestor in the round of 16.

Diwakar fought intelligently, gathering points with quick and telling blows and then moving out, to take the first three rounds 5-3, 10-4 and 5-4 to build up a healthy 20-11 lead.

His opponent, one from a non-boxing nation, geared up and came charging at him in the last round and the Indian back-pedalled for the most part, probably realising he was ahead on points. The final round went in the Moroccon's favour but the Indian was far ahead on points by then.