Boxing: India
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
History
Till 2017: four world championship medals
World Championship medals are a rarity for Indian boxing. There were only three Indians who have managed it on this stage before the 2017 edition -Shiva Thapa (2015), Vikas Krishan (2011) and Vijender Singh (2009) .Gaurav Bidhuri joined the league by assuring himself of a medal at the Worlds by entering the semifinals of the bantamweight (56kg) category in Hamburg.
The Delhi pugilist defeated Tunisian boxer Bilel Mhamdi in the quarterfinals via a split decision to book the last-four berth. “It was a very tough fight as the Tunisian boxer was very aggressive. I had to be patient and tried to wear him down with my defensive technique,“ Gaurav told TOI from Hamburg after his win.
Gaurav, who's father Dharmendra Bidhuri was also a national level boxer, is not prepared to settle for a bronze now. “My father was the one who inspired me to take up boxing. While growing up he always used to call me a `world champion'. I want to make his words come true. I would love to create history for India and come home as a champion,“ said Gaurav, who will face 19-year-old American Duke Ragan in the semifinal on Thursday .
`Wildcard' Bidhuri, in fact, had failed to secure an automatic quota place from the Asian Championships unlike his other teammates. The 2014 Asian Games quarterfinalist only earned his ticket to Hamburg when Bhutan refused a quota berth in the bantamweight category . And he became only the second Indian to secure a World Championship medal on debut after Vikas achieved the feal in 2011.
2020: Indians ranked No. 1 for Olympic qualifiers
2009: Olympic bronze medallist Vijender Singh did it for the first time after he opened India’s account at the World Championships with a bronze in the 75kg division
2020: World Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal (52kg) has been ranked number one by the IOC’s Boxing Task Force ahead of the Olympic Qualifiers, making him the first Indian pugilist in over a decade to achieve the global top position in his category.
Controversies
Mary Kom vs. Nikhat Zareen / 2019
May: Mary beats Nikhat in ring and with words
Sudeshna Ghosh, May 24, 2019: The Times of India
Indian Open: Mary Kom blasts Nikhat Zareen after beating her
GUWAHATI: "If I am her idol, how can she challenge me?" retorted MC Mary Kom at the press conference after securing a final berth in the 51kg category of the India Open here on Thursday. The six-time world champion was referring to a comment by Nikhat Zareen - her opponent in the semifinal.
The Telangana boxer had spoken of giving a tough fight to her idol and inspiration - the legendary Manipur pugilist. Her exact words after setting up the semifinal were: "She's my idol and has got all the experience. I've to apply my brain to win against her. Last time when I fought against her, I was a bit nervous and it was a very tough fight. But this time, I am confident of putting up a strong fight. I will give my 100% and I'm sure the spectators will enjoy it." But those words did not go well with the veteran boxer as she considered them a problem of "ego and attitude". "They are so lucky to get to fight against me and gain experience. I have proved myself time and again. They can't say these things having won just one international medal," she remarked.
But the Asian Championship bronze medalist did give her idol a good fight and used her head to stop Mary Kom from playing her usual game. It was only in the final round that Mary Kom's experience came to her rescue as she landed a couple of well-connected punches to seal the bout in a split 4-1 decision.
For Shiva Thapa, it was another well-thought-out show in the 60kg as he took his time to frustrate D Krystian Sczepanski of Poland before beating him. In men's 52kg, Asian champion Amit did not have an easy outing as compatriot PL Prasad gave him a tough fight. The only top boxer to sail past easily was Laishram Sarita Devi, whose opponent from Thailand Janjaem Suwannapheng could not last more than 20 seconds.
Finals lineup Men: 49kg: Deepak vs Govind Kr Sahani; 52kg: Amit Panghal vs Sachin Siwach; 56kg: Kavinder Singh Bisht vs Chatchai Decha Butdee (THA); 60kg: Shiva Thapa vs Manish Kaushik; 64kg: Rohit Tokas vs Colin Louis Richarno; 69kg: Ashish vs Duryodhan Singh Negi; 75kg: Ashish Kumar vs Eumir Felix Delos Santos (PHL); 81kg: Brijesh Yadav vs Manish Pawar; 91kg: Naman Tanwar vs Sumit Sangwan; +91kg: Satish Kumar vs Naveen Kumar.
Aug: Nikhat stopped from fighting Mary
Sabi Hussain & Hindol Basu, August 8, 2019: The Times of India
Unsavoury shadow boxing and partisanship ensued at the selection trials for the women’s boxing World Championships in Russia, after bright young hope Nikhat Zareen, an Asian Championships bronze medallist, was stopped from participating, enabling veteran Mary Kom’s automatic selection without taking the ring.
A “helpless” and “frustrated” Nikhat shot off two letters to Boxing Federation of India – addressing president Ajay Singh and selection committee chairman, Rajesh Bhandari — alleging “unfair practices” to benefit a “particular boxer”.
Cold war between Mary, Nikhat?
Veteran Boxer Had Apparently Questioned Her Junior’s Attitude In Guwahati
To my utter surprise and disappointment, I was informed by the chairman selection committee, Mr Rajesh Bhandari, that my bout will not happen today and there are some internal discussions happening to ensure I’m protected for future & avoid getting exposed at a young age...,” wrote Nikhat, adding, “I’m really surprised by this action as I have already participated in World Championships in 2016 and if I was fine then, in 2019, I surely cannot be young and this cannot be the reason.” Nikhat is a former world junior champion (2011) and national champion (2015).
Soon after, a formal BFI communication reached the 51 kg Telengana boxer that she was no longer required to appear for the trials and that sixtime world champion, Mary Kom, had been picked for the Oct 3-13 event in Ulan-Ude in East Siberia. So “crestfallen” was Nikhat with the developments that she locked herself up in her hostel room at the Indira Gandhi stadium for hours, father Jameel Ahmed told TOI. “It came as a big shock for us. It’s not fair,” he added.
Adding to the sense of injustice and the federation’s high-handed ways is that the BFI says it based its decision on a recommendation by Mary Kom’s personal coach, Chhote Lal, that the Manipur boxer should be excused from competing against Nikhat, owing to her recent performances, especially against Nikhat. Mary Kom had defeated her recently in Guwahati.
A cold war of sorts has been brewing between 36-year-old Mary Kom and 23-year-old Nikhat, with the Guwahati final proving a flashpoint. Nikhat had talked about “putting up a strong fight by using her brain” against Mary, whom she had called her idol, in the talk-up to the summit showdown. After Mary defeated Nikhat 4:1 by split decision, the London Olympics bronze medallist waded into her junior opponent. “First you prove inside the ring and then speak out (against me). She has won just one medal at the international level and such is her ego and attitude! They feel proud and satisfied. This is a very bad habit," the veteran is reported to have said then. But the treatment meted out to Nikhat on Wednesday, only reinforces the fact the this isn’t the first time that boxing officials have favoured Mary Kom. Earlier, it was talented Haryana boxer, Pinki Jangra, who had several run-ins with the veteran. In the latest episode, Nikhat was to compete against Mizoram’s Vanduati-Lal in her opening first bout. The winner would have fought against Mary in the final. Nikhat’s name figured in the schedule list for trials on Tuesday, but it was struck off from the list on Wednesday morning without offering her any explanation.
When TOI contacted Bhandari, he offered a feeble defence. “We received a late representation from Mary Kom’s personal coach that she shouldn’t fight Nikhat. It was based on Mary’s recent performances. Also, she is a legendary figure and her stature can’t be challenged. So, there was no need for a trial,” he said.
World bronze medallist, Lovlina Borgohain, too, has been exempted from appearing in the 69kg trials.
Asian Boxing Championships
2015/ Asian Boxing Championship, Bangkok
The Times of India, Sep 06 2015
Boxer Vikas misses out on Asian gold
Indian pugilists have put up an impressive performance at the Asian Boxing Championship in Bangkok, winning a silver and three bronze medals.
In September 2015, Vikas Krishan, who was the lone Indian in a final, lost to Uzbekistan's Bektemir Melikuziev in the middleweight category to settle for a silver in a closely-fought bout.
2017/ ASBC
ASBC Asian Boxing Championships 2017
ASBC Asian Boxing Championships 2017
Box off
Men's Bantam (56kg) MAKARAWE Simon INA beat DORJI Nima BHU 3:0
Men's Bantam (56kg) TANAKA Ryomei JPN beat BIDHURI Gaurav IND 3:2
Men's Bantam (56kg) TANAKA Ryomei JPN beat BIDHURI Gaurav IND RED 3:2
Men's Fly (52kg) BABA Ryusei JPN beat BANDARA Seneviratne SRI 4:1
Men's Fly (52kg) BISHT Kavinder Singh IND walkover KASIM Abdul Salam MAS
Men's Heavy (91kg) YU Fengkai CHN walkover SANAULLAH Mehmood PAK
Men's Light Heavy (81kg) KHAN Awais Ali PAK beat PANWAR Manish IND 3:2
Men's Light Welter (64kg) SAPARAMADU Dushan SRI walkover PAN Hung-Ming TPE
Men's Super Heavy (+91kg) KIM Dohyeon KOR walkover ADDURAKARAM R Buwaneka E T SRI
Men's Super Heavy (+91kg) Satish Kumar IND beat MU Haipeng CHN RED WP 5:0
Men's Welter (69kg) Manoj Kumar IND beat LIU Wei CHN 3:2
Semi-finals
Men's Heavy (91kg) SANGWAN Sumit IND beat QURBONOV Jakhon TJK 5:0
Men's Light (60kg) THAPA Shiva IND beat DORJNYAMBUU Otgondalai MGL 3:2
Men's Light Fly (46-49kg) DUSMATOV Hasanboy UZB beat Amit IND 5:0
Men's Middle (75kg) LEE Dongyun KOR walkover VIKAS Krishan IND
Final
Men's Heavy (91kg) LEVIT Vassiliy KAZ beat SANGWAN Sumit IND 5:0
Men's Light (60kg) ABDURAIMOV Elnur UZB beat THAPA Shiva IND 4:1 R1 3:00
Ranking by nations
Ranking by Nations
Medal standings
India was the only South Asian country to win a medal. It was ranked higher than China and Japan.
Medal standings
Medallists by weight category
Medallists by weight category
3+4=7 Indians for World Championships
Kavinder, Manoj, Satish qualify for World C’ship, May 8, 2017: The Times of India
Third seed Satish Kumar (+91kg) and sixth seed Manoj Kumar (69kg) were among the three Indian boxers who qualified for the World Championships after winning their respective box-offs at the Asian Championships.
With the trio's victory, India now have seven boxers confirmed for the World Championships. The others to have qualified are the bronze medal winning duo of Vikas Krishan (75kg) and Amit Phangal (49kg) along with silver-medallists Shiva Thapa (60kg) and Sumit Sangwan (91kg). The top six boxers from each weight category in the Asian event qualified for the World Championships in Germany scheduled from August 25.
While Kavinder Singh Bisht (52kg) got a walkover against Malaysia's Salam Abdul Kasim, Manoj prevailed in a split decision against China's Liu Wei. Satish sailed past China's Mu Haipeng in a unanimous verdict.
2017: Asian Youth Boxing Championships
PTI's summary: World youth champion Sachin Siwach (49kg) had to be content with a silver medal after going down in the final of the Asian Youth Boxing Championship here on Friday. India thus finished the tournament with a silver and five bronze medal, gold eluding the country for a second successive edition. Sachin was up against Uzbekistan's Samandar Kholmurodov and lost the bo ut in a unanimous verdict of 5-0. Earlier, Ankit Kumar (60kg), Naveen Boora (69kg), Harshpreet Sahrawat (+91kg), Mohammed Etash Khan (56kg) and Sachin (75kg) had lost in the semifinals to settled for bronze medals.
The 17-year-old Sachin had the height advantage against Kholmurodov but was taken aback by the lightening pace at which his rival came at him.Sachin did stage a recovery in the third round, connecting his jabs better.
The ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships, Bangkok, Thailand. Uzbekistan achieved five gold medal in the event and became the most successful country at the very first time in the history of the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships since 2010.
Altogether 120 male boxers from 23 countries attended for the medals in the ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championships in Bangkok. [India was the only South Asian country to win a medal.]
Light flyweight (49kg):
Uzbekistan’s Pavlyukov Youth Memorial Tournament winner Samandar Kholmurodov. The Uzbek boxer met with India’s AIBA Youth World Champion Sachin Siwach Singh who eliminated Thailand’s youngest team member Thitisan Panmod in the semi-final. The Uzbek boxer had a well-built tactic in the first round and he moved more on feet than his Indian star rival. Kholmurodov exceeded the expectations with his aggressive style and pressurized his taller Indian rival after the final gong.
Bantamweight (56kg):
Thailand’s ASBC Asian Confederation Junior Boxing Championships bronze medallist Pluem Wangkhlaklang eliminated China’s Liu Qiming, Iran’s Ashkan Rezaei and India’s experienced Muhammed Etash Khan in the road to the finals.
Light welterweight (64kg):
Kazakhstan’s Sanatali Toltayev is Samatali’s twin brother who also had amazing junior and youth successes in the recent two years. The Almaty-based boxer eliminated India’s tough Akash, Syria’s best and most experienced youth boxer Ammar Haidar and China’s Yibulayimu Mamuti in the road to the finals.
2022
A
Shiva reaches final; 4 others win bronze at Asian Elite Boxing C’ships: Six-time medallist Shiva Thapa was the only Indian male boxer to advance to the finals as four others bowed out with bronze medals at the Asian Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan on Thursday. Thapa (63. 5 kg) out-punched Bakhodur Usmonov of Tajikistan via a 4-1 split verdict in the semifinal to be assured of at least a silver. Thapa will face Uzbekistan's Abdullaev Ruslan in the final. Two-time CWG bronze medallist Mohammad Hussamuddin’s (57kg), Sumit (75kg), Govind Kumar Sahani (48kg) and Narender (92+kg) ended their campaign with a bronze medal each.
B
Nov 6, 2022: The Times of India
Thapa assures sixth medal at Asian boxing
Amman: Shiva Thapa secured at least a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Boxing Championships with a 4-1 victory over South Korea’s Minsu Choi in the 63. 5kg category quarterfinals in Amman, Jordan. A semifinal outing means Thapa is guaranteed a sixth medal at the Asian Championships, making him the first male boxer in the history of the meet to achieve the feat. Thapa will be up against 2019 gold medallist Bakhodur Usmonov of Tajikistan in the semifinal. Sumit eked out a hard-fought 3-2 win over Thailand’s Borworn Kadamduan in the 75kg quarterfinal to advance to the semifinals and assure another medal for the country. Mohammad Hussamuddin also advanced to the semifinal after defeating South Korea’s Haengseok Lee in the 57kg quarterfinal bout.
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Amman [Jordan], November 8 (ANI): Boxer Narender added to India's glory at the Asian Boxing Championships after winning his quarter-final match, assuring the country of its twelfth medal at the competition.
In the men's +92kg event, Narender put up a dominant display to defeat Iman Ramezanpourdelavar of Iran with ease 5-0 to secure India's 12th medal at the competition. In the men's 75kg division, Sumit defeated Thailand's Borworn Kadamduan 3-2 to secure a place in the semi-finals of the coveted competition as per the Olympics website.
After losing their quarterfinal matches, the other three boxers competing on Monday were unable to advance to the last four. Aslanbek Shymbergenov of Kazakhstan, who won the silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games, defeated Sachin, who was fighting in the men's 71kg division, 4-1.
In contrast, Uzbekistan's Aslonov Odiljon blanked Lakshya 5-0 in the men's 80kg division.
India squad (as per Olympics.com):
Naveen Kumar, competing in the men's 92kg division, was eliminated early after suffering a 5-0 defeat to Kazakhstan's Aibek Oralbay.
Lovlina Borgohain (women's 75 kg), bronze medalist in the Tokyo Olympics, and Parveen (women's 63 kg), bronze medalist at the world championships, are two of the seven Indian women boxers who will compete in their semi-finals.
Minakshi (52 kg) and Preeti (57 kg), both debutants, will compete alongside Ankushita Boro (66 kg), Saweety Boora (women's 81 kg), and Alfiya (women's +81 kg). On Thursday, the men's semifinals will take place.
India won 15 medals at the last continental competition, including two golds, five silvers, and eight bronze.
Men: Govind Sahani (48kg), Sparsh Kumar (51kg), Ananta Chopade (54kg), Md. Hussamuddin (57kg), Etash Khan (60kg), Shiva Thapa (63.5kg), Amit Kumar (67kg), Sachin (71kg), Sumit (75kg), Lakshya (80kg), Kapil (86kg), Naveen (92kg), Narender (+92kg) Women: Monika (48kg), Savita (50kg), Minakshi (52kg), Sakshi (54kg), Preeti (57kg), Simranjit (60kg), Parveen (63kg), Ankushita Boro (66kg), Pooja (70kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Saweety Boora (81kg), Alfiya Pathan (+81kg). (ANI)
Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships
2022
A
March 14, 2022: The Times of India
New Delhi: Six Indian junior boxers, including Vini, Yakshika and Vidhi, registered contrasting wins to claim gold medals in their respective weight categories at the 2022 Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan. Vini beat Karina Tokubay of Kazakhstan in the flyweight 50kg final. Vidhi notched up a comfortable 5-0 win against Aya Suwindeh of Jordan in the 57kg featherweight final. Yakshika (52kg) displayed remarkable courage to beat Uzbekistan’s Rakhima Bekniyazova.
B
India Win 15 Gold, 39 Medals in Total at Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships
Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships: Indian youth boxers secured seven gold, three silver and eight bronze medals while junior team finished with 21 medals including eight gold, seven silver and six bronze
Youth men boxers Vishwanath Suresh and Vanshaj clinched gold medals on the final day as the Indian contingent concluded their highly successful 2022 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships campaign with 39 medals, including 15 gold, 10 silver and 14 bronze, in Amman, Jordan.
Chennai boy Vishwanath produced a clinical performance during his thumping win against Kyrgyzstan’s Ergeshov Bekzat by unanimous verdict in the 48kg final. Later Vanshaj, who hails from Sonipat, added a second gold to youth men’s tally as he registered a sensational win over Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Ummataliev by a split 4-1 decision in the 63.5kg final.
However, in the +92kg category, Aman Singh Bisht ended with the silver medal after suffering a 1-4 loss to local boxer Saif Al-Rawashdeh.
It was second successive medals for Vishwanath, Vanshaj and Aman at the prestigious continental event as Vishwanath and Vanshaj had bagged silver while Aman had secured bronze in the last edition.
Raman (51kg), Anand Yadav (54kg) and Deepak (75kg) claimed bronze medals with semi-finals finishes in the men’s section as the Indian youth team secured third place in the medals table with 18 medals, including seven gold, three silver and eight bronze medals.
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan claimed first and second position, respectively, with 23 and 22 medals.
Among youth women, Shaheen Gill, Nivedita Karki, Tamanna, Ravina and Muskan bagged gold medals.
In the junior section, Indian boxers signed off with 21 medals including eight gold, seven silver and six bronze. Vini, Yakshika, Nikita Chand, Vidhi, Shrushti Sathe, Rudrika clinched gold medals in the girls category while Krrish Pal and Yashwardhan Singh emerged champions in the boys’ category.
Indian junior team claimed second position in the medals table with two medals less than table-toppers Uzbekistan.
The Indian contingent secured the same number of medals as the last edition held in Dubai in 2021 but they bettered the gold medal count by one to last edition’s 14.
The tournament saw both the age groups of men and women — youth and junior — played together and witnessed a strong competition in presence of 352 boxers from 21 countries including India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
MEDALLISTS
Youth:
Women: (Gold) Nivedita Karki (48kg), Tamanna (50kg), Shaheen Gill (60kg), Ravina (63kg), Muskan (75kg); (Silver) Priyanka (66kg) and Kirti (+81); (Bronze) Renu (52kg), Tanisha Lamba (54kg), Prachi (57kg), Pranjal Yadav (70kg) and Sneha (81kg).
Men: (Gold) Vishwanath Suresh (48kg) and Vanshaj (63.5kg); (Silver) Aman Singh Bisht (+92kg); (Bronze) Raman (51kg), Anand Yadav (54kg) and Deepak (75kg)
Junior:
Girls: (Gold) Vini (50kg), Yakshika (52kg), Nikita Chand (60kg), Vidhi (57kg), Shrushti Sathe (63kg), Rudrika (75kg); (Silver) Mahi Siwach (46kg), Palak Zambre (48kg), Supriya Devi Thokchom (54kg), Khushi Pooniya (80kg) and Nirjhara Bana (+80kg); (Bronze) Krisha Verma (70kg)
Boys: (Gold) Krrish Pal (46kg), Yashwardhan Singh (60kg); (Silver) Ravi Saini (48kg) and Rishabh Singh Shikharwar (80kg); (Bronze) Jayant Dagar (54kg), Chetan (57kg), Jackson Singh Laishram (70kg), Dev Pratap Singh (75kg), Gaurav Mhaske (+80kg)
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See graphic:
ASBC Asian Junior Boxing Championships- Amman 2022
AIBA Men's Boxing World Championships
2021
A
Oct 26, 2021: The Times of India
BELGRADE: The seasoned Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) entered the second round, while tournament-debutant Deepak Bohria (51kg) advanced to the pre-quarters of the AIBA World Boxing Championships after dominating victories in their respective opening bouts .
Five-time Asian medallist Thapa, competing in his third world championship, produced a fine tactical performance to prevail 5-0 against Kenya's Victor Nyadera.
Asian silver-medallist Bohria was equally dominant against Kyrgyzstan's Azat Usenaliev, also notching up a 5-0 win to enter the round of 16.
Thapa, who won a bronze at the showpiece in 2015, will face Sierra Leone's John Brown on October 30 in the round of 32.
Bohria has a tough one at hand on November 1 as he will be up against Kazakhstan's Saken Bibossinov, an Olympic and world championships bronze-medallist.
Earlier, debutant Akash Sangwan (67kg) also sailed into the second round with a comprehensive 5-0 triumph over Turkey's Furkan Adem.
Sangwan, a reigning national champion, will next face Germany's Deniel Krotter, who got a first-round bye. The Indian dominated Adem in a lop-sided contest held late last night.
Another debutant Rohit Mor (57kg) gave India a winning start by outpunching Ecuador's Jean Caicedo 5-0 in a confident opening-round performance this evening. Next up for him is Bosnia and Herzegovina's Alen Rahimic.
Asian champion Sanjeet (92kg) received a first-round bye, along with Sachin Kumar (80kg).
While Sachin will face American Robby Gonzalez in the second round on October 30, Sanjeet will be up against Russian Andre Stotskii in his opening bout on October 29.
With more than 600 boxers from over 100 countries in fray, a lot of competitors will have to win at least three bouts in some categories to get to the quarterfinal stage.
Later tonight, Sumit (75kg) will take the ring against Jamaica's Damon O'Neill. Also in action would be Narender Berwal (+92kg), squaring off against Poland's Oskar Safaryan.
The gold-winners at the showpiece will walk away with a prize money of $100,000.
The silver medallists are to be given $50,000, and both bronze-medallists will be awarded $25,000 each. The total prize purse stands at a whopping $2.6 million.
B
Oct 30, 2021: The Times of India
Asian champion Sanjeet (92kg) defeated Russia’s Andrei Stotskii in a thoroughly entertaining contest to enter the pre-quarterfinals, while Akash Kumar (54kg) got a walkover into that stage on a good day for Indians at the AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships.
Akash advanced after his German opponent Omar Salah Ibrahim fell ill and gave him a walkover. He will face Puerto Rico’s Pagan Caleb Tirado in the last-16 stage.
Varinder had to pull out of his 60kg category bout due to high fever but he tested negative for Covid-19.
Sanjeet put up quite a show in the 4-1 win over Stotskii, who was not a pushover by any measure.
Sanjeet displayed some flamboyance to go with his skills, dropping his guard completely to taunt Stotskii on more than one occasion.
The two exchanged blows but also smiled frequently at each other, fighting at a languid but engaging pace. Late last night, Akash Sangwan (67kg) recorded a confident 4-1 victory against German pugilist Daniel Krotter to also enter the pre-quarterfinals. The 21-year-old will square off against Cuban boxer Kevin Brown. PTI
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Oct 31, 2021: The Times of India
Five-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) and debutant Sumit (75kg) sailed into the pre-quarterfinals of the AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships after notching up facile victories in their second-round bouts.
While Sumit defeated Tajikistan's Abdumalik Boltaev 5-0, Thapa, a former bronzemedallist at the global showpiece, also prevailed in a unanimous verdict against Sierra Leone's John Brown in the round of 32. Sumit opened the proceedings for the country against Boltaev, who wasn't lacking in intent but was definitely nowhere close to the Indian when it came to punching cleanly. Sumit will face Cuba's Yoenlis Hernandez in the prequarter finals.
Thapa was the last to step into the ring for India on the day, and was simply too good for Brown, who wasn't short on spirit but lacked in application. Thapa will face Lounes Hamraoui of France in the last-16 on Monday. PTI
D
Nov 1, 2021: The Times of India
India’s Akash Kumar and Narender entered the quarterfinals at the 2021 AIBA Men’s Boxing Championships with commanding victories in Belgrade, Serbia. While Akash outclassed Puerto Rico’s Caleb Tirado by a unanimous margin in the 54kg last-16 bout, Narender produced a power-packed performance to upstage the former Asian Games champion veteran Tajikistan pugilist Jakhon Qurbonov by the Referee Stopping the Contest (RSC) verdict in the second round of the +92kg pre-quarterfinal contest.
Akash started the day for India on a winning note. Playing their first match in the competition, both the boxers began with an aggressive note and traded punches continuously in a highly busy first two rounds of the 54kg last-16 bout. The 21-year-old Indian had received a walkover in his opening match while Tirado was given a bye in the first round.
Taller among the two pugilists, Akash made good use of his height and landed some sharp punches to tilt the momentum in his favour. Having taken a comfortable lead after the first two rounds, Akash showed tactical brilliance and started maintaining distance in the final round which denied his opponent any chance to make a comeback into the match.
With this dominating 5-0 triumph, Akash is now a win away from confirming a medal for the country at the ongoing Championships.
Later on Sunday night, two more Indian pugilists will play their respective pre-quarterfinal bouts. The current Asian champion Sanjeet (92kg) and debutant Nishant Dev (71kg) will play again’t Georgia’s Giorgi Tchigladze and Mexico’s Alvarez Verde. Earlier, seasoned boxer Shiva Thapa made his way into the last-16 stage. AGENCIES
E
Nov 2, 2021: The Times of India
Indian boxers Nishant Dev (71kg) and Sanjeet (92kg) made the quarterfinals following impressive victories but four others, including Asian silver-medallist Deepak Bohria (51kg), bowed out of the AIBA Men’s World Championships after losing their last-16 stage bouts here on Monday. Nishant defeated Mexico’s Marco Alvarez Verde 3-2 in a late night bout on Sunday to set up a clash with Russia’s Vadim Musaev.
Sanjeet, a quarterfinalist from the previous edition and the reigning Asian champion, got the better of Georgia’s Giorgi Tchigladze 4-1 to enter the last eight stage for a second successive time. He will face Italy’s Aziz Abbes Mouhiidine. However, Rohit Mor (57kg) went down to Kazakhstan’s Serik Temirzhanov 1-4. Akash Sangwan (67kg) too lost 0-5 to Cuba’s former world youth champion Kevin Brown Bazain a fight that left both the boxers with bloodied faces. Also exiting the tournament was Sumit Kundu (75kg), who fought valiantly against another Cuban in Yoenlis Hernandez but lost 0-5.
Deepak was beaten by Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossinov, the reigning Olympic and world championship bronzemedallist. The Indian claimed the second round and was in with a chance to upstage Bibossinov but Kazakh raised his game just in time to nose ahead. Mor gave a good account of himself by fighting hard and taking his chances against the technically sound Kazakh, who was especially terrific in the opening round with his attacks. Mor troubled him with his aggressive tactics, but he struggled to connect. PTI
IBA Junior World Boxing Championships
2023
A
Dec 3, 2023: The Times of India
New Delhi: Indian boxers continued their fine form at the IBA Junior World Boxing Championships as 12 of them entered the finals after stunning displays in the last four rounds in Yerevan, Armenia. Amisha (54kg) and Payal (48kg) started the day on a winning note for India against Trigos Bucur Rocio of Romania and Bibolsynkyzy Sila of Kazakhstan, both winning the bout by an unanimous 5-0 verdict.
Prachi Tokas (+80kg) put up a dominant show over Osipova Mariia of Russia, forcing the referee to stop the contest in the first round itself. Megha (80kg), on the other hand, showed a similar display of strength and power to also clinch a referee stop the contest (RSC) win in round three against Tseng An Chi of Chinese Taipei. Vini (57kg), Akansha (70kg) and Shrushti (63kg) outperformed their opponents to grab identical 5-0 unanimous decision victories to enter the finals.Priyanshu loses to Jen in Syed Modi semis: Priyanshu Rajawat squandered a one-game advantage to go down to Chi Yu Jen of Chinese Taipei in the semifinal of the Syed Modi International badminton in Lucknow. The 21-year-old, who won the Orleans Masters Super 300 this season, toiled hard for one hour 14 minutes before losing 21-18 14-21 17-21. agenciesBASKETBALL: NBA, 7.30 pm (Jio); CRICKET:
India vs Aus, 5th T20I, 7 pm (Jio); Women’s T20, India ‘A’ vs England ‘A’, 1.30 pm (Jio); WI vs Eng, 1st ODI, 7 pm (Fancode); FOOTBALL:
ISL, FC Goa vs Kerala, 8 pm (Jio); EPL, Chelsea vs Brighton; Liverpool vs Fulham, 7.30 pm; Man City vs Tottenham, 10 pm (Star); Bundesliga, 8.30 pm (Sony); La Liga, 9 pm (Jio); I-League, Rajasthan United vs Shillong Lajong, 4.30 pm; Mohammedan FC vs Sreenidi Deccan, 7 pm (Fancode, Eurosport)
B: 3 gold, 9 silver, 5 bronze
Dec 6, 2023: The Times of India
Payal, Nisha & Akansha strike gold in Jr Worlds
New Delhi : Young pugilists Payal, Nisha and Akansha won a gold medal each after dominating performances as India ended their impressive campaign at the IBA Junior World Boxing Championships in Yerevan, Armenia with 17 medals.
The Indian contingent secured three gold, nine silver and five bronze medals from the championships. The Indian women’s team finished joint second in the event. Payal handed India its first gold when she outclassed local favourite Petrosyan Heghine of Armenia by unanimous decision in the girls 48kg final.
Later, Asian youth champions Nisha and Akansha lived up to the expectations as they extended their dream runs to clinch gold medals in style. Nisha (52kg) and Akansha (70kg) thrashed Abdullaoeva Farinoz of Tajikistan and Taimazova Elizaveta of Russia respectively with identical 5-0 margins. Three other Indian women in action on the final day, Vini (57kg), Shrushti (63kg) and Megha (80kg) signed off with silver medals after suffering defeats in their respective final bouts. In the men’s section, Sahil (75kg) and Hemant (80+kg) added silver medals to the Indian tally after going down 0-5 in their respective finals.
Jatin (54kg) also put up a strong fight against Tulebek Nurassyl of Kazakhstan before losing 1-4 in a thrilling match. Overall, 12 Indians had entered the finals, which was more than any other country in this edition. PTI
IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships
2023
A
May 7, 2023: The Times of India
Tashkent: Indian pugilists Akash Sangwan (67kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg) secured comfortable wins to advance to the pre-quarterfinals of the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships here on Saturday. Up against Fu Mingke of China in the round of 32 match, Akash was the quicker one of the two boxers right from the start and landed some heavy blows on his opponent . Akash played from distance and evaded Fu's punches throughout the bout. The last round saw a desperate attempt from the Chinese boxer to mount a comeback but Akash com fortably dealt with him and won 5-0 via unanimous decision. He will take on Kazakhstan's Dulat Bekbauov. In the light middleweight round of 32 bout, Nishant squared off against S outh Korea’s Lee Sangmin. The Indian boxer, who had defeated world bronze medallist Sarkhan Aliyev of Azerbaijan in the previous round, showed his technical prowess. He was patient in the first round and gauged the strategy of his opponent while landing enough punches to win the round. The last two rounds saw both the pugilists exchange some heavy blows but Nishant was the more accurate of the two and secured a unanimous 5-0 win for India. PTI
B
Hindol Basu, May 8, 2023: The Times of India
Mohammad Hussamuddin continued his good form at the ongoing IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, becoming the first Indian to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament. Hussamuddin had it easy against Russia’s Savvin Eduard in the 57kg pre-quarterfinal, winning 5-0 by a unanimous decision. The Indian pugilist dominated the bout from the start and didn’t give his opponent any ground to gain.
Hussamuddin was way too quick for his Russian opponent. He kept on counterpunching smartly to get the win. In the last-8, he will be up against Javier Diaz Ibanez of Bulgaria. “I am playing every bout as if it’s the final, so there is no scope forany loose ends. The quarterfinal will be the toughestbout in the competit ion, but I’ve my strategies in place,” Hussamuddin told TOI. Another Indian boxer, Deepak Kumar Bhoria stunned Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist and 2021 world champion Saken Bibossinov of Kazakhstan to enter the pre-quarterfinals in the 51kg weight category. With Amit Panghal sidelined, Deepak is now India’s top boxer in the flyweight (51kg) division.
Deepak star ted the bout slowly and took some time to get into rhythm. Bibossinov used Deepak’s initial hesitancy to his advantage to land some scoring points. The Indian boxer ended the fir st round strongly and hit his opponent with a flurry of punches, but lost the round 2-3.
In the second round, both boxers were evenly-matched, but Deepak still trailed going into the final round. Deepakupped the ante in the final round and launched a tremendous comeback. The 25-year-old picked up pace and moved around swiftly, hitting his opponent with some hard blows. Deepak managed to evade the Kazakh boxer’s p unches consistently – who was clearly tiring – and impressed the judges to win 5-2, as the final decision went to a ‘bout review’.
Deepak will now face Zhang Jiamao of China in the pre-quarters. “Initially, my aim was to play with patience and keep gathering points. The first two rounds were really tough, but I didn’t lose my focus and waited for the right moment to attack. Coaches had told me before the bout to lure my oppone nt with the right jab before using the left hook for a major impact. The strategy worked as I connected a lot of left hooks to get points,” said Deepak.
In other bouts involving Indian pugilists, Sumit (75kg) and Narender Berwal (92+kg) went down to their respective opponents to bow out of the tournament.
C
Hindol Basu, May 9, 2023: The Times of India
Late last year, boxer Sachin Siwach had to undergo an emergency surgery for appendicitis in Patiala. The surgery rendered him inactive for nearly a month. It also made him miss the Asian championships.
Earlier this year, Sachin returned to the boxing ring. The Asian championships didn’t bear any fruit, but his target now was the World Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Sachin trained hard under his long-time coach Sanjay Sheoran in Bhiwani, Haryana. Sheoran, incidentally, is the son of the legendary Hawa Singh. Sachin’s advantage is that he is one of the tallest boxers in his weight category and enjoys a significant advantage in terms of reach. With Sheoran, the 5’ 8” Sachin worked on his defensive game after the surgery.
All the work he put in behind-the-scenes bore fruit on Monday. At the IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships, Sachin beat Moldova’s Serghei Novac in the 54kg category to reach the pre-quarterfinals of the tournament.
Sachin dominated the match from the beginning and registered a 5-0 unanimous decision over his opponent. The 2021 World Youth champion started aggressively and never let his guard down in the first round.
He continued with the same strategy in the second round as well. He landed some heavy punches on his opponent and was swift in his movements inside the ring. Sachin was all over Novach in the third and final round with precise hits and received the decision in his favour from all the five judges. Sachin will now face top seed Makhmud Sabyrkhan of Kazakhstan.
In other matches, Naveen (92kg) went down 0-5 against Enmanuel Reyes of Spain in the pre-quarterfinals. The Indian boxer found it hard to get into a rhythm in the first round and could not find his feet in the second round as well. Naveen tried hard to get back into the game in the last round but it was too late and he lost the bout. Govind Sahani (48kg) also suffered a 0-5 defeat against top seed Sakhil Alakhverdovi of Georgia in the last16 stage. The Georgian boxer was too quick for Sahani.
D
Hindol Basu, May 10, 2023: The Times of India
Palestinian boxer Nidal Foqahaa was the taller and the more aggressive one. Against him was India's Nishant Dev - technically among the best in the country - in the pre-quarterfinals of the ongoing IBA Men's World Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The fight was between technique and brawn, fleet-footedness versus better reach. Foqahaa started with intent and h ad the Indian on the backfoot for a while. But Nishant managed to counter well by moving around the ring as Foqahaa's punches touched thin air. Gradually, Nishant gained ground and his counter-attacks had more purpose.
Towards the end of the first round, Nishant started raining a combination of jabs and hooks on his opponent. There was speed as well as power and the Palestinian wasn't able to withstand the flurry of hits. Such was the impact that the referee had to intervene and the bout was stopped as Nishant won by RSC (referee stops the contest) to storm into the 71kg quarterfinals of the championship.
The 22-year-old from Karnal, Haryana will now take on Jorge Cuellar of Cuba on Wednesday. "I will give my 100 percent against the Cuban to ensure a medal for India," said Nishant after the win.
In another pre-quarterfinal bout involving an Indian boxer, Deepak Bhoria dominated China's Jiamao Zhang of China in the 51kg weight category to win 5-0 by unanimous decision.
Deepak had a measure of his opponent, and called the shots in the first round with swift movement inside the ring and his accurate punches. He went into a defensive mode at the start of the second round and used his counter-attacking game to strike some heavy left hooks on his Chinese opponent.
In the third round, Deepak was kept on his toes by Zhang, who tried to be more aggressive with a combination of punches. However, the Indian pugilist was too quick for his rival and comfortably won the round as well as the bout.
"My strategy was to use my strongest weapon, which is the left hook, in a calculated manner. The bout went according to plan. I made sure I got the early momentum and lured my opponent to my comfort zone before striking some accurate punches," Deepak said.
He will now meet Diushebaev Nurzhigit of Kyrgyzstan in the quarterfinals. A win will confirm a medal for India.
E
Hindol Basu, May 11, 2023: The Times of India
Deepak Bhoria, Mohammad Hussamuddin and Nishant Dev won their quarterfinal bouts to ensure a bronze medal each from their weight categories at the ongoing IBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
This is India’s best-ever performance in the championship. Before this, the best came in the 2019 edition when Amit Panghal clinched silver and Manish Kaushik won a bronze.
All three boxers have the chance to go all the way, the next step being the semifinal bouts. Deepak thumped Kyrgyzstan’s Diushebaev Nurzhigit 5-0 by a unanimous decision. Hussamuddin beat Javier Diaz Ibanez of Bulgaria by a 4-3 split decision. Nishant Dev rounded off a special day for the country with his 5-0 win over Jorge Cuellar of Cuba.
This has been a historic high for the men boxers under new high performance director Bernard Dunne, who took charge just seven months back.
It was an uphill task for Dunne to revive India’s fortunes in men’s boxing after a disastrous Tokyo Olympics, where no boxer could cross the quarterfinals stage.
The prime example of Dunne’s outof-the-box methods is Deepak, who stepped into the shoes of 2019 World Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal for the ongoing Worlds in Tashkent.
Deepak was preferred over Amit in the 51kg weight category after Dunne replaced the concept of selection trials for big-ticket tournaments, bringing in an evaluation process at the national camp. An evaluation was done over three weeks in March, supervised by Dunne and men’s boxing head coach CA Kuttappa, and scores were given on different benchmarks.
At the end of the process, the members of the men’s boxing set-up found Deepak to have nearly 50 points more than Amit. To his credit, Deepak, who nearly quit the sport after suffering a career-threatening fracture to his right hand, proved that Dunne’s choice was correct. On Wednesday, the 25-year-old dominated from the beginning, using his ring intelligence and quick movement to win the first round.
Deepak carried on the good work in the second round as well; dodging his opponent’s attacking moves to stay ahead. The third round was more about consolidating the lead and Deepak smartly negated Nurzhigit’s charge. The Indian will now face Billal Bennama of France in the 51kg semifinals.
“I maintained distance and used my left hook to good effect. Bennama is an experienced boxer. He has done well in previous world championships, so it’s going to be a tough fight. But I have confidence in my abilities,” Deepak told TOI after the win.
For Hussamuddin, it was a lot tougher. The Nizamabad-based pugilist took some time to gauge Ibanez’s movements. Being a southpaw proved to be a positive for Hussamuddin, as he managed to defend some heavy blows from the Bulgarian. Still, the first round went to Ibanez. In the second round, Hussamuddin counter-attacked well to edge out his opponent.
The third round saw both boxers throw caution to the wind and go on the offensive, but the Indian used his combinations well to secure the win. He will go up against Saidel Horta of Cuba in the 57kg semifinals.
“It was a tough bout. My opponent was playing really rough and it caused me a lot of problems, especially in the first round. But I prevailed. I had made my plans before the bout and kept on moving and dodging inside the ring. It made him go out of his comfort zone to attack me. That gave me the chance to hit a lot of side blows and gather points,” Hussamuddin said.
“It feels great to secure a medal for India, but I want to go for gold now.”
Like Deepak, Nishant too secured a unanimous victory. Nishant’s opponent was significantly taller than him and the Indian had to find opportune moments to land his blows to gain advantage. He will fight Asian champion Aslanbek Shymbergenov of Kazakhstan in the 71kg semis.
“It’s a great feeling to win against a pedigreed Cuban boxer… that too by a unanimous verdict. Our strategy was to create pressure from the first round and stay strong mentally throughout. I will go in with this positive mindset in the semifinal as well,” Nishant said.
ASBC Asian Youth and Junior Championships
2012-16: IABF’s four messy years
THE MESS FOR FOUR YEARS Sep 26 2016 : The Times of India
THE MESS FOR FOUR YEARS
Four years ago the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation was terminated for “Manipulations in elections“. Boxing India took charge after two years of turmoil but BI could not carry on even for a year and was dissolved in 2015 following a revolt by the state units. Even the build up to the BFI elections on Sunday was not without turbulence.The World body (AIBA) extended deadlines multiple times due to internal squabbling. Just days before the polls, presidential candidate Rohit Jainendra alleged corruption in the conduct of the polls, a charge that was denied by the ad-hoc committee Also, Railways Sports Promotion Board and the Services Sports Control Board expressed unhappiness at being left out of the process after they refused to take affiliation from BFI citing non-recognition from sports ministry.
TIMELINE
December 2012: The world body (AIBA) provisionally suspended the Indian Amateur Boxing Federation (IABF) on the allegation that its elections were manupulated.
October 2013: The state units come together to form an ad-hoc committee to decide a proposed date for the general body meeting and announce a date for the elections. But AIBA refused to give approval to the meeting. Indian boxers participate under the AIBA flag at the World Boxing Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
March 2014: An ad-hoc committee constituted by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) is given the task to run the sport in the country.
September 2014: World body lifts suspension on country's boxers and decides to give a newly-formed body, Boxing India an opportunity to administer boxing in the country on the condition that India must sort out the mess within a stipulated time.
May 2015: Unhappy with Boxing India's functioning, AIBA suspends body while again forming an ad-hoc body to run the game a month later
September 2016: Indian Boxing Federation (IBF) holds its elections in the presence of AIBA delegate, ending of months of uncertainties
2021
A
August 24, 2021: The Times of India
India’s Gaurav Saini made his way into the 70kg junior boys final at the ASBC Asian Youth and Junior Boxing Championships after defeating Kyrgyzstan’s Zakirov Mukhamaadaziz in Dubai.
Three other Indians, Ashish (54kg), Anshul (57kg) and Bharat Joon (+81kg), too, put up impressive performances to progress into the last-4 stage on the third day of the prestigious continental event. Earlier Rohit Chamoli (48kg) and Ankush (66kg) had secured their places in the semifinals in the junior boys’ event. AGENCIES
Elorda Boxing Cup
2022
A
July 5, 2022: The Times of India
New Delhi: Reigning Youth World champions Alfiya Pathan and Gitika produced impressive performances to win gold medals at the inaugural edition of the Elorda Boxing Cup in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Two other female boxers — Kalaivani Srinivasan and Jamuna Boro — signed off with silver medals.
With the addition 10 more bronze on the final day, the 33 member Indian contingent concluded its campaign with an overall tally of 14 medals. Alfiya did not have to break a sweat and g ot an unanimous 5-0 verdict against the 2016 world champion, Lazzat Kungeibayeva, in the women’s 81kg final. Gitika, on the other hand, clinched a 4-1 victory over compatriot Kalaivani in the women’s 48kg final.
India U-17 women lose 0-3 Jessheim (Norway): The India U-17 women’s team lost 0-3 to Iceland in its second match of the Open Nordic football tournament here on Monday. Iceland scored in both halves, with Emilia Oskarsdottir netting a second-half brace at the Jessheim Stadion.
It was a promising start for India as they got engaged in an intense mid-field battle that saw winger Anita Kumari take an early crack fr om wide right, which was saved.
Both Anita and India goalkeeper Melody Chanu were impressive in the first half. Anita made a few inroads around the half an hour mark, while Chanu had to make some acrobatic saves. But, Iceland took the lead when Lilja Bjork Unnarsdottir scored off a free-kick. PTI
Rome Ranking Series
2020
Day 1: Sunil Kumar wins silver
Indian wrestler Sunil Kumar wins silver at Rome Ranking Series event Earlier, he had prevailed over Patrick Anthony Martinez of the USA in the quarterfinal stage. Before losing out in the final, Sunil had downed three-time Pan American champion Avendano Rojas Eduardo of Venezuela to make it to the finals.
Indian wrestler Sunil Kumar’s dream of reclaiming victory on Day 1 of the UWW Rome Ranking Series event remained unfulfilled after he lost to Hungary’s Victor Lorincz in the finals of 87kg on Wednesday. The UWW Greco-Roman wrestler of the year, Lorincz has maintained an undefeated record in the ranking events after having owned a five-ranking series title.
Day 2: Anshu Malik wins silver
Indian teenage wrestler Anshu Malik won in the women's 57kg freestyle event of the season 's first major competition, the Ranking Series in Rome. She lost to Nigeria's Odunayo Adekuoroye for the score 10-0.
Day 4: Vinesh wins gold, Malik silver
Vinesh wins gold at Rome ranking meet Rome: A dominant Vinesh Phogat won her first gold medal of the 2020 season at the Rome Ranking Series event after teen sensation Anshu Malik settled for a silver in 57kg competition, here on Friday. Vinesh downed two tough Chinese rivals on her way to the 53kg gold medal bout in which she overpowered Ecuador’s Luisa Elizabeth Valverde 4-0.
Day 5: Bajrang, Ravi win gold
BAJRANG, RAVI CLAIM GOLD MEDALS IN ROME
Rome: Bajrang Punia was far from his fluent best but still claimed gold while Ravi Kumar Dahiya showed sparkling form in his gold-winning effort as the two Indians kicked off the Olympic year in style at the Rome Ranking Series. The 25-year-old Bajrang staged a comeback to secure a 4-3 win against USA’s Jordan Michael Oliver in the summit showdown of the 65kg freestyle category on Saturday night. Ravi, who competed in the 61kg category instead of his regular 57kg, bagged the gold after getting the better of Kazakhstan’s Nurbolat Abdualiyev 12-2 in his final bout late on Saturday night.
Strandja Memorial Tournament, Sofia
2020
Shiva and Sonia enter semis
New Delhi: Former world medallists Shiva Thapa (63kg) and Sonia Lather (57kg) assured themselves of medals at the 71st Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament by advancing to the semifinals in Sofia, Bulgaria on Thursday. Joining them was Commonwealth Games bronzemedallist Mohammed Hussamuddin (57kg). He outpunched Ireland’s Kurt Walker 5-0 to make the medal rounds. He had claimed a silver in the 2017 edition of the event. Former world silver-winner Lather (57kg) clinched a 3-2 triumph over Ireland’s Michaela Walsh in a hardfought contest to enter the last-four stage.
Indians win 3 medals in all
Indian boxers finish campaign with 3 medals
New Delhi: Commonwealth Games medallist Mohammed Hussamuddin claimed a silver at the 71st Strandja International Boxing Tournament after going down fighting in the final against Francesco Maietta in Sofia, Bulgaria. The 25-year-old, who clinched bronze in 2018 Gold Coast Games, put up a strong fight against the Italian boxer but had to settle for silver medal in the tournament which saw 200 boxers presenting challenges in their respective categories. India concluded its campaign with three medals.
2022
February 28, 2022: The Times of India
New Delhi: Indian boxers Nikhat Zareen (52kg) and Nitu (48kg) struck gold at the 73rd Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria by notching up thoroughly comprehensive victories in their respective finals on Sunday. Nitu, cometing for the first time in the event, prevailed 5-0 over Italy’s Erika Prisciandaro, a former youth world championship bronzemedallist. Zareen, on the other hand, outpunched Ukraine’s Tetiana Kob, a threetime European Championships medallist 4-1. While Nitu produced a wonderful counter-attacking performance by taking full a d vantage of her longer reach and taller frame, Zareen was engaged in a draining and messy bout which had its fair share of clinching and holding.
India thus finished the tournament with three m edals this time, Nandini (+81kg) being the third podium finisher with a bronze. PTI
Thailand Open
2022
A
Monika stuns two-time World Championship medallist
Boxer Monika (48kg) upstaged two-time World Championship medallist Josie Gabuco of the Philippines to enter the semifinals along with two other Indians at the Thailand Open here on Monday. Ashish Kumar (81kg) and Manisha (57kg) are the two other Indian pugilists who also made their way into the last four with contrasting wins against their respective Thai opponents. The 26-year-old Monika, who hails from Rohtak, prevailed 4-1 over experienced campaigner Gubuco, who won gold and bronze medals at the World Championships in 2012 and 2008 respectively. She will now face Vietnam’s Trinh Thi Diem Kieu, who received bye in the last round.
B
Four Indians in finals of Thai boxing meet
New Delhi: Indian pugilists Ashish Kumar, Govind Sahani, Varinder Singh and Monika entered the finals of their respective events at the Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament in Phuket on Wednesday. Ashish lived up to his billing and produced a flawless performance to register an easy 5-0 win over Maikhel Roberrd Muskita of Indonesia in the men’s 81kg semifinal bout. In the men’s 48kg category, Govind had to work hard against Vietnam’s Nguyen Linh Phung before winning by a split 4-1 decision.
C
Indian boxers clinch 10 medals at Thailand Open:
Indian boxers Govind Sahani (48kg), Ananta Pralhad Chopde (54kg) and Sumit (75kg) struck gold at the Thailand Open in Phuket, notching up comprehensive wins in their respective bouts on Saturday. Sahani and Sumit, the reigning national champion, dominated their bouts from start to finish and won with identical 5-0 margins against local pugilists Natthaphon Thuamcharoen and Peetapat Yeasungnoen respectively. Ananta, on the other hand, displayed a good mix of aggression and defense to topple Ritthiamon Saengsawang.
World Boxing championships, youth
2022
A
Nov 23, 2022: The Times of India
NEW DELHI: Young Indian boxers are on a roll as Youth Asian champions Muskan, Tamanna and two other pugilists registered dominating victories to reach semi-finals of the IBA Youth World Boxing Championships in La Nucia, Spain.
Youth Asian Championships silver medallist Kirti (+81kg) and Devika Ghorpade (52kg) were the other two boxers to confirm medals by securing their spots in the last-4 stage.
With addition of four more medals, India’s total medal count now climbs to 11 - same as the last edition, held in Poland.
Tamanna began the day for India on an aggressive note as she outperformed Japan’s Juni Tonegawa by unanimous decision in the women’s 50kg quarter-final. Devika also notched up an easy 5-0 win against the German boxer Asya Ari.
Muskan (75kg) and Kirti proved too strong for their respective opponents - Mongolia’s Zyeinyep Azimbai and Livia Botica of Romania—as they were declared winners by the Referee Stops the Contest verdict within the first three minutes of the bouts.
Meanwhile, Preeti Dahiya (57kg), Rhythm (+92) and Jadumani Singh Mandengbam (51kg) made exit after losing their respective quarter-final bouts.
Eight Indian female boxers, including Muskan, Tamanna, Devika, Kirti, Kunjarani Devi Thongam (60kg), Bhawna Sharma (48kg), Ravina (63kg) and Lashu Yadav (70kg) will fight it out in the semis later.
Vanshaj (63.5kg), Vishwanath Suresh (48kg) and Ashish (54kg) will lead India’s charge in the men’s semi-finals at the prestigious event, which has been witnessing the participation of close to 600 boxers from 73 countries.
B
Nov 27, 2022: The Times of India
New Delhi : Indian boxers Vishwanath Suresh, Vanshaj and Devika Ghorpade lived up to their favourites tag, registering commanding victories to clinch gold medals at the Youth Men’s and Women’s World Championships in La Nucia, Spain. Chennai-born Vishwanath handed India their first gold after thrashing Ronel Suyom of Philippines without breaking asweat in the men’s 48kg final.
This came after Bhawna Sharma bagged a silver medal in the women’s 48kg category, losing 0-5 loss against Uzbekistan’s Gulsevar Ganieva in the opening match of the day. Ashish (54kg) was the other Indian to finish with a silver medal. He went down 1-4 against Japanese pugilist Yuta Sakai in a thrilling final.
PTI
2015
Rankings in Nov 2015
The Times of India, Nov 04 2015
Shiva jumps five spots to be world No. 2
Shiva Thapa in Nov 2015 became the highest-ranked Indian boxer, zooming to second in the latest international rankings after winning a bronze medal at Oct 2015’s World championships in Doha. Shiva was placed second with 1550 points in the 56kg category, up five places from the previous list. The top spot was occupied by Irishman Michael Conlan (2150 points), who won the gold medal at the World Championships. The 22-year-old Shiva became only the third Indian ever to clinch a medal at the showpiece event after Vijender Singh (2009, bronze) and Vikas Krishan (2011, bronze). Vikas, who lost in the quarterfinals of the Doha event, was the next best-placed Indian at sixth in the 75kg middleweight division
Satish Kumar, who was also a quarterfinalist in Doha, took the seventh spot in the rankings for super heavyweight (+91kg) boxers. Another Asian Championships silver-medallist, L De vendro Singh, occupies the 13th spot in the 49kg category . The youngster from Manipur lost in the second round of the world meet following a cut above his right eye. He has 550 points in his kitty. Former Asian gold-medallist Sumit Sangwan was placed 18th in the 81kg di vision with 450 points. Manoj Kumar also occupies the 18th spot in the light welterweight 64kg list.
Poor performance at the Rio Olympics, 2016
Boxing, like wrestling, suffered from atrocious politicking. Vikas Krishan, who lost in the quarters is right in saying Indian boxers have had few chances to compete outside the country since 2012 when the world boxing body suspended the Indian federation for manipulating elections. This is one reason why only three Indian boxers qualified for Rio, as opposed to eight in London.
2017
July 2017/ Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem
BOXING - Shiva, Manoj strike gold|Jul 31 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)
Indian boxers packed quite a heavy punch at the 48th Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem, clinching five gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the event in the Czech Republic. World Championships bronzemedallist Shiva Thapa (60kg), former Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar (69kg), Amit Phangal (52kg), Gaurav Bidhuri (56kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) claimed gold medals after winning their respective summit clashes last night. Kavinder Bisht (52kg) and Manish Panwar (81kg), on the other hand, settled for silver medals. Earlier, Sumit Sangwan (91kg) had claimed a bronze after going down in the semifinals.
Amit and Kavinder opened the proceedings for the country in an allIndian final. Of the two, Amit is a light flyweight (49kg) boxer but competed in the flyweight division in this event. He defeated Kavinder 3-2 to claim the top position. Next up was Gaurav against Poland's Iwanow Jaroslaw and the Indian had no trouble notching up a 5-0 win.
November 2017/ AIBA Women's Youth World Championships
November 21, 2017: The Times of India
India enjoyed an all-win day at the AIBA Women's Youth World Boxing Championships with five of the country's pugilists advancing to the quarter-finals after contrasting victories.
The fast-rising Ankushita Boro (64kg) led the charge with a facile unanimous triumph over Turkey's Aluc Cagla. Boro is a silver-medalist from the Balkan Youth International Boxing Championship and the International Ahmet Comert Tournament.
"She beat me in her country, so it was only natural that I had to return the compliment in my own country," Boro said.
Also advancing to the quarter-finals were Shashi Chopra (57kg), Jyoti Gulia (51kg), a Golden Glove Tournament gold-medalist, Neetu (48kg) and Sakshi Choudhary (54kg).
Gulia, the boxer who opened the proceedings for India this afternoon, defeated Ukraine's Anastasiia Lisinska to make the last-eight stage. Chopra, on the other hand, got the better of second seed Taiwan's Lin Li Wei-Yi to be just one win away from winning a medal.
In the evening session, Balkan Youth International Championship gold medalist and the reigning national champion Neetu out-witted Bulgaria's Emi-Mari Todorova in her pre- quarterfinal bout. Nitu was delighted after her victory.
"It was an easy bout for me. I had beaten her earlier in Bulgaria too and I knew how to tackle her," she said.
"She didn't allow me to move freely in the first round. My coach changed my strategy midway and that made all the difference," she added. In the last Indian bout of the day, Choudhary upstaged fourth-seeded Indira Shudabaeva of Russia in a split verdict to move ahead in the championships.
India are already assured of two medals in the event after Neha Yadav (+81kg) and Anupama (81kg) found themselves in the semi-finals due to small size of the draws. Over 150 boxers from 38 countries are competing in the event, being held in India for the first time.
November 2017/ Women’s Youth World Championship: 5 gold, 2 bronze
Abdul Gani, Indian girls win five gold, 2 bronze, November 27, 2017: The Times of India
Indian girls displayed spectacular performancesin the ring at theAIBA Women’s Youth World Championship to script history on Sunday here. It was an evening of pride as all Indian finalists — Ankushita Boro, Jyoti, Nitu, Sakshi and Shashi Chopra — won gold, which has never happened for India in this championship. In the process, Jyoti also qualified for the youth Olympics to be held in Buenos Aires next year.
In the lightweight (45-48kg) category, Nitu outclassed defeated Zhazira Urakbayeva from Kazakhstan 5-0 in a completely one-sided affair. From the first round itself, the Haryana girl was at her best, landing a flurry of punches to unsettle her opponent. “It was not very difficult for me. Compared to the semifinal, it was an easy affair. Now, I’m focused at the youth Olympics,” an elated Nitu told reporters after the bout on Sunday in a packed stadium.
Jyoti, in flyweight (51kg), had an easy outing, too, winning 5-0 against Ekaterina Molchanova of Russia. Jyoti started off carefully and waited for the opportunity to hit. “I didn’t realize that it would be an easy bout for me. It turned out to be easier than the semifinal. First two rounds went smoothly. Third round was a little difficult but I continued to punch,” Jyoti said after the bout.
She had defeated Molchanova in their previous encounter in Serbia, in a split decision. “To be selected for the youth Olympics is a great thing to happen for me,” she renarked.
In the third bout of the evening in the 54 kg bantamweight category, India’s Sakshi, who had an easy outing in the semifinal againstJapaneseopponent Sena Irie, struggled to beat Ivy-Jane Smith of England. The closely-fought encounter eventually went in Sakshi’s favour by a 3-2 margin.
Then came ShashiChopra, who clinched the fourth gold for India in 57kg featherweight. The Hisar girl defeated Hong Ngoc Do of Vietnam 4-1.
In the last bout of the evening, local girl Ankushita Boro clinched gold in style, outplaying her opponent Ekaterina Dynnik of Russia in the 64 kg lightwelter category.
Ankushita was named the best boxer of the championship. India emerged as the best team with five gold and two bronze medals while Russia came second with two gold and four silver medals. The Third spot was taken by Kazakhstan with one gold, two silver and two bronze medals.
Finals delayed after wire catches fire: Proceedings at theevent were haltedfor nearly 45 minutes after the first final bouton Sundaywhen a wire caught fire at one of the spectator stands.
December 2017/ Galym Zharylgapov Tournament: 3 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze
Indian boxers strike gold in Kazakhstan, December 25, 2017: The Times of India
Indian boxers dominated the ring at the Galym Zharylgapov Boxing Tournament in Karaganda, Kazakhstan, claiming three gold, a silver, and a bronze medal at the event which concluded on Sunday. Three-time King's Cup gold-medallist and a reigning national champion from the Railways K Shyam Kumar (49kg), world youth championships' bronze-medallist Naman Tanwar (91kg) and Asian Games bronzemedallist Satish Kumar (+91kg) claimed gold medals.
Tanwar was also adjudged the best boxer of the tournament. The silver medal was claimed by national champion Manish Kaushik (60kg).
Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Mandeep Jangra, competing in his maiden international tournament in the middleweight (75kg) category had to be content with a bronze medal after going down in the semifinals.
Jangra is also the reigning national champion in this weight category.
2018
Ahmet Comart Tournament
Pinki in final, others in semi-finals
September 16, 2018: The Times of India
Former Commonwealth Games bronzemedallist Pinki Jangra advanced to the finals, while five other Indian boxers made the semifinals of the Ahmet Comart Tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.
Jangra (51kg) defeated former world champion Steluta Duta in the quarterfinals 5-0 before getting the better of Australian Taylah Robertson in the semis to make the summit clash on Friday night. Advancing to the semifinals were world silver-medallist Sonia Lather (57kg), Monika (48kg) Meena Kumari (54kg), Simranjit Kaur (64kg) and Bhagyawati Kachari (81kg).
Belgrade International
Sumit & Nikhat strike gold in Belgrade boxing, April 30, 2018: The Times of India
The fit-again duo of Sumit Sangwan (91kg) and Nikhat Zareen (51kg) was among the three gold-medallists in India’s stupendous campaign at the 56th Belgrade International Boxing Tournament in Serbia. Himanshu Sharma (49kg), who defeated Algeria’s Mohammed Touareg 5-0 in his final bout, was the third top spot finisher last night as India ended the tournament with three gold, five silver and five bronze medals in all.
India pip Malaysia in Youth Olympic Qualifiers
Bangkok: India’s junior men’s team beat Malaysia 2-1 in the shootout to win the Youth Olympic Games Qualifiers here on Saturday. The victory will give India a chance to participate in the Youth Olympic Games to be held in Buenos Aires in August. In the women’s final, India lost 1-4 to China as they ended their campaign as runners-up.
Shooters finish 12th in Changwon WC
Changwon: Indian shooters drew a blank in the men’s skeet competition as the country finished 12th at the year’s second ISSF World Cup Rifle/Pistol/Shotgun stage in Changwon, Korea on Sunday. Sheeraz Sheikh shot rounds of 23, 22 and 24 on Sunday to end in the 23rd place with a score of 118.
Inter-State Athletics moved to Guwahati
Patiala: The 58th National Inter-State Senior Athletics Championship, a qualifying event for the upcoming Asian Games, has been shifted to Guwahati from Kolkata and the dates have also been advanced by the national federation. The capital city of Assam will host the event from June 26 to 29 at the Sarusajai Sports Complex.
BAI recommends Sikki for Arjuna
New Delhi: Women’s doubles shuttler N Sikki Reddy has been recommended for Arjuna Award by the Badminton Association of India. G Sudhakar Reddy, who coached Kidambi Srikanth in his early days, has been recommended for Dronacharya Award.
ONGC win Sood title
New Delhi: Hiten Dalal’s knock of 82 and Bobby Yadav’s spell of 3/43 helped Oil and Natural Gas Corporation beat Dena Bank by four wickets to clinch the All India Om Nath Sood Memorial title.
7 Gold Medals At India Open
Indian boxers in seventh heaven, February 2, 2018: The Times of India
Claim 7 Gold At India Open
Indian boxers regaled their roaring fans with a bountiful of gold medals in the India Open International Boxing Tournament, led by the inimitable MC Mary Kom, Sanjeet, Manish Kaushik, Pwilao Basumatar, Lovlina Borgohain and Pinki Rani and Manisha, here at the Thyagaraj Stadium.
Uzebekistan and Cuba underlined their class and domination in the middle and heavy categories, helping themselves to four gold. Fivetime world champion Mary Kom got the loudest cheers as she overcame pain and a determined opponent 4-1 in Josie Gabuco of the Phillipines in the light-fly final.
India had as many as nine boxers in the 10-final afternoon card, with two of them competing for the gold in the bantam-weight category. Assam would be particularly proud of their ladies, with Pwilao and Lovlina emerging as the next generation of golden girls.
Pwilao got the better of Sudapon Seesondee (Thailand) 3-2 in the light-welter category while Lovlina had it easier against Pooja in the welterweight category.
Sanjeet began the gold march in the men’s heavyweight category, as he managed a split decision verdict over fancied Sanjar Tursunov of Uzbekistan.
Silesian Championship for women
Gold for Mary Kom; Juniors get 13 medals
September 17, 2018: The Times of India
MC Mary Kom (48kg) collected her third gold medal of the year with a display of tactical brilliance while Manisha (54kg) settled for a silver in the 13th Silesian Open Boxing Tournament for women in Gliwice, Poland. Five-time world champion Mary Kom prevailed 5-0 against Kazakhstan's Aigerim Kassanayeva to pick up India's lone senior category gold on Saturday. Manisha went down 2-3 to Ukraine's Ivanna Krupenia..
India also won four bronze medals in the senior category In the youth competition, Jyoti Gulia (51kg) was India's lone medallist with a gold. In the junior competition though, the Indian team signed off with 13 medals — six gold, six silver and a bronze.
Three gold in Turkey
Simranjit Kaur (64kg), Monika (48kg) and Bhagyabati Kachari (81kg) claimed gold medals as Indian boxers notched up seven medals at the Ahmet Comert Tournament in Istanbul. Pinki Jangra (51kg) picked up a silver, Sonia Lather (57kg) a bronze.
Junior girls bag 13 medals, including 6 gold
September 16, 2018: The Times of India
The junior boxers won medals in all 13 categories – six gold, six silver and a bronze – to create history in the 13th International Silesian boxing championships for women in Poland . Bharti, Tingmila Doungel, Sandeep Kaur, Neha, Arshi and Komal won gold, while Amisha, Sanya Negi, Aashreya, Mitika, Raj Sahiba and Lipakshi settled for silver.
Jyoti wins gold, Sarita bronze
September 16, 2018: The Times of India
Jyoti Gulia picked up India’s lone gold medal in the youth category of the Silesian Open Boxing Tournament for women in which the juniors ruled with 13 medals and senior pro L Sarita Devi (60kg) ended with a bronze in Gliwice, Poland.
Jyoti out-classed Poland’s Tatiana Pluta in just the second round of her final bout to clinch gold. The 17-year-old connected some lusty right hooks and straight punches to force three standing eight counts on her rival. Earlier, former world champion Sarita signed off with a bronze medal in the senior category.
Mary Kom in final; 7 medals assured
Mary Kom in final; 7 medals assured, September 14, 2018: The Times of India
MC Mary Kom advanced to the finals, while L Sarita Devi made the semifinals as Indian boxers assured themselves of seven medals in the 13th International Silesian Championship for women in Gliwice, Poland. Five-time world champion Mary Kom, who got a direct entry into the 48kg category semifinals due to the small size of the draw, defeated Ukraine’s Hanna Okhota in the semifinals to be assured of at least a silver.
Sarita, also a former world champion and Asian Games bronze-medallist, beat Czech Republic’s Alena Czechy 5-0 Wednesday night after going past Kazakhstan’s Aizan Khojabekova in the opening round of the 60kg category the day before. Among other Indians in fray, Ritu Grewal won her bout against Russia’s Svetlana Rosja 4-1 to make the 51kg category semifinals along with Lovlina Borgohain (69kg). Borgohain got the better of Czech Martina Schmoranzova.
Tingmila Doungel (48kg) wins gold
Manisha enters final of Polish boxing tourney, September 15, 2018: The Times of India
Indian boxer Manisha (54kg) advanced to the final after upstaging former European champion Viktoria Kuleshova in the 13th International Silesian Championship for women in Gliwice, Poland. Manisha, who claimed a silver in the world youth championships last month, fetched a 5-0 verdict in the semifinals.
“Manisha showed tremendous progress in performance and played well as per expectation” coach Rafaelle Bergamasco said from Gliwice.
In the junior category, Tingmila Doungel (48kg) claimed a gold medal after beating Germany’s Maria-Elena Avram in the summit clash.
She is a product of the boxing academy established by the legendary M C Mary Kom in Manipur.
Mary Kom (48kg) herself entered the finals of the event’s senior competition on Thursday.
Also winning a gold medal in the junior category was Sandeep Kaur (51kg) after defeating Izbala Rozkabzek of Poland in the final.
Settling for silver medals were Neha (54kg), and Dinesh Naik (63kg) after losing in the final.
Strandja: Amit gets gold; Mary Kom, Seema silver
Amit strikes gold; Mary Kom, Seema settle for silver, February 26, 2018: The Times of India
Amit Panghal claimed his second consecutive international gold but the celebrated M C Mary Kom had to be content with a silver in the 69th Strandja Memorial boxing tournament for men and women here on Sunday.
Amit (49kg), who fetched the top honours at last month's India Open, defeated Morocco’s Said Mordaji to fetch the yellow metal. The 23-year-old Haryana-boxer recovered from a sloppy start to out-manuever Mordaji, who was taller and matched the Indian in pace but eventually fell short on accuracy.
However, Mary Kom (48kg) lost to Bulgaria’s Sevda Asenova . Also settling for a silver was Seema Poonia (+81kg), who went down to Russia’s Anna Ivanova.
World Series of Boxing
March 25, 2018: The Times of India
Sanjeet, just 17, tames fancied Kazakh boxer
Indian Tigers put up a spirited challenge before going down 2-3 against Artana Arlans of Kazakhstan in the first ever World Series of Boxing (WSB) bout in the country here on Saturday. In the event held at the National Boxing Academy in Rohtak, the hosts were looking to avenge their defeat in Kazakhstan but the three-time champions proved to be the better team and emerged victorious. With Indian Tigers down 1-3 before the final bout of the contest, it was the local lad Sanjeet Kumar who narrowed down the scoreline. In the clash of heavyweights, Sanjeet rolled out his A-Game against the much-fancied Abilkhair Turlanbekov to win the last bout of the evening 2:1 to make the packed stadium delirious. With his family and friends in attendance, Sanjeet peppered his opponent with his hooks and jabs to leave his rival reeling in the squared ring.
Sanjeet dominated the proceedings from the word go and outsmarted his opponent by using his height advantage and constantly kept landing his jabs while staying out of the harm's way. Sanjeet's persistent attacks made the Kazakh run out of breath and by the time the fifth round was over, Abilkhair was left with no steam in him with the Indian Open gold medallist coming out on top.
Results: 46-49 kg: Shyam Kumar Kakara lost to Temirtas Zhussupov 1:2; 56 kg: Muhammed Etash Khan bt Nursultan Koschegulov 3:0; 64 kg: Dheeraj lost to Dilmurat Mizhitov 1:2; 75 kg: Ashish Kumar lost to Abilkhan Amankul 0-3; 91 kg: Sanjeet bt Abilkhair Turlanbekov 2-1.
Umakhanov Memorial
India bags 7 medals, Saweety wins gold
Saweety wins gold as India bag 7 medals, June 13, 2018: The Times of India
She emerged as the sole gold medal winner from India as Brijesh Yadav (81kg) and Virender Kumar (91kg) suffered heartbreaks in their respective men’s category finals at the Umakhanov Memorial.
Saweety (75kg) started off well but her opponent, Anna Anfinogenova from Russia, fought tooth and nail to keep the bout evenly contested. But the Indian retained the upper hand to emerge victorious with a split decision and win the gold medal.
However, in the men’s division, Brijesh couldn’t cope against his Russian opponent Rabadanov’s quickness and settled for silver. Rabadanov towered over the Indian with his punches and beat him 5-0.
Virender also suffered the same fate as he settled for silver after being defeated by A. Bwambale of Sweden by a similar margin.
Earlier, Pinki Rani (51kg), Shashi Chopra (57kg), Pavitra (60kg) and Gaurav Bidhuri reached quarters but lost their respective bouts to settle for a bronze.
World youth championships
India secure 2 medals at world youth boxing, August 21, 2018: The Indian Express
The Indian boxing contingent was assured of two medals at the world youth championships even before the competition got underway after two women pugilists got direct entry into semifinals owing to the small size of the draw in Budapest. Sakshi Gaidhani (81kg) and Neha Yadav (+81kg) made the last-four stage to put India on the medal table without the exchange of a single blow in the event.
Four Indians reach finals
Nitu among four Indians in World Youth boxing finals, August 30, 2018: The Times of India
Reigning champion Nitu (48kg) was among the four Indian women boxers who advanced to the finals of the World Youth Championships, where six other pugilists from the country signed off with bronze medals.
Nitu pulled off a split decision win over Kazakhstan’s Anel Kudaibergen in the semifinals on Tuesday night to remain on course for a second successive gold at the showpiece event.
She will face Thailand’s Nillada Meekoon in the finals, which will take place over two days starting Thursday. Nitu will be the only Indian competing in the final bouts scheduled for Thursday.
Also advancing to the finals were Manisha (64kg), Anamika (51kg) and Sakshi (57kg). Manisha defeated Hungary’s Veronika Villas 4-1 in her semi-final bout and will be up against England’s Gemma Paige Richardson in the summit clash.
Anamika got the better of Thailand’s Kittiya Manpai in a comprehensive 5-0 verdict and will square off against Destiny Garcia of the USA in the final, again on Friday. In the featherweight category, Sakshi eased past American Isamary Aquino 5-0. She will face Croatia’s Nikolina Cacic in her final bout.
However, Jony (60kg) and Astha Pahwa (75kg) joined Asian medallists Bhavesh Kattimani (52kg) and Ankit Khatana (60kg) and Neha Yadav (+81kg) and Sakshi Gaidhani (81kg) in settling for bronze medals after respective semifinal losses. PTI
Bhavesh Kattimani (52kg) and Ankit Khatana (60kg) win Bronze
Ankit, Bhavesh win bronze
Asian medallists Bhavesh Kattimani (52kg) and Ankit Khatana (60kg) settled for bronze medals in the World youth boxing championships after losing their semifinal bouts.
Sakshi wins gold
Sakshi wins gold in World Youth boxing, September 1, 2018: The Times of India
For mer junior world champion boxer Sakshi Choudhary (57kg) added the youth crown to her cabinet, claiming the gold with a dominating victory over Nikolina Cacic of Croatia here on Friday. Sakshi fetched a unanimous verdict over the Croat to clinch gold.
However, Asian champions Manisha (64kg) and silver-medallist Anamika (51kg) settled for silver medals. Anamika lost a close one to American Destiny Garcia but Manisha was out-punched by England’s Gemma Richardson. Anamika went down 2-3 after a tough bout in which she matched the American punch for punch but could not find favour with judges.
2019
A summary of the year
Hindol Basu and Rohit Bharadwaj, Dec 29, 2019 The Times of India
PUNCHATANTRA, A SUCCESS STORY
If the wrestlers created history at the Worlds, the boxers were not to be left behind. In Yekaterinburg, Russia, Amit Panghal became the first Indian pugilist to win a silver at the Worlds. India achieved its best-ever medal haul of two when Manish Kaushik secured bronze in the lightweight category. Amit had also clinched gold at the Asian Boxing Championships in Bangkok in April. The women also excelled at the Worlds in Ulan-Ude, Russia. Manju Rani was the lone Indian to make the final, but was defeated by Ekaterina Paltceva of the host nation. India finished with a rich haul of 1 silver and three bronze medals after Jamuna Boro, Lovlina Borgohain and Mary Kom settled for bronze medals in their respective categories. In case of Lovlina, it was her second consecutive bronze.
Asian Elite Championship
Pooja in semi-finals
April 19, 2019: The Times of India
Two-time continental medallist Pooja Rani confirmed India’s first medal in the women’s 81 kg category after making it to the semi-finals in a field of five as the Asian Elite Boxing Championship’s draw was released.
Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal, set to make his debut in the 52 kg category in all likelihood will face the reigning Olympic champion Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals.
Former world junior champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) will start her campaign against Srey Pov Nao of Cambodia but she will run into two-time world champion Nazym Kyzaibay in the quarter-finals. Lovlina Borgohain (64kg) could have a possible face-off with China’s world champion Chen Nien-Chin in the quarters.
Amit, who started the season with a gold medal at the Strandja Boxing Tournament beat the mighty Uzbek on his way to the Asiad gold in Jakarta last year and will fight his first bout on April 21 after a first-round bye.
Shiva Thapa (60kg), who will be going for a record-breaking fourth successive medal from this prestigious tournament meets Korea’s Kim Wonho in the first round. “Four of our boys will be in action tomorrow. We are quite confident about our prospects. The tricky journey will begin from quarters,” said CA Kuttappa, head coach men’s team. PTI
Shiva, Sarita, Nikhat advance
Shiva assured of 4th straight medal; Sarita, Nikhat in semis, April 24, 2019: The Times of India
Bangkok:
Shiva Thapa (60kg) secured himself an unprecedented fourth successive medal, while veteran L Sarita Devi (60kg) made the semifinals for the first time in nearly a decade to continue India's stupendous run at the Asian Boxing Championships here on Tuesday.
In all, eight Indian boxers — four women and four men — advanced to the medal rounds on day two of quarterfinals. The 25-year-old Thapa defeated Thailand's Rujakran Juntrong in a one-sided lightweight (60kg) contest. He prevailed 5-0 and has a tough semifinal lined up against Kazakhstan's Zakir Safiullin, a silver-medallist from the 2015 edition.
Thapa had won a gold in 2013, a bronze in 2015 and a silver in the 2017 edition of the marquee continental event. He is the first Indian to achieve the incredible feat. In the women's draw, former world champion Sarita, who last reached the Asian semis back in 2010 and ended with a gold, defeated Kazakhstan's Rimma Volossenko in a split decision to advance. Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) too booked her maiden semifinal berth at the tournament, beating Kazakhstan's Nazym Kyzaibay in the quarters.
Last edition's silver-medallist Manisha (54kg) also secured herself at least a bronze by defeating Filipino Petecio Zzaa Nice, while former national champion Simranjit Kaur (64kg) edged past a gritty Ha Thi Linh of Vietnam to make the last four.
Joining Thapa in the men's semifinals were Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Satish Kumar (+91kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg) and Ashish (69kg).
Ashish Kumar got the better of Kyrgyzstan's Omerbek Uulu Behzhigit in a unanimous verdict, while his namesake trounced Vietnam's Tran Duc Tho 5-0, displaying an impeccable counter-attacking game. In the evening session, Satish out-punched Korean Kim Dohyeon, an exhausting showdown that left the Indian with a cut above his right eye.
Thapa had a spring in his step as he went about dismantling his clueless opponent. PTI
India ahead of Kazakhstan, China
April 25, 2019: The Times of India
The men have already equalled their best-ever medal haul, while the women have maintained their consistent domination to put India on top of the standings ahead of the semifinals of the Asian Boxing Championships here on Thursday. Thirteen of the country’s boxers — seven men and six women — are assured of at least bronze medals after advancing to the last-four stage of the marquee continental championship.
The performance has placed India ahead of powerhouses Kazakhstan (seven men and four women) and China (two men and eight women).
The men in medal rounds are Deepak Singh (49kg), Amit Panghal (52kg), Kavinder Singh Bisht (56kg), Shiva Thapa (60kg), Ashish (69kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg).
Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Manisha (54kg), Sonia Chahal (57kg), L Sarita Devi (60kg), Simranjit Kaur (64kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg) make up India’s representation in the women’s semifinals.
The best performance by men was in 2009, which led to seven medals in India’s kitty, including one gold. The best by women was back in 2005 in Taiwan when India finished overall champions with 11 medals, seven of them gold. In Thursday’s afternoon session, national champion Deepak will take Kazakhstan’s Temirtas Zhussupov, Kavinder will square off Mongolian Enkh-Amar Khakhuu and Ashish Kumar (75kg) will fight Iran’s Seyedshahin Mousavi. PTI
India: 2 gold, 4 silver, 7 bronze=13 medals
Hindol Basu, April 27, 2019: The Times of India
One of the rising stars of Indian boxing, Amit Panghal added another feather to his cap by winning gold at the Asian Boxing Championships in Bangkok. Amit was aggressive from the start and blanked Korea’s Kim Inkyu 5-0, winning by a unanimous decision in the 52kg category. Besides Amit, Pooja Rani won gold as she stunned reigning world champion Wang Lina of China in the 81kg weight division.
India also bagged 2 gold, 4 silver and 7 bronze medals on the final day of the championship to finish with 13 medals in total. This was India’s best-ever performance in the championship; although it should be noted that it was the first time the championship was held for men and women, simultaneously.
The silver medal winners were Simranjit Kaur (64kg), Kavinder Singh Bisht (56kg), Deepak Singh (49kg) and Ashish Chaudhary (75kg), while bronze medallists were Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Manisha Moun (54kg), Sonia Chahal (57kg), Sarita Devi (60kg), Shiva Thapa (60kg), Ashish (69kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg).
Amit has been in tremendous form of late. The 23-year-old had won gold at the 2018 Asian Games and came into the Asian championship after bagging gold at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in February in Bulgaria. Before the Asian championship, Amit had worked a lot on increasing power of his punches and developing his reach under the guidance of Indian boxing’s high performance director Santiago Nieva. “Before the Asian championship, I worked with Santiago on increasing the power and velocity of my punches. In boxing terms, the weight of each punch or a jab or an upper cut that I hit has increased,” Amit told TOI from Bangkok. “Other than that, I also increased my reach. My height is short and there are several tall boxers in fray. So, what I did work on was bending my back and then throwing my punches like a javelin. It required increasing my core strength and enhancing my back muscles.”
Asked what his strong suit inside the ring is, Amit replied, “My strength is my movement. I move quickly and manage to cover the whole ring. That helps me evade punches of my opponent. Being light on my feet also helps me and I bend my knees and avoid getting hit.”
Nieva was ecstatic with India’s show in the championship. “It is a very, very strong statement that has been made by our boxers. Asia is a strong region in boxing and I am proud of the way we have performed here,” he said. “We cannot be called underdogs anymore and I am asserting that we are going to be very strong at the world championship (in September). The Asian championship is a very good benchmark.” The rich medal haul notwithstanding, Indian boxers will not have too much time to celebrate. “Just a couple of days rest, may be. After that, the India Open will be there in the last week of May, followed by training trips to Italy and Ireland,” stated Nieva.
Indian pugilists at Asian Boxing Championships
From: Hindol Basu, April 27, 2019: The Times of India
See graphic:
Indian pugilists at Asian Boxing Championships
Asian Youth Boxing Championships
Ankit Narwal, Aman enter QFs
Two Indians enter quarters of Asian youth boxing:
Two Indian boxers — Ankit Narwal (60kg) and Aman (+91kg) — advanced to the quarterfinals of the Asian Youth Championships on Tuesday. While Aman defeated Uzbekistan’s Makhmudov Mimukhsin 5-0, Ankit prevailed 3-2 over Mongolia’s Tulga Oyunbaatar. However, Mohit (75kg) lost 2-3 to Kazakhstan’s Bektas to bow out in the opening round itself. India were assured of two medals in the event after Komalpreet Kaur (+81kg) and Sushma (81kg) got direct entry into the semifinals owing to the small size of their respective draws in the women’s competition. AGENCIES
Six Indians in SFs
Nov 14, 2019: The Times of India
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia):
India were assured of a bagful of medals at the Asian Youth Boxing Championships after six of the country’s pugilists advanced to the semifinals with dominating victories here on Wednesday. Soy Selay (49kg), Aman (+91kg), Ankit Narwal (60kg), Naorem Chanu (51kg), Jasmine (57kg) and Vinka (64kg) made the last four stage.
Selay defeated Philippines’ Flint Jara 5-0, while Aman (+91kg) out-punched Taiwan’s Kai-Hsung Wang in a bout that didn’t go the full distance. Narwal was also up against a Taiwanese in Yu Lin and the Indian prevailed 5-0.
In the women’s draw, Chanu claimed a 5-0 triumph over Korea’s Eunsu Sun. Jasmine and Vinka were both rewarded for domination with early closure. While Jasmine got the better of Japan’s Kimura Mona, Vinka sailed past Taiwan’s Hsueh-Tzu Tsui. PTI
Indian girls win 5 gold; boys 2 silver
Nov 18, 2019: The Times of India
Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia):
It rained gold for India at the Asian Youth Boxing Championship as all five of the country’s women finalists emerged victorious while two men signed off with silver medals. Naorem Chanu (51kg), Vinka (64kg) Sanamacha Chanu (75kg), Poonam (54kg) and Sushma (81kg) fetched the yellow metal for the country in a phenomenal sweep.
Among the men, Selay Soy (49kg) and Ankit Narwal (60kg) settled for the second place after going down in their respective summit clashes.
India signed off with 12 medals in the event with bronze coming from Arundhati Choudhury (69kg), Komalpreet Kaur (+81kg), Jaismine (57kg), Satender Singh (91kg) and Aman (+91kg). Soy began the proceedings for India, going down to Kazakhstan’s Bazarbay Ullu Mukhamedsayfi. Narwal was then defeated by Japan’s Reito Tsutsume. But Poonam defeated China’s Weiqi Cai to open India’s gold account, to which Sushma added one by going past Kazakhstan’s Bakytzhankyzy. Naorem Chanu got the better of another Kazakh Anel Barkyah.
Vinka outpunched China’s Haini Nulataiali, while Sanamachu Chanu, a product of the legendary M C Mary Kom’s academy in Manipur, edged past Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova. PTI
Cologne World Cup
Maisnam, Basumatary, Pinki, Sakshi assured of medals
April 12, 2019: The Times of India
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Pinki Rani (51kg) and reigning youth world champion Sakshi (57kg) assured India of two more medals at the Cologne Boxing World Cup by entering the semifinals here on Thursday. Continuing her impeccable form, the India Open gold medallist Pinki Rani put up yet another dominating performance to blank Thailand’s Phunsang Cahiranchaya 5-0 in the quarter-final bout.
The 18-year-old Sakshi won in contrasting fashion as she faced some stiff resistance from Cecille Kelle of Denmark. The Indian had to dig deep to stave off the Dane’s challenge before she won by a split decision on points. The Indian contingent is already confirmed of at least a silver and a bronze after Meena Kumari Maisnam and Pwilao Basumatary reached the final and semi-finals in the 54kg and 64kg respectively.
With only three boxers in the fray in the 54kg category, the Strandja Memorial gold medallist Maisnam was directly placed in the final. PTI
Sakshi, Basumatary, Maisnam enter final
Reigning youth world champion Sakshi (57kg) and Pwilao Basumatary (64kg) Friday entered the final while Pinki Rani (51kg) and Parveen (60kg)settled for bronze medals after losing their semifinal bouts at the Cologne Boxing World Cup.
A prodigious talent, the 18-year-old Sakshi gave glimpses of her maturity and prowess by outpunching Thailand’s Tintabthai Preedakamon in a commanding 5-0 victory. Basumatary had a different path to the summit clash in the 64kg. The Strandja Boxing Championships bronze medallist had to dig deep to see off the stiff challengeof Denmark’s Aiaaja Ditte Frostholm in a split decision.
India will have a chance of adding a third gold through Strandja Boxing gold medallist Maisnam, who has directly been placed in the final in 54kg due to a smaller draw. Maisnam will lock horns with Machai Bunyanut from Thailand in what would be her only bout of the tournament.
In 51kg, Pinki Rani’s brilliant run came to an end at the hands of Ireland’s 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Carly McNaul, who blanked the Indian 5-0. English pugilist Paige Murney was declared the winner over Parveen in 60kg. PTI
Kazakhstan: Thapa creates history, wins gold
Thapa creates history, wins gold at Kazakh meet
New Delhi: Four-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa became India’s first gold-medallist at the President’s Cup boxing tournament after getting a walkover in the finals in Astana, Kazakhstan on Saturday. Making his international debut in the newly-introduced Olympic category of 63kg, Thapa was to fight Kazakhstan’s Zakir Safiullin in the summit clash but his opponent had to pull out due to injury.
Labuan Bajo, Indonesia
Simranjit, Dinesh in final
Simranjit, Dinesh in final of President’s Cup boxing
New Delhi: World Championships bronze medallist Simranjit Kaur (60kg) and GeeBee Boxing silver medallist Dinesh Dagar (69kg) confirmed their places in the finals of the President’s Cup in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia. Ankush Dahiya (64kg) and Ananta Pralhad Chopade (52kg) made it to the semifinals of the competition.
Asian Boxing Championships silver medallist Simranjit was flawless in her first bout and outpunched Italy's Francesca Martusciello 5-0 in a commanding performance to enter the final against Indonesia’s Asian Games bronze medallist Hasanah Huswatun. Dagar, a silver medallist in the 2018 India Open, did not waste any time in racing towards a convincing 5-0 victory over Indonesian Naumeo Defri. He will take on Indonesia's Samada Saputra in the title clash. In 52kg, Chopade was unanimously declared the winner against Indonesia's Fahmi Muhamad that enabled him to enter the semifinals and assure himself of a medal. Dahiya knocked out Afghanistan's Noor Belal.
Mary Kom, Bidhuri, nine other Indians reach finals
July 28, 2019: The Times of India
Mary, Bidhuri stave off tough challenge to enter finals
New Delhi:
Six-time World Championships gold medallist Mary Kom and former World Championships bronze medallist Gaurav Bidhuri on Saturday staved off tough challenges in their respective weight categories to make the finals of 23rd President’s Cup in Labuan Bajo in Indonesia. Apart from Mary Kom and Bidhuri, nine other Indian boxers also reached the finals.
Fresh from winning the gold at the India Open two months ago, Indian boxing legend Mary Kom participated in this prestigious tournament with the aim of testing herself and getting some much-needed bouts under the belt ahead of the World Championships in October. Mary (51kg) had to sweat it out against Vietnam’s Anh vo Thi Kim in the semifinal before she could prevail 3-2 over her opponent.
Mary will be continuing her gold quest against Australia’s Franks April.
India’s other star pugilist Bidhuri (56kg) also laboured to a tough 3-2 win over Philippines’ Ogayre Junmilardo.
2017 Ulaanbaatar Cup gold medallist Ankush Dahiya too notched up a victory by an identical scoreline over Korea’s Giheon You in 64kg, while Neeraj Swami also showed his resolve to eke out a gritty 3-2 win over Indonesia’s Langu Kornelis K. Among the men, only Ananta Pralhad Chopade (52kg) had a breezy win as he outpunched Sri Lanka’s Dharmasena Piyal 5-0 to progress to the final.
Makran Cup
6 Indian boxers enter finals
February 27, 2019: The Times of India
In a stellar display, six Indian pugilists sealed berths in the finals and are a shot away from winning gold, while two other boxers finished their campaign with bronze medals during the Makran Cup Boxing tournament in Iran.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Manish Kaushik looked no match for his opponent, putting up a dominant display on Monday to win the match with a unanimous 5-0 verdict (60kg) and seal his berth in the finals.
Armyman, Duryodhan Singh Negi continued the winning spree scripting a confident unanimous victory over his rival Moradi Al to guarantee himself a place in the finals of the 54kg category and a shot at winning the gold medal.
Satish Kumar, who is a former Asian Games bronze medallist, blanked Ramazan Pour 5-0 to enter the finals where he will battle for the coveted gold medal.
One gold, five silver medals
Indian boxers strike rich, February 28, 2019: The Times of India
National champion Deepak Singh (49kg) was the lone Indian boxer to notch up a gold, while five others claimed silver medals in the Makran Cup in Chabahar, Iran. Deepak defeated Jaafar Naseri in the finals held on Monday night. However, none of the other five Indian finalists could win their summit clashes.
Finishing second on the podium were P Lalitha Prasad (52kg), Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Manish Kaushik (60kg), Duryodhan Singh Negi (69kg), Sanjeet (91kg) and Commonwealth Games silver-medallist Satish Kumar (+91kg). Manish, also a national champion, lost to Danial Shah Baksh, while Satish was beaten by Mohammad Mlias.
Oceania-Orient: Asad clinches title
Asad clinches IBO Oceania title
New Delhi: In a first, an Indian boxer from Kolkata raised the bar for Indian boxing by clinching the Oceania-Orient feather title. The Osiana Orient Champion held at the Philippines marked the victory of Asad Asif Khan over Malaysian Aiman Abu Bakar.
Various nations were represented at the Osiana Orient Champion. Asad’s (8-2-1) performance in Manila showcased his intensive training. His opponent Aiman Abu Bakar (9-0-0), Malaysia’s No.1 boxer and an undefeated international player, was beaten by Asad in an all-win match from the start. Asad completely dominated the event during all eight rounds for a one-sided win.
Olympic Test event
Seven Indians in SFs
Thapa, six others in semis of Olympic test event
Tokyo: Four-time Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (63kg) secured himself a medal at the Olympic Test event for boxing by winning his quarterfinal bout on Tuesday while six other Indians made the last-four stage without even stepping inside the ring here. Thapa overpowered local favourite Yuki Hirakawa in a 5-0 verdict to fight his way into the medal rounds. The seasoned boxer from Assam claimed his third national title.
He will be up against another Japanese, Daisuke Narimatsu, in the semifinals on Wednesday. Narimatsu got a bye in the opening round. However, for his six other compatriots, including former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg), a medal was guaranteed without a fight as they either got byes or were helped by the small size of their respective draws.
Apart from Zareen, Asian silver-medallist Sumit Sangwan (91kg), Ashish (69kg), Vanhlimpuia (75kg), Simranjeet Kaur (60kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg) have made the semifinals. Sangwan, who was crowned national champion earlier this month, will square off against Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay.
Zareen, who hit headlines for a bitter row over selection for next year’s Olympic qualifiers where six-time world champion M C Mary Kom has been preferred over her without a trial, will face Japan’s Sana Kawano on Wednesday. Former Asian Games bronze-medallist Rani will be up against Brazil’s Beatriz Soares. PTI
Three Indians in finals; bronze for 4
Oct 31, 2019: The Times of India
Thapa, 2 others in finals; bronze for 4
Tokyo:
Shiva Thapa (63kg) advanced to the final with a hard-fought triumph along with Pooja Rani (75kg) and Ashish (69kg) but four other Indians ended with bronze medals after losing their opening bouts at the Olympic Test event for boxing.
In the morning session of the semifinals, Thapa, a four-time Asian medallist and also a former world bronzewinner, defeated Japan's Daisuke Narimatsu in a split verdict. Rani, a former Asian Games bronze-medallist, got the better of Brazil's Beatriz Soares. Rani had won a silver medal at the Asian Championships earlier this year. In the evening session, Ashish (69kg) got the better of Japan's Hiroaki Kinjyo to enter the finals.
However, former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Simranjeet Kaur (60kg) along with Asian silver-medallist Sumit Sangwan (91kg) and Vahlimpuia (75kg), in the men's draw, lost their respective semifinal bouts to end with bronze medals. PTI
Thapa, Pooja win gold; Ashish silver
Nov 1, 2019: The Times of India
Thapa, Pooja strike gold; silver for Ashish
Tokyo:
Shiva Thapa (63kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg) clinched gold medals with impressive wins, while Ashish (69kg) settled for a silver as India ended with a decent haul of seven medals at the Olympic Test Event for Boxing.
The other four medals are bronze owing to semifinal losses of Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Simranjeet Kaur (60kg) Sumit Sangwan (91kg) and Vahlimpuia (75kg).
Four-time Asian medallist Thapa out-punched Kazakhstan’s national champion and Asian bronze-winner Sanatali Toltayev 5-0 to claim the top honours.
Thapa is also the reigning national champion and a bronze-medallist from the 2015 world championships.
Former Asian Games bronze-medallist Rani edged past Australia’s Caitlin Parker in a split 4-1 decision to ensure that the Indian women’s contingent also had a gold in its kitty. Asian bronze-medallist Ashish (69kg), however, lost to Japan’s Sewon Okazawa to sign off with a silver medal. The Indian went down in a 1-4 judgement.
Rani is a three-time Asian medallist, the most recent of those medals being a gold earlier this year. Hailing from Haryana, the boxer is employed as an Income Tax inspector in the state government.
The 28-year-old, who was encouraged to take up boxing by one of her teachers, had kept her career choice a secret from her family for six months, fearing that she would be asked to reconsider her decision. Thapa has been enjoying a good year but he is out of contention from next year’s first Olympic qualifier in China after Manish Kaushik secured the berth with a bronze in the Worlds. PTI
Olympic qualifiers
Mary beats Nikhat in bitter bout
Hindol Basu, Dec 29, 2019: The Times of India
From: Hindol Basu, Dec 29, 2019: The Times of India
From: Hindol Basu, Dec 29, 2019: The Times of India
A lot was at stake. It was not just for a spot in the Indian team for the Olympic qualifiers, the old order was also being threatened. For six-time world champion MC Mary Kom, it was her image, her ego, her legacy that was questioned. For Nikhat Zareen, it was all about getting a chance to show her mettle inside the ring, get what was her rightful due. The legend was up against the challenger.
In the months leading up to the Mary Kom-Nikhat Zareen trial, heated, resentful statements came from both sides. On Saturday, it reflected inside the ring. For most part of the Mary-Nikhat fight, held at the Capital’s Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, it seemed the two boxers were involved in a wrestling encounter. At the end of nine minutes and three gruelling rounds, 36-year-old Mary prevailed 9-1 over 23-year-old Nikhat through a split decision. she will represent India the 51-kg on the Olympic qualifiers in Wuhan, China next February.
For the opening 30 seconds or more, neither boxer struck the first blow. They circled each other, gauging, waiting, tense and taut. Then it erupted. As the top two international boxers of the country waded into each other, there were more clinches, more head-shoves, more tangles than clean punches. It was ill-tempered, far from pretty and no one was holding back. Cuss words were exchanged – inside the ring but audible outside and later after stepping out. It reached a head when Mary didn’t respond to Nikhat’s attempted customary hug after the verdict and brushed aside her hand after the bout. As soon as the referee declared the result, Mary gave in to her emotions and used a cuss word for Nikhat. You could say, it was cathartic for Mary. Months of pent-up frustration was being released, but it wasn’t a behaviour befitting her stature.
“Why should I shake hands with her? If she wants others to respect her, then she should first respect others,” Mary said. “I don’t like people with such nature. Just prove your point inside the ring, not outside,” she added, visibly angry at Nikhat’s pre-trial actions where she wrote to the sports minister demanding a ‘fair trial’.
Nikhat was “hurt” over her senior rival’s behaviour. “I did not like how she behaved with me, because when the decision was announced and I tried to hug her, she did not hug me back. I expect the seniors to respect the juniors,” she said. “In the ring, she (Mary) used some bad words for me but I don’t want to react on that right now.”
The opening round – a street fight, no less – had the referee separate them on several occasions. Foul words flew back and forth.
The second round saw Mary come out all guns blazing. In the first 30 seconds, she scored points by landing a left jab, then followed it with a quick in-and-out left and right, and then a right hook which connected. Mary’s strategy of making an impact at the start left Nikhat bewildered. The Telangana girl did make a comeback towards the end, but it was more about playing catchup. The third round saw Mary bring her defensive game to the fore as she evaded Nikhat’s punches by ducking and swaying.
A passionate Mary said later while interacting with the media: “I don’t like this, you drag my name into an unnecessary controversy and then you try to posture. Yes, I didn’t hug her, what’s the big deal? I did not start this, I never said I will not fight you in a trial, then why did you drag my name,” Mary referred to Nikhat’s open letter to the sports minister.
“I am also a human being, I also get irritated. Can’t I get angry when my credentials are questioned like this? And this wasn’t the first time. It has happened so many times with me despite the fact that no other Indian boxer has achieved what I have achieved,” she added, citing past selection controversies in which she has been challenged without much success by the likes of Pinki Jangra.
“Perform and take my spot. Who is stopping you? But don’t talk big without that. If you do that, I will hit back. Why was this made into a media trial about me?” Mary fumed.
India squad for Olympics qualifiers:
MC Mary Kom (51kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (57kg), Simranjit Kaur (60kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg).
Trial bout for Olympic qualifier ‘fixed’: Sarita
Sabi Hussain, Dec 31, 2019 The Times of India
Boxer L Sarita Devi has alleged that her bout against Simranjit Kaur in the recently-concluded selection trials for Olympic qualifiers was “fixed” and that certain people who are part of the Indian boxing set-up had “ganged up” against her to deny her a fair chance.
In the final of the 60kg category, Sarita, 37, lost to her 24-year-old opponent Simranjit 2-8 through a split decision. For those who witnessed the bout, it was a closely-contested affair, with Simranjit seeming to have done enough to get past her experienced rival. “I am telling your good office that right in front of your own eyes, unfair trial selection happened in my 60kg weight category against Simranjit. I played much better,” Sarita wrote to Ajay Singh, president of BFI. “It was a fixed bout,” she added.
Thailand Open
7 Indians reach quarters
July 23, 2019: The Times of India
7 Indian boxers reach quarters
New Delhi:
Asian Championships silver-medallist Deepak Singh (49kg) and former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) were among seven Indian boxers to enter the quarterfinals of the Thailand Open in Bangkok.
Joining Deepak and Strandja Cup gold medallist Nikhat were former India Open gold-medallist Manisha Moun (57kg), Asian Championships silver medallist Ashish Kumar (75kg), Strandja Cup silver medallist Manju Rani (48kg) and India Open silver medallist Brijesh Yadav (81kg).
In women’s 75kg, Bhagyabati Kachari has already reached the quarters after receiving a first-round bye in a field of 10 boxers. Deepak hardly broke a sweat against Morrocan Said Mortaji and notched up a commanding 5-0 win to book his place in the quarters. PTI
Total: 9 medals (including 7 gold)
July 29, 2019: The Times of India
Six-time world champion Mary Kom (51kg) and 2018 World Championships bronze winner Simranjit Kaur (60kg) grabbed a gold each as Indian boxers finished their campaign at the 23rd President's Cup in Labuan Bajo, Indonesia with nine medals. The rich haul comprised seven gold and two silver.
The 36-year-old Mary had also won a gold medal at the India Open boxing tournament in May, but skipped the Asian Championships as part of a larger plan to enhance her chances of Olympic qualification.
The Asian Championship was held in Thailand in May. Fresh from winning the gold at the India Open two months ago, Mary Kom participated in this prestigious tournament with the aim of testing herself and getting some much-needed bouts under the belt ahead of the World Championships. Mary will be looking to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the World Championships in Yekaterinburg, Russia. The 2019 World Boxing Championships for women will be held from September 7 to 21.
Thailand Inter national Tournament
Ashish clinches gold in Thailand Open
Asian Championships silver medallist Ashish Kumar bagged his first international gold as Indian boxers finished their campaign with a rich haul of eight medals at Thailand Open International boxing tournament in Bangkok. India finished with a gold, four silver and three bronze. On the final day, the Indians who had to settle for the silver were former Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Asian Championships silver medallist Deepak (49kg), GeeBee Boxing silver medallist Mohammed Hussamuddin (56kg), and India Open silver medallist Brijesh Yadav (81kg). PTI
Nikhat, Deepak enter semis
July 25, 2019: The Times of India
Former junior world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and Asian silvermedallist Deepak Singh (49kg) were the prominent ones to assure themselves of medals as Indian boxers continued their commanding performance at the Thailand Inter national Tour nament in Bangkok. Nikhat, also an Asian Championships bronzemedallist, recorded a 5-0 triumph over Uzbekistan’s Sitora Shogdarova.
In the men’s draw, Deepak took barely a couple of minutes to leave his rival Samak Saehan of Thailand with a bloodied forehead, forcing a stoppage in the first round itself.
“The bout went well for me and I think my game is coming together very nicely,” Nikhat said from Bangkok.
Also advancing to the medal rounds were Ashish (69kg), Manju Rani (48kg), Brijesh Yadav (81kg) and Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Mohammed Husammuddin (56kg). Ashish defeated Jamaica’s Joshua Frazer 5-0, putting in a dominating performance.
Husammuddin also toyed with his Korean rival Lee Yechan before fetching a 5-0 verdict, putting on quite a show with his attacking game.
Brijesh, on the other hand, had to toil a bit to edge past Thailand’s Jakka Pong Yomkhot 4-1. PTI
Vaibhav wins WBC Asia title
Indian pro boxer Vaibhav wins WBC Asia title
New Delhi:
Indian pro boxer Vaibhav Yadav became the WBC Asia silver welterweight champion after defeating Thailand’s Fahpetch Singmanassak in the title bout held in Pattaya, Thailand.
Yadav, a cousin of Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Vikas Krishan who has also turned pro now, clinched a thirdround knockout over Singmanassak. The fight, which took place on Sunday night, was conducted by the Asian Boxing Council and approved by the World Boxing Council (WBC).
Umakhanov Memorial
Neeraj beats Mesiano; 4 women, 2 men in semi-finals
August 3, 2019: The Times of India
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From: August 3, 2019: The Times of India
NEERAJ STUNS MESIANO
Enters Final With Narrow Win Over 2016 World Champ
New Delhi:
Reigning India Open gold medallist Neeraj Phogat stunned 2016 World Champion Alessia Mesiano of Italy to enter the final of the Magomed Salam Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing Tournament in Kaspiysk, Russia.
Neeraj, a bronze medallist at the Strandja Memorial, eked out a narrow 3-2 win over Mesiano in the 57kg category to assure herself of at least a silver medal.
It was a neck-and-neck fight between the two boxers but a series of clear punches from the Indian in the final round sealed the tie in her favour.
Earlier, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Gaurav Solanki and 2019 India Open silver medallist Govind Sahani assured India of two more medals by entering the semifinals.
Gaurav, a bronze medallist at this year’s India Open, defeated Russia’s Maksim Chernyshev 3-2 in a split verdict to enter the last-four round of 56kg category. Gaurav initially adopted a patient approach against his Russian opponent before increasing the tempo with a flurry of punches to secure the win.
Later, Govind, a silver medallist at the GeeBee Boxing earlier this year, outboxed Tajikistan’s Shermukhammad Rustamov in the 49kg category to earn the first RSC win of the tournament. Govind dominated proceedings from the word go and showed great display of his attacking prowess. He continued the onslaught throughout the match, forcing the referee to stop the contest in the third round.
Ashish goes down
However, it was curtains for Ashish Insha in the quarterfinals of the 52kg division, losing 4-1 to Russia’s Islamitdin Alisoltanov. The match was in the balance till the last round before Ashish conceded a few clear punches in the dying minutes of the tie to suffer defeat.
India are assured of six medals as four women and two men have reached the semifinals here. PTI
India wins 6 medals: Lovlina, Neeraj gold; Gaurav silver
August 4, 2019: The Times of India
Lovlina, Neeraj clinch gold; Gaurav settles for a silver
New Delhi:
Lovlina Borgohain and Neeraj clinched gold medals while Gaurav Solanki had to settle for a silver as Indian boxers ended their campaign with a rich haul at the Magomed Salam Umakhanov Memorial Inter national Boxing Tour nament in Kaspiysk, Russia. The Indian boxers fetched six medals at the tournament, including two golds, one silver and three bronze.
Reigning Asian Championships gold medallist Pooja Rani suffered a narrow 3-2 defeat against home favourite Anna Anfinogenova in the middleweight (75kg) semi-finals and had to be content with a bronze. Govind Sahani (49Kg) and Jony (60Kg) also grabbed bronze medals after their semi-final losses. While Govind lost to Russia’s Kurban Bayranbekov 1-4, Jony went down to Russia’s Natalya Shadrina by a similar scoreline.
Having had to taste a bitter 2-3 defeat at the hands of Assunta Canfora at the India Open final, World Championships bronze medallist, Lovlina (69kg) was better prepared this time to tackle the wily Italian. The tall Assamese boxer was on guard throughout the bout and never shied away from raining down Canfora’s flurry of punches to grab a narrow 3-2 win. After capturing the India Open silver and a bronze from the Strandja Cup, Lovlina’s efforts and dedication have been rewarded with her first international gold medal of the year.
India Open gold medallist champion Neeraj (57kg), who had caused a big upset in the semi-finals by stunning former world champion Alessia Mesiano 3-2, continued her impeccable form in the summit clash against Russia’s Malika Shakhidova. With two of the judges’ points being drawn at 28-28, the Strandja Cup bronze medallist Neeraj went on to register a commanding 3-0 victory over the Russian. While Lovlina and Neeraj dazzled in their respective finals, India failed to register a flawless day as Gaurav Solanki succumbed to a 0-5 defeat to Uzbekistan’s Abdulkhay Sharakhmatov. The Commonwealth Games gold medallist was unable to judge his opponent’s pace and power and could never recover from the early blows. PTI
World Championship
Four Indians advance
Sep 17, 2019: The Times of India
Ekaterinburg (Russia):
A slow start cost India’s Duryodhan Singh Negi (69kg) dear as he lost to Jordan’s Zeyad Eashash in the second round to bow out of the World Boxing Championship.
Negi, a former national champion, was competing in his maiden World Championship. He lost 1-4 to the sixth seed. The first round belonged to Eashash as he managed to pierce Negi’s defences with lusty right straights. The standout feature of Eashash’s game was the power of his punches.
In the evening session, Satish Kumar went down 0-5 to Richard Torrez of the USA in his opening-round bout. Satish just couldn’t find his rhythm against Torrez, who was only a shade better in connecting his attacks. In a slow-paced contest, both the boxers were guilty of holding and clinching too often. Torrez, however, managed to be the aggressor and caught Satish off-guard with his straight hits.
Four Indians eye QF berths
Meanwhile, four Indian boxers will hunt for quarterfinal berths on Tuesday. Leading the charge will be Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal (52kg). The Asian champion, seeded second at this tournament, will hope to sail into the last-eight when he takes on Turkey’s Batuhan Citfci.
In his attempt to reach the quarters for the second consecutive edition, Asian Championships silver medallist Kavinder Singh Bisht (57kg) will lock horns with Finland’s Arslan Khataev. The fifth seed had made a splash the last time when he knocked out two-time World Championships medallist Mohamed Flissi on his way to the last eight, and will hope to keep that run going. Also in contention will be Manish Kaushik (63kg) and Sanjeet (91kg). Kaushik will face Mongolia’s Chinzorig Baatarsukh while Sanjeet will take on Uzbekistan’s Sanjar Tursunov. PTI
Four Indians in QFs
Sep 18, 2019: The Times of India
Four Indians advance to World Championship quarters
Ekaterinburg (Russia):
The Indian juggernaut seemed unstoppable as four boxers, including Asian champion Amit Panghal (52kg), advanced to the quarterfinals with impressive victories to round off an all-win outing at the World Men's Championships here on Tuesday. Asian Games gold-medallist and second seed Panghal was joined by Asian silver-winner and fifth seed Kavinder Singh Bisht (57kg) and the debutant duo of Commonwealth Games silver-winner Manish Kaushik (63kg) and Sanjeet (91kg).
Panghal defeated Turkey's Batuhan Citfci, while Kaushik stunned fourth-seeded Mongolian Chinzorig Baatarsukh, who is an Asian Games silver-medallist and also a two-time medal-winner at the Asian Championships. Both the Indians claimed 5-0 victories. Sanjeet (91kg) then caused another massive upset by defeating second-seeded Uzbek Sanjar Tursunov 4-1. Tursunov is a bronze-medallist from the previous World Championship besides being an Asian silver-winner. In the evening session, Bisht defeated Finland's Arslan Khataev 3-2 to claim a second successive quarterfinal spot at the marquee tournament.
Panghal is also chasing a medal in his second World Championship after a quarterfinal finish in 2017. Kaushik and Sanjeet are making their debuts at the showpiece. All four boxers are from the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB). Second-seeded Panghal, the reigning Asian champion, will next be up against Filipino Carlo Paalam, who had lost to Panghal in the semifinals of the Asian Games in Jakarta last year. Paalam defeated Korea's Jo Sehyeong in a unanimous verdict in his pre-quarterfinal bout.
Kaushik, on the other hand, will square off against Brazil’s Wanderson de Oliveira. “It was a good bout as I fought against an experienced boxer. I will be ready with my strategy for Paalam tomorrow,” Panghal said PTI
Panghal, Kaushik enter historic SFs
Sabi Hussain , Sep 19, 2019: The Times of India
‘Sky above me, earth below me and fire within me’... That was Indian boxer Amit Panghal’s first tweet after landing in Ekaterinburg, Russia for the ongoing World Championships. The fire that Panghal talked about has not only inspired him and teammate Manish Kaushik to advance to the semifinals of the Worlds, but also script a historic chapter for Indian boxing — for the first time, India are assured of more than one medal at the event. It will also be their maiden medal at the Worlds.
Before the duo’s brilliant effort, India had never secured more than one bronze in a single edition of the championship. The winners of past editions include Vijender Singh (2009), Vikas Krishan (2011), Shiva Thapa (2015) and Gaurav Bidhuri (2017). If both Panghal and Kaushik or either of the two manage to reach the final, it would mark a momentous occasion in country’s boxing history. That apart, two bronze from the Worlds is no mean feat, considering the high quality of competition.
In the quarters, reigning Asian Games champion Panghal defeated Filipino Carlo Paalam 4-1 in the 52kg category, while Gold Coast CWG silver medallist Kaushik literally blew away the challenge of Brazil’s Wanderson de Oliveira in a unanimous 5-0 verdict in the 63kg division. In the semis on Thursday, the diminutive Rohtak boy Panghal will be up against Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossinov, who pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the event by defeating Armenia’s European gold medallist, Artur Hovhannisyan, in his quarterfinal bout.
Bhiwani boy Kaushik, on the other hand, will be challenged by his weight division’s top seed, Andy Gomez Cruz. The Cuban, who outclassed Russia’s Ilia Popov in his quarterfinal showdown, was the light welterweight (64kg) gold medallist at the 2017 Worlds and is a two-time Pan American Games champion. However, it was curtains for India’s other two promising pugilists, Sanjeet (91kg) and Kavinder Singh Bisht (57kg), who lost their respective quarterfinal bouts in contrasting fashion. While Sanjeet lost 1-4 to Ecuador’s Julio Castillo Torres, Bisht, an Asian championships silver winner, was outclassed by reigning CWG champion Peter McGrail of England 0-5.
Earlier, it was Panghal who set the ball rolling for India by defeating Paalam. The ‘pocket dynamo’, as Panghal is famously known in boxing circles, was defensive in his approach in the opening round which saw the Indian trailing. However, he changed his approach in the next two rounds and went on an offensive. “I saw no point in defending, so I started attacking him more in the next rounds. Some of my punches connected well. I understand that this is the Worlds and we have to be aggressive,” Panghal told TOI.
Panghal: 1st Indian boxer in ‘Worlds’ final
Sabi Hussain , Sep 21, 2019: The Times of India
Amit Panghal created history on Friday, becoming the first Indian boxer to enter the summit clash of the men’s World Championships, defeating Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibbisinov by split decision (3-2) in the semi-final of the flyweight (48kg-52kg) division in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
In the gold medal round, Panghal will be up against the Rio Olympic champion in 52kg category, Uzbekistan’s Shakhobidin Zoirov, who defeated France’s Billal Bennama in the other semifinal. It will be Panghal’s first meeting with Zoirov.
Elsewhere, Manish Kaushik lost his lightweight (57kg-63kg) last-four bout to reigning world champion, Cuba’s Andy Gomez Cruz, by unanimous decision (5-0). Kaushik settled for a bronze medal.
In the process, the two also booked their berths at next year’s first Olympic qualifier to be held in Wuhan, China in February. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has earlier announced that those boxers who win medals at the Worlds will be automatic picks for the qualifiers.
The duo’s entry into the semifinals had already made it our best-ever showing at the men’s Worlds, as India had never won more than one bronze in a single edition. Kaushik has become the fifth Indian to enter the bronze club of World Championships after Vijender Singh (2009), Vikas Krishan (2011), Shiva Thapa (2015) and Gaurav Bidhuri (2017).
Panghal was a quarterfinalist at the previous edition in 2017, while this was Kaushik’s first appearance at the Worlds. Kaushik fought five matches before losing to top-seed Cruz, but in all his rounds prior to the semis, the Bhiwani boy gave ample glimpse of his boxing prowess and tactical mind. But the day belonged to Asian champion Panghal, who gave the boxing fraternity back home enough reasons to rejoice. While Amit might have made it look easy after a dominating show in the final two rounds, his trip to the final wasn’t as smooth as India’s chief national coach C A Kuttappa later explained.
According to Kuttappa, the strategy had to be changed midway through the bout as Amit looked to be trailing Bibbisinov after the first round. “At the start of the bout, we had told Amit to play his own game, like assess the moves of his opponent and attack accordingly. But he became defensive. He did well in the last 30 seconds of the first round where he connected a straight punch on Bibbisinov. But it was Bibbisinov who dominated Amit in the first two-and-a-half minutes,,” Kuttappa told TOI.
“During the break, we changed the strategy. We told Amit to play more open chest (read drop the guard) and attack him more on his face and body. We knew that our strategy had not worked in the first round, so we told Amit to go for his favourite cross punches and overhead punches. We wanted him to lunge forward and attack. Amit did well to land those overhead punches which are more effective against a taller boxer like Bibbisinov. In the third round, Amit went on the offensive. He landed two straight punches on Bibbisinov within a gap of 30 seconds that clinched the tie in his favour.,” Kuttappa added.
Amit said he’s looking to win gold for the nation. “I had discussed Bibossinov’s game with my coaches and stratigised accordingly. We had watched his boxing videos and knew that he plays with long strides, so we had a specific plan for him. History will be created when I’ll return with the gold,” Panghal told TOI.
Kuttappa had an interesting piece of information to share on Zoirov. “He has been specially called by the Uzbek boxing federation to compete at the Worlds. After Rio, he moved to professional boxing. In three years since Rio, he has not competed in amateur boxing,” he said. “Uzbekistan’s original choice of boxer in the 52kg was Hassanboy Dusmatov, whom Panghal had defeated twice earlier, but for the Worlds, Zoirov has been called. It’s going to be a tricky affair now,” Kuttappa said.
Panghal wins India’s 1st silver
Sabi Hussain , Sep 22, 2019: The Times of India
The unanimous 5-0 decision was hardly a reflection of the tough fight put up by India’s history-making pugilist, Amit Panghal, in the final of the 52kg weight division at the men’s World championships in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
The 23-year-old ‘pocket dynamo’ will have to be content with a silver medal after going down to reigning Olympic champion, Uzbekistan’s Shakhobidin Zoirov, in keenly-contested three rounds of three minutes each. However, Panghal would be proud of the runner-up finish. He not only got his name in the Indian boxing’s history books by becoming the first pugilist from the country to win a silver at the event, but also secured a quota place for himself at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
This is the first time that two Indian boxers finished on the podium at a single edition of the Worlds, bronze winner Manish Kaushik being the other medallist.
Panghal was always up against a tough challenger in Zoirov, who won gold at the Rio Olympics. The Uzbek turned professional and returned to the amateur circuit for the Worlds after a gap of three years.
Panghal, known for his powerful left-hand punches and overhead hits, didn’t look entirely in his elements against Zoirov, resorting to somewhat defensive play and some of his counter-attacking moves didn’t yield as much returns as he would have wished.
India’s chief national coach, AC Kuttappa, while explaining the bout to TOI, said Panghal paid for waiting too long in the first round, while also hitting waywardly. “First of all, I felt the unanimous 5-0 decision was bit harsh on Amit. It should have been a split decision…may be 3-2. We all (coaching staff) felt it was close. Having said that, I do admit that Panghal could have done much better. He has the potential to do better, but he was not in his zone today. You see, sometimes it happens,” Kuttappa told TOI from Ekaterinburg.
“Panghal fought brilliantly during the tournament, he was simply superb. In the final, too, I would say he fought like a warrior. But it just wasn’t his day,” the coach added.
Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president, Ajay Singh, said he was proud of the achievement of his boxers. “Amit’s silver is no less than gold and Manish’s bronze confirms that Indian boxing is now a force to reckon with. With less than a year to go for the Olympics, these performances are a major boost. BFI will ensure and encourage them in every possible way so that they can carry this form into Tokyo to bring back medals for the country,” he said.
Injury makes Deepak skip final, gets historic silver
Sabi Hussain , Sep 23, 2019: The Times of India
Deepak Punia’s dream run at the senior World Championships ended in cruel heartbreak after the young Indian wrestler pulled out hours before his much-awaited final showdown against Iranian legend Hassan Yazdani in the 86kg division on Sunday. Deepak cited an ankle injury to his left foot sustained during the opening round of his first bout a day earlier. Deepak had to be content with silver in his debut senior worlds in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, which he had ensured after defeating Switzerland’s Stefan Reichmuth 8-2 in Saturday’s semifinal. The 20-year-old had also secured a quota place for the Tokyo Olympics following his win over Colombia’s Carlos Arturo Mendez in the quarters.
Rahul Aware defeated Tyler Graff of the USA 11-4 to win bronze, and help finish India’s campaign with the best-ever haul of 5 medals (1 Silver and 4 Bronze) and 4 Olympic quota. Aware’s was a non-Olympic weight category – 61kg -- so there was no Olympic quota.
Young Deepak was looking forward the final. “I am utterly disappointed as I was looking forward to my fight against Yazdani. My ankle injury just got aggravated before the bout and I am on pain-killers. I have been advised 15-20 days’ rest by team doctors. I will return to the mat for training only around November. It’s been a dream journey for me, but a gold would have made the campaign much sweeter,” Deepak told TOI from Nur-Sultan.
The striking thing about Deepak’s effort was that he continued to fight for a quota place and medal despite repeated requests from coaches and team doctors to withdraw from the competition. According to Deepak, he got injured due to the rough tactics employed by his Kazakh rival, Adilet Davlumbayev, in the opening bout as his opponent aggressively went for a leg-twisting move. “He used the ‘fitley’ (leg-twisting technique by wrestlers to twirl their opponent on their back) and, in the process, injured me. I felt some pain but continued to fight. I played smartly and had a couple of takedowns to win the bout. However, before the pre-quarters, I was in deep pain and could feel the swelling on my ankle. By the time, my bouts ended on Saturday evening, the injury got aggravated. The whole night I was undergoing treatment to get better for the final. But, I just couldn’t recover on time and let the gold go,” he explained.
But, wasn’t he mindful of the risk involved? “I knew that it could be career-threatening, but I didn’t want to wait till the Asian championships, which was the next Olympic qualifier, to secure my place for the Tokyo Games. I badly wanted to win a quota place and medal from the Worlds, so I continued to play with the pain. I took the risk but it was worth an attempt. Now that I have booked the quota, I can recover with a free mind without having to worry about the Olympic qualification. I can solely focus on my training and competitions once I am back on the mat,” he stated. Deepak was seen limping after the semis against Reichmuth, but didn’t let his face show the grievousness of the injury. He, however, ruled out carrying any injury into the Worlds, maintaining that it was a fresh one.
The Jhajjar boy, who comes from a humble family background, achieved quite a few milestones during his journey at the Worlds. He not only became the youngest Indian wrestler to reach the final of the event, but also clinched a silver which no other wrestler from the country managed to win in the current edition. Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Ravi Dahiya all settled for bronze.
World Women’s Championships
disappointing day for India
Sarita bows out of boxing Worlds
Ulan-Ude: Former champion L Sarita Devi (60kg) was on Sunday knocked out of the World Women’s Boxing Championships after being upstaged by Russia’s Natalia Shadrina on a disappointing day for India here. The fourth seed, who got a first-round bye, frittered away a strong start to bow out with a 0-5 loss. There was more disappointment for the country when in the last bout of the day, debutant Nandini (81kg) proved to be no match for Germany’s Irina-Nicoletta Schonberger and was out-punched 0-5. Sarita, a gold-medallist in the 2006 New Delhi edition of the showpiece, was chasing her maiden world medal in over a decade.
Mary Kom, Manju, Jamuna, Lovlina assured medals
Sabi Hussain , Oct 11, 2019: The Times of India
Indian boxing legend, MC Mary Kom, became the most successful boxer in the history of the World Championships – both men and women – after assuring herself of an astonishing eighth medal at the ongoing wpoen’s Worlds in Ulan Ude, Russia on Thursday. The 36-year-old defeated Rio Olympics bronze medallist, Columbia’s Valencia Victoria, by a unanimous 5-0 verdict in a 51kg category quarterfinal bout to become the first and only boxer to secure eight medals at the Worlds since the tounament’s inception in 1974. While the championships was first held as a men’s only event, the inaugural women’s event took place 25 years later, in 2001.
Earlier, both Mary Kom and Cuba’s Felix Savon in the men’s event were tied as the most successful boxers at the Worlds with seven medals – six gold and a silver. Ireland’s Katie Taylor was the other most successful boxer at the women’s Worlds with six medals – five gold and a bronze. For the record, Mary Kom’s earlier medals came in the pinweight (46kg) and light-flyweight (48kg) category and this will be her first medal in the newly-introduced 51kg (flyweight) division, which is an Olympic category.
Later, Manju Rani, Jamuna Boro and Lovlina Borgohain, added to the cheer by assuring themselves of a medal each by advancing to the semifinals in their respective weight divisions to cap off a sensational day for India. Manju (48kg) made her maiden Worlds appearance special after stunning top seed and last edition’s bronzemedallist Kim Hyang Mi of North Korea 4-1. Another debutant, Jamuna (54kg) won against Germany’s Ursula Gottlob by a similar margin.
In the final bout of the day featuring an Indian, Lovlina played smartly and waited for her moments to land some effective punches on Poland’s Karolina Koszewska to win 4-1 to ensure herself a second Worlds medal, having securing a bronze in the last edition. All four Indians will be in action in the semis on Saturday.
Two-time bronze medallist, Kavita Chahal’s (+81kg) journey ended following her 0-5 defeat to Belarus’ Katsiaryna Kavaleva in the quarters.
For Mary Kom, who is aiming her seventh Worlds gold, reigning European Championship and European Games gold-medallist, Turkey’s Busenaz Cakiroglu, will present a tough challenge in the semis. This will be third-seeded Mary Kom’s first meeting against Cakiroglu, who is seeded second. A win against Cakiroglu will assure the Indian a direct entry into the first 2020 Olympic qualifier in Wuhan, China (Feb 3 to 14) without facing selection trials at home.
“I am happy with the achievement. It’s an amazing feeling (to become the highest number of medal winner at the Worlds). I would like to thank the people of my country for their continued love and support. The job is yet not finished for me. I will try and get a higher medal. I am feeling confident about my next fight. I have not faced her (Cakiroglu) earlier, but know her style of play. I am training accordingly,” Mary Kom told TOI from Ulan Ude. Besides six world titles, Mary Kom’s illustrious career boasts of an Olympic bronze (London 2012), five Asian titles and gold medals at the CWG and Asian Games. This year alone, Mary Kom won gold at the India Open in Guwahati and President’s Cup in Indonesia.
Explaining her quarterfinal bout against Victoria, Mary Kom’s personal coach, Chhote Lal Yadav, told TOI that his ward fought a tactically and technically superior fight, focussing mainly on her speed. “Mary competed against her for the first time, so it was tricky. We had prepared well against her, knowing she is quick on her feet. We had watched her videos and told Mary to maintain speed throughout the bout. Mary waited for her chances and defended in a fine manner.”
Manju in final; Mary Kom, Jamuna, Lovlina win bronze
Pratyush Raj , Oct 13, 2019: The Times of India
Manju Rani took to boxing at the age of 12 in 2010 after the death of her father Bhim Sen, a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan who succumbed to stomach cancer. The loss of her father led to anger issues and her family encouraged Manju to take up boxing to vent her frustration. It soon became a passion and then her mission in life. She wanted to be the best in the world.
Nine years on, Manju went a step closer to her dream, advancing to the 48kg final of the World Women’s Boxing Championships at Ulan-Ude, Russia, on Saturday. Seeded sixth, Manju defeated Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat 4-1 in her semifinal bout. Earlier in May, Rani had lost to the same opponent in Thailand Open. She will now take on second-seeded Russian, Ekaterina Paltceva, in the fight for gold.
The other three Indian women in the semifinals – six-time champion MC Mary Kom (51kg) and Assam girls Jamuna Boro (54kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) – settled for bronze medals.
Mary Kom, seeded third, lost 1-4 to second seed Cakiroglu, who is the reigning European Champion. Boro went down 0-5 to top seed and former Asian Games bronze medallist, Huang Hsiao-Wen of Chinese Taipei.
The Indian contingent sought a review of the decision in Mary Kom’s bout but the appeal was turned down by the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) technical committee. The rules mandate that the decision has to be either 3-2 or 3-1 for an appeal to be even accepted for consideration.
When Manju left for Russia, she was a bit apprehensive as it was her first world championship. But she found the strength and confidence to get into the final.
Manju wins silver
Pratyush Raj, Oct 14, 2019: The Times of India
Haryana native Manju Rani, a superfan of boxing Mary Kom, failed at the final hurdle but still won a creditable silver at the Women’s World Championships in Ulan-Ude, Russia on Sunday.
The 19-year-old pugilist, who was making her debut at the Worlds, went down to local favourite, Russia’s Ekaterina Paltceva in the light-flyweight category (48kg). “It was a massive learning curve for me. Since the day I joined the national camp, my life has changed completely. It was a dream to watch my idol Mary Kom from close quarters,” Manju told TOI from Ulan-Ude.
Mary Kom (51kg) had earlier won an unprecedented eighth medal to add to her glittering resume of six gold and one silver in the tournament. The Manipuri legend became the only boxer, male or female, to win eight medals from the championships. Assam girls, Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Jamuna Boro (54kg), also added to India’s medal tally — Borgohain repeated her last year’s feat to win a bronze and Boro too picked a bronze in her debut at the championships. Manju, who has battled abject poverty, has had a fabulous 10 months during which she went from winning the National gold to the silver on Sunday. A silver at the 70th Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, in her maiden international outing, was another feather in her cap.
Manju, who wants to have as many selfies as possible with Mary Kom, is open about her admiration for the star boxer. “I have more than 100 photos with her. All the girls, including myself just love to be around her.”
Manju, who will celebrate her 20th birthday on October 26, is not focusing on 2020 Olympics. “Apna time aayega (My time will come). I will aim to compete in the 2024 Olympics. I have not thought about changing my weight (to 51kg to fit into an Olympic category). I will try to get set in 48kg first before thinking about the switch.”
“The next challenge for me is to keep consistency. I just want to win as many medals for the country and hopefully I will be able to hear the national anthem very soon,” adds Manju. Her mother Ishwanti Devi, has been a strong support for her daughter, celebrated the silver medal by distributing ladoos and sweets among neighbours and friends. Eagerly waiting for Manju, she said, “I can’t wait to see her. The entire village is waiting to get a glimpse of her. We are all so proud of her.”
2020
Asian Olympic Qualifiers
Ashish, Manish make the quarters
March 6, 2020: The Times of India
Amman: World championship bronze-winner Manish Kaushik (63kg) and Ashish Kumar (75kg) made the quarterfinals with facile wins to continue India’s strong showing at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers for boxing.
Manish, also a Commonwealth Games silver-winner, had no trouble going past Taiwan’s Chu-En Lai in a unanimous 5-0 result to set up a contest with third seed Chinzorig Baatarsukh of Mongolia. Baatarsukh, who defeated Papua New Guinea’s John Ume in his last-16 bout, is a 2018 Asian Games silver-medallist besides being a two-time podium finisher at the Asian Championships.
In the morning session, Asian silver-medallist Ashish notched up a thumping win over fourth-seeded Kyrgyz Omurbek Bekzhigit Uulu, prevailing 5-0 in the lop-sided contest to set up a clash with Indonesia’s Maikhel Roberrd Muskita. Muskita defeated New Zealand’s Ryan Scaife in his pre-quarterfinal bout. Making the semifinals would assure both Ashish and Manish of their maiden berths in the Olympics scheduled in July-August this year.
Ashish opened the day for India and produced a tactically nuanced performance. Up against a spunky rival, who he defeated in the Asian quarterfinals last year, Ashish played the waiting game to perfection, allowing Uulu to expend himself trying to connect. Manish, on the other hand, put his power to good effect. The nimble-footed Armyman hardly gave any opportunity to his rival and scored at will on counter-attacks. He kept up the momentum in the second and third rounds and also displayed sharp reflexes while staving off relentless attacks from Lai. On Wednesday, fast-rising women boxers Simranjit Kaur (60kg) and Sakshi Chaudhary (57kg) notched up hard-fought victories to enter the quarterfinals. PTI
Vikas enters QF
March 7, 2020: The Times of India
Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Vikas Krishan (69kg) entered the quarterfinals of the Asian Olympic Qualifiers of boxing with a thumping win over Kyrgyzstan’s Nursultan Mamataly.
Krishan clinched a 5-0 triumph to make the last eight stage, where he will square off against third seed and Asian silvermedallist Sewonrets Okazawa of Japan. Okazawa, who won a gold medal at last year’s Olympic test event in Tokyo, defeated Taiwan’s Pan Hung-Ming in his prequarterfinal bout. Krishan came into the event after claiming a gold medal at the South Asian Games in December last year. The SAG was his first amateur event after an undefeated stint in the professional circuit.
In a near-perfect display of his trademark defensive game, Krishan was consistently impressive. The Indian slowly built up the tempo and struck a particularly hard right hook in the second round to assert his dominance. The Kyrgyz boxer was left quite frustrated by Krishan’s control over the proceedings. PTI
Mary, Panghal enter QF
Mary, Panghal enter QF of Asian Olympic qualifiers, March 8, 2020: The Times of India
Amman:
Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) and the redoubtable Amit Panghal (52kg) stood just one win away from securing Olympic berths after the two boxers advanced to the quarterfinals with contrasting victories of the Asian Qualifiers.
Top seed Panghal notched a hard-earned 3-2 triumph over Mongolia’s Enkhmanadakh Kharkhuu, while the second-seeded Mary Kom produced a typically clinical performance to dismantle New Zealand’s Commonwealth Games bronze-winner Tasmyn Benny for a 5-0 triumph.
Up next for Mary Kom is Filipino Irish Magno, who clobbered Hong Kong’s Winnie Au Yin Yin to force a win in just the second round of her last-16 bout. The 23-year-old Panghal, who became India’s first silver-medallist at the world championships last year, came out unscathed after an intense fast-paced slugfest in which fortunes swung quite wildly and will next face a familiar foe in Philippine’s Carlo Paalam. Panghal beat him in the semifinals of the 2018 Asian Games and the quarterfinals of the 2019 Worlds.
The reigning Asian Games and Asian champion had to dig deep to edge past an aggressive and energetic Kharhuu. Panghal was expectedly quick on his feet, displayed counterattacking game and his left hand proved effective in the first two rounds.
However, the Mongolian sustained the pressure in the final three minutes in which Panghal seemed a bit off-colour. But, he managed just enough to pull through and fetch a divided verdict, avenging his loss to the Mongolian in the World Military Games last year. “My plan was to be aggressive from the beginning and I think that proved to be a good plan. I am happy with my performance,” Panghal said.
Mary made it look quite easy as she outmanoeuvred the Kiwi boxer with her sharp reflexes and a superior counterattacking game. The 37-yearold’s command over the proceedings was impressive. PTI
Mary, Amit, Lovlina, Pooja end with bronze
AMMAN (Jordan): A resolute Vikas Krishan (69kg) and Simranjit Kaur (60kg) advanced to the finals with impressive victories but the legendary M C Mary Kom (51kg) and world number one Amit Panghal (52kg) signed off with bronze medals at the Asian Olympic Qualifiers on Tuesday.
Also ending with bronze medals were Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), Pooja Rani (75kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg). All the eight boxers have already secured their tickets to the Olympic Games by making the semifinals but Krishan and Kaur will come back with at least silver medals after entering the finals.
Krishan fought with a cut sustained just below his left eyebrow before claiming a split decision victory over second seed Ablaikhan Zhussupov of Kazakhstan, a two-time world bronze-medallist.
The 28-year-old Krishan will face feisty Jordanian Eishaih Hussein, who sent Asian gold-medallist and top seed Bobo-Usmon Baturov packing in a split decision.
Krishan, a former world bronze-winner and a Commonwealth Games gold-medallist, was the busier of the two boxers despite the injury he picked up in the second round and his right jabs were particularly effective through the bout.
Kaur, on the other hand, upstaged third seed Shih-Yi Wu of Taiwan in a terrific come-from-behind win. The Indian trailed in the opening round, roared back in the second with her precisely-placed combination punches before fending off a strong attack from Wu in the final three minutes.
In another good result, first-timer Sachin Kumar (81kg) remained in the hunt for an Olympic berth by defeating Manh Cuong Nguyen of Vietnam 4-1 in the first box-off. He will have to get the better of Shabbos Negmatulloev of Tajikistan in the last box-off on Wednesday to book a ticket to Tokyo as only the top five qualify in his weight category.
However, in a major disappointment for India, six-time world champion Mary Kom lost to China's Chang Yuan, a former Youth Olympics champion, in a split 1-4 verdict.
Also bowing out with a bronze was world silver-medallist and top seed Panghal, who went down to Jianguan Hu of China in a split 3-2 decision. It was revenge for Hu, an Olympic and world bronze-medallist who lost to Panghal in the Asian semifinals last year.
Panghal had endured exhausting contests in the run-up to the semifinals and he could not outpace the determined Chinese in Tuesday's clash.
Earlier, two-time world bronze-medallist and second seed Borgohain lost to third seed and 2018 world silver-medallist Hong Gu of China in a unanimous 5-0 verdict after struggling to find her range against the experienced 30-year-old.
Rani too could not find her rhythm against world champion and top seed Li Qian, who is also a two-time Asian gold-medallist.
Ashish, despite an impressive show, fell short against top seed and world silver-medallist Eumir Marcial, who displayed better control.
Satish fought hard but the reigning world champion and top seed Bakhodir, who is 6 feet 9 inches tall, didn't give the Indian any chance whatsoever.
The Indian was fidgety and made it hard for his rival to get a clear shot but the determined Filipino managed to get through nonetheless for a split verdict in his favour.
Eight Indian boxers have qualified for the Tokyo Games at the ongoing event so far, making India the most successful team here along with traditional powerhouse Kazakhstan.
Mary, Panghal enter QF
Mary, Panghal enter QF of Asian Olympic qualifiers, March 8, 2020: The Times of India
Amman:
Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) and the redoubtable Amit Panghal (52kg) stood just one win away from securing Olympic berths after the two boxers advanced to the quarterfinals with contrasting victories of the Asian Qualifiers.
Top seed Panghal notched a hard-earned 3-2 triumph over Mongolia’s Enkhmanadakh Kharkhuu, while the second-seeded Mary Kom produced a typically clinical performance to dismantle New Zealand’s Commonwealth Games bronze-winner Tasmyn Benny for a 5-0 triumph.
Up next for Mary Kom is Filipino Irish Magno, who clobbered Hong Kong’s Winnie Au Yin Yin to force a win in just the second round of her last-16 bout. The 23-year-old Panghal, who became India’s first silver-medallist at the world championships last year, came out unscathed after an intense fast-paced slugfest in which fortunes swung quite wildly and will next face a familiar foe in Philippine’s Carlo Paalam. Panghal beat him in the semifinals of the 2018 Asian Games and the quarterfinals of the 2019 Worlds.
The reigning Asian Games and Asian champion had to dig deep to edge past an aggressive and energetic Kharhuu. Panghal was expectedly quick on his feet, displayed counterattacking game and his left hand proved effective in the first two rounds. However, the Mongolian sustained the pressure in the final three minutes in which Panghal seemed a bit off-colour. But, he managed just enough to pull through and fetch a divided verdict, avenging his loss to the Mongolian in the World Military Games last year. “My plan was to be aggressive from the beginning and I think that proved to be a good plan. I am happy with my performance,” Panghal said.
Mary made it look quite easy as she outmanoeuvred the Kiwi boxer with her sharp reflexes and a superior counterattacking game. The 37-yearold’s command over the proceedings was impressive. PTI
Cologne World Cup
Panghal wins gold, injured Satish silver
Panghal clinches gold, injured Satish bags silver at Cologne World Cup New Delhi: World silver-medallist Amit Panghal (52kg) notched up a gold medal without having to fight his final bout, while veteran Satish Kumar (+91kg) settled for silver after an injury prevented him from competing in his summit clash at the Cologne World Cup in Germany on Saturday. Panghal was given a walkover by Germany’s Argishti Terteryan.
India wins 2nd position overall
December 21, 2020: The Times of India
Indian women boxers Simranjeet Kaur (60kg) and Manish (57kg) notched up gold medals with contrasting final wins in the Cologne World Cup in Germany. Manish defeated compatriot Saskhi 3-2, while Simranjeet got the better of German Maya Klienhans 4-1 to finish on top in their respective categories.
India finished the competition at the second spot overall after claiming three gold, two silver and four bronze medals. On Saturday, Asian Games champion Amit Panghal (52kg) had claimed the sole gold among men. He got a walkover in the finals.
Veteran Satish Kumar (+91kg) had to settle for a silver after an injury forced him to withdraw from the finals.
Sonia Lather (57kg), Pooja Rani (75kg) Gaurav Solanki (57kg) and Mohamed Hussamudin (57kg) had claimed the bronze medal in their respective categories. The event featured boxers from the host country, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, France, Moldova, Netherlands, Poland and Ukraine. PTI
Golden Girl, Boras: 6 gold medals
Indian boxers claim 6 gold medals in Serbia: India’s junior and youth boxers dominated the ring at the Golden Girl Championship in Boras (Sweden), claiming 14 medals, including six gold, the overall championship trophy and the ‘Best Boxer’ award. While the junior women’s team clinched five gold, three silver and one bronze medal, the youth team secured a single gold and four bronze medals at the event.
2021
Asian Boxing Championship
15 medals assured
Boxers assured of 15 medals in Asian meet
Defending champion Amit Panghal (52kg) and the redoubtable Vikas Krishan (69kg) were among three Indian boxers who advanced to the semifinals on Wednesday as the country assured itself of an unparalleled medal haul of 15 in the Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai. Debutant Varinder Singh (60kg) was the other Indian to make the last four.
Mary, four others make it to finals
The Olympic-bound M C Mary Kom (51kg) and Sakshi (54kg) were among five Indian women boxers who stormed into the Asian Championship finals in Dubai on Thursday. Also through was Lalbuatsaihi (64kg), who outboxed Noura Almutairi of Kuwait to such an extent that she decided to concede the bout in the second round. In the 75kg category, defending champion Pooja Rani got a walkover into the finals after her Mongolian opponent Munkhbat Myagmarjargal pulled out. Also making the summit clash was Anupama (+81kg). PTI
Panghal, Thapa enter finals
Panghal, Thapa storm into finals
Defending champion Amit Panghal (52kg) and Shiva Thapa (64kg) stormed into the Asian Boxing Championship finals with resounding victories in the last-four stage in Dubai on Friday. While Panghal out-punched Saken Bibossinov of Kazakhstan 5-0, Thapa beat top-seeded defending champion Bakhodur Usmonov of Tajikistan 4-0. It was heartbreak for two-time world youth champion Sakshi Choudhary (54kg) as she lost her final spot after her rival, top-seeded Kazakh Dina Zholaman, successfully challenged the narrow semifinal victory. PTI
Gold for Sanjeet; silver for Amit, Shiva
June 1, 2021: The Times of India
Sanjeet (91kg) fetched the lone gold among Indian men boxers with a stunning triumph over Kazakhstan’s Olympic-medallist Vassiliy Levit even as defending champion Amit Panghal (52kg) and Shiva Thapa (64kg) settled for silver medals in the Asian Boxing Championships.
Sanjeet triumphed 4-1 over Levit, who was chasing his fourth gold of the tournament and is an Olympic silvermedallist. With 15 medals in this edition, India surpassed its previous best-ever show at this Championship, achieved in 2019, when the country secured 13 medals in all, including two gold. This time too, the country finished with two gold. The Army man, who is a former India Open gold-medallist, claimed the first two rounds in an evenly-contested bout before Levit fought back in the final three minutes.
Panghal lost 2-3 to known nemesis Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan in what was a repeat of the 2019 world championship final, which had also ended in Zoirov’s favour. India sought a review of the second round of the bout but the protest was rejected by the jury which stuck to the original decision.
Thapa (64kg) also lost by the same margin to Mongolia’s Baatarsukh Chinzorig, the reigning Asian Games silver-medallist. This was Thapa’s fifth successive podium finish and second silver at the showpiece.
Both the contests had the Indian boxers doing most things right but not getting the judges’ nod. The Panghal-Zoirov clash lived up to the hype with both the Olympic-bound boxers engaged in a fast exchange of punches from the very first round.
On May 31, 2021, Pooja Rani (75kg) was the lone woman boxer to strike gold, while six-time world champion M C Mary Kom (51kg), and tournament debutants Lalbuatsaihi (64kg) and Anupama (81+kg) ended with silver medals after close losses in the women’s finals. PTI
Asian Youth Boxing championship
A
August 26, 2021: The Times of India
Three Indian boxers advanced to the finals of the Asian Junior Boxing Championships after notching up comprehensive victories in their last-four stage clashes in Dubai.
While Rohit Chamoli (48kg) and Bharat Joon (+81kg) made the junior boys finals, Muskan (46kg) entered the girls summit showdowns.
Joon defeated Kyrgyzstan’s Emir-Khan Razhapov 5-0 and Chamoli got the better of Kazakhstan’s Aidar Kadyrkhan by a similar scoreline. Muskan sailed past Kazakhstan’s Yelyanur Turganova, pulling off an unanimous victory.
However, Supriya Rawat (66kg) lost to Sanowar Bozorboeva 1-4 and Aarzoo (54kg) also endured a close loss to Uzbekistan’s Guldana Tileuergen, going down 2-3. Devika Ghorpade (50kg) was defeated 0-5 by Uzbekistan’s Shaina Nematovain in another girls semifinal.
Among boys, Ankush (66kg) was beaten 0-5 by Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Erkinboev in his last-four bout. All four of them ended with bronze medals. PTI
B
August 27, 2021: The Times of India
Six Indian boxers advanced to the finals of the Asian Youth Championships in Dubai with two of them getting walkovers after their Kazakh opponents were quarantined following a COVID-19 case in the contingent. Of the six Indians who made the summit clashes, two were men and four women.
In the women’s draw, Simran Verma (52kg) and Sneha (66kg) progressed after getting walkovers from Kazakh rivals Khava Bolkoyeva and Anar Turynbek respectively.
“One of these girls tested positive for Covid-19 and the other had to be also quarantined as she was the infected girl’s room partner. That’s why we got walkovers in these two categories,” India coach Bhaskar Bhatt said.
Joining them in the finals were Preeti (57kg) and Preeti Dahiya (60kg).
Preeti outclassed Narika Rai of Nepal RSC in the third round to book her final berth. Preeti Dahiya, on the other hand, defeated Uzbekistan’s Rukhshona Uktamova 3-2. Among the men, Vanshaj (64kg) defeated Iran’s Faridi Abolfazl 5-0, while Vishal (80kg) outpunched Kazakhstan’s Dauren Mamyr by a similar margin to move ahead. However, Daksh (67kg) lost to Uzbekistan’s Solijonoz Samandar 4-1.
Also ending with bronze medals were Abhimanyu (92kg) and Aman Singh Bisht (+92kg).
While Abhimanyu lost to Uzbekistan’s Tokhirov Nusratbek 5-0, Bisht also went down to an Uzbek in Zokirov Jakhongir. PTI
C
3 more Indians in final of Asian youth boxing:
World youth bronze medallist Bishwamitra Chongtham (51kg) was among three Indian male boxers who advanced to the finals of the Asian Youth Championships in Dubai. Joining him in the finals were Suresh Vishwanath (48kg) and Jaydeep Rawat (57kg).
D: Four gold mdals
August 30, 2021: The Times of India
It was gold rush for India at the Asian Junior Boxing Championships in Dubai with four pugilists from the country finishing on top in the finals.
Rohit Chamoli (48kg), Bharat Joon (+81kg), Vishu Rathee (girls 48kg), and Tanu (girls 52kg) notched up contrasting victories in their summit clashes to bag the top prize. While Chamoli defeated Mongolia’s Otgonbayar Tuvshinzaya in an intense final, Joon got the better of Kazakhstan’s Yerdos Sharipbek 5-0 to finish on top. Chamoli rallied after losing the opening round to prevail 3-2 in the hard-fought contest. Joon, on the other hand, easily out-maneuvered his rival, who fizzled out after a decent start.
In another final, Gaurav Saini (70kg) signed off with a silver medal after losing 0-5 Boltaev Shavkatjon of Uzbekistan. In the girls’ competition, Rathee picked up the gold medal defeating Uzbekistan’s Bakhtiyorova Robiyakhon.
After her, Tanu edged past Tomiris Myrzakul of Kazakhstan in a split 3-2 verdict. However, Muskan (46kg) had to be content with a silver medal after being bested by another Uzbek Ganieva Gulsevar in a closely-fought bout. PTI
Total: 8 gold, 5 silver, 6 bronze
August 31, 2021: The Times of India
India bag 8 gold in Asian junior boxing
New Delhi:
India ended its Asian Junior Boxing Championship campaign in Dubai with a whopping eight gold medals besides bagging five silver and six bronze. Out of the 10 girls in the finals, six ended with gold medals, while four others claimed silver finishes. Among the boys, three were in the finals and two of them signed off with gold medals.
India's tally of gold medals was equal to traditional powerhouse Kazakhstan and just one less than another heavyweight Uzbekistan.
Rohit Chamoli (48kg) and Bharat Joon (+81kg), Vishu Rathee (girls 48kg), and Tanu (girls 52kg) were the early gold-medallists before others joined in late night bouts on Sunday.
Nikita Chand (60kg), Mahi Raghav (63kg), Pranjal Yadav (75kg) and Kirti (+81kg) picked up their yellow metals in the later bouts.
In the last Asian Junior Championships held in 2019 in Fujairah, UAE, India had finished third with 21 medals (six gold, nine silver and six bronze). At the ongoing edition, the gold medallists in the junior category were awarded with $4,000 while $2,000 and 1,000 were given to the silver and bronze medal winners respectively. PTI
Bosphorus boxing tournament
Zareen stuns world champion Ekaterina
New Delhi:
India’s Nikhat Zareen stunned reigning world champion Paltceva Ekaterina to breeze into the women’s 51kg quarter-finals at the Bosphorus Boxing tournament in Istanbul here. The Asian Championships bronze medallist, Zareen caused a major upset on the second day of the tournament when she out-punched the Russian boxer 5-0.
Nikhat Zareen stuns two-time world champ
New Delhi: Continuing her giant-killing run, Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen on Friday stunned two-time world champion Nazym Kyzaibay of Kazakhstan to enter the women’s 51kg semifinals at the Bosphorus Boxing Tournament in Istanbul. Zareen, who had earlier defeated 2019 world champion Paltceva Ekaterina of Russia in the prequarterfinals, looked unfazed and confident against her opponent from Kazakhstan. She stamped her authority from the beginning and prevailed 4-1 over Kyzaibay, a gold medallist from the 2014 and 2016 World Championships.
Nikhat, Gaurav win bronze
Nikhat Zareen, Gaurav Solanki settle for bronze: Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and Gaurav Solanki (57kg) settled for bronze medals after going down in their respective semifinals at the Bosphorus boxing tournament in Istanbul. Asian championship bronze medallist Nikhat suffered a 0-5 loss to 2019 Worlds silver medallist Busenaz Cakiroglu of Turkey in the semifinal on Friday. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Solanki lost 0-5 to Argentina’s Nirco Cuello in his semifinal.
Boxam International
13 Indian boxers in quarterfinals
Mary Kom, Amit Panghal among 13 in quarters of Spanish boxing tourney: Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom and Asian Games gold-medallist Amit Panghal were among 13 Indian boxers who made the quarterfinals of Boxam International Tournament in Castellon, Spain on Tuesday, leaving them just win away from securing medals at the event.
Three Indians in SFs
Mary Kom, 2 others enter semis of Spanish tourney; assured of medals: M C Mary Kom (51kg) was assured of a medal in her first competitive outing since qualifying for the Olympics last year when she entered the semifinal of the Boxam International Tournament in Castellon, Spain on Wednesday. Also advancing to the medal rounds were Olympic-bound Simranjit Kaur (60kg) and debutant Jasmine (57kg), competing in her maiden international tournament. In the men’s draw, Manish Kaushik (63kg) advanced to the quarterfinals with a facile opening win. AGENCIES
Vikas, Manish in SFs; Panghal out
March 5, 2021: The Times of India
The seasoned Vikas Krishan (69kg) and Manish Kaushik (63kg) were among three Indian male boxers to enter the semifinals of the 35th Boxam International Tournament in Castellon, Spain on Thursday even as world silver-medallist Amit Panghal (52kg) bowed out with a stunning quarterfinal loss. Olympic-bound Vikas and Manish, both bronze-winners from the world championships and the Commonwealth Games, joined Mohammed Hussamuddin (57kg) in the last-four stage.
Commonwealth Games bronze-winner Hussamuddin (57kg) defeated Italian Simone Spada 5-0 to make the last-four stage, where he will take on Panama’s Orlando Martinez. Manish was up against two-time Asian silver-medallist Zakir Saifiulin of Kazakhstan and in an intensely fought bout, the Indian prevailed in a split decision. PTI
Simranjit, 2 others in final; Mary wins bronze
Simranjit, 2 others in final; Mary settles for bronze in Boxam meet New Delhi: World bronze-medallist Simranjit Kaur (60kg) advanced to the final along with two others but the seasoned M C Mary Kom (51kg) had to be content with a bronze medal after going down in a gruelling semifinal bout of the 35th Boxam International Boxing Tournament in Castellon, Spain on Friday. Joining Simranjit in the last-four stage was Jasmine (57kg) and Asian champion Pooja Rani (75kg).
Silver for three Indian women
Silver medals for three women boxers: Simranjit Kaur (60kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg) signed off with silver medals at the 35th Boxam International Boxing Tournament in Castellon, Spain on Saturday. While Simranjit could not take the ring against Rashida Ellis of USA because of an injury, Pooja lost 5-0 to another American Melissa Graham. The Indian women boxers thus ended their campaign with three silver and one bronze medal. Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom (51kg) had ended with a bronze after a semifinal loss. Debutant Jasmine (57kg) also ended with a silver medal after going down to European champion Irma Testa of Italy. AGENCIES
Jr National Championships
Haryana wins 10 gold medals
Haryana boxers clinch 10 gold medals at Jr National Championships: Haryana boxers signed off their campaign with 10 gold, while Maharashtra finished second with eight medals at the fourth junior girls national championships here on Sunday. With a total of 13 medals, including three silver, Haryana also emerged as the top team at the championships and extended their domination in the domestic boxing circuit. AGENCIES
National Boxing Championships
Sep 22, 2021: The Times of India
Rohit Mor stunned defending champion Mohammad Hussamuddin but the accomplished duo of Shiva Thapa and Sanjeet lived up to expectations by clinching gold medals in their respective weight categories at the Men’s National Boxing Championships.
Deepak Kumar (51kg), Akash (54kg), Akash (67), Sumit (75kg), Sachin Kumar (80kg), Lakshya (86kg) and Narender (+92kg) also secured gold medals by winning their respective final bouts at the Inspire Institute of Sports. All of them are from Services team. All the gold medal winners of the National Championships will represent India at the World Championships scheduled in Belgrade, Serbia from October 24 to November 6. All of them, except Shiva, will be competing in their maiden world championships.
Delhi boxer Mor dished out a dominating 5-0 win over Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Hussamuddin, one of the strong contenders for the title in the 57kg. Reigning Asian champion Sanjeet, also representing Services, outclassed Haryana’s Naveen Kumar by unanimous decision.
Seasoned boxer Shiva Thapa of Assam, a bronze medallist at the 2015 world championships and also a five-time Asian medallist, successfully defended his title as he recorded an easy 5-0 win over Dalveer Singh Tomar of Services in the 63.5kg final. PTI
Strandja Memorial: India gets two medals
Sabi Hussain, February 28, 2021: The Times of India
“Attack, attack and attack”. Indian coaches yelled during the bout, and between breaks, as Indian boxer Deepak Kumar fought his heart out against local boy, Bulgaria’s Daniel Asenov, in the final of the men’s 52 kg category at the Strandja Memorial boxing tournament in Sofia.
Fresh from his career’s biggest win against reigning Olympic & world champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan in the semifinals a day earlier, Deepak’s punches, his range and striking power oozed confidence and the Armyman looked every bit the worthy successor to own the weight category. However, two-time European champion Asenov, who too had been unrelenting during the entire bout, relied on his tactical brilliance rather than going all-out with his punches and proved just the better boxer of the two to prevail over Deepak with a 3-2 split decision.
With Deepak settling for silver, India finished its campaign in the tournament with two medals, the other being the bronze won by Naveen Boora in the men’s 69 kg category. Indian women boxers failed to secure any medal at the meet.
Both Deepak and Asenov began on an aggressive note and looked to match each other’s range of punches, with the Indian exposed to some hits from the Bulgarian. In the second round, Deepak was clever with his coordinated right hooks and jabs – few of them even connected – as the Asian Championship silver medallist looked to wear his opponent down.
Later, in the dying minutes, Asenov landed some clear punches to clinch the bout and the gold medal.
Youth National Boxing
Deepika defeats Youth World Champion Alfiya
Deepika stuns world champion in Youth National Boxing: Haryana boxer Deepika defeated the reigning Youth World Champion Alfiya Pathan to cause a major upset at the 4th Youth Men's and Women's National Championships at Delhi Public School (DPS) in Sonipat. Playing in the heavyweight +81kg women's quarterfinals, Deepika secured a 4-1 victory.
Youth World Championships
5 Indians in QFs, one in SFs
5 Indian boxers enter quarters, one in semis
India’s Poonam entered the semifinals of 57kg category, while five of her compatriots advanced to the quarterfinals of the Youth Boxing World Championships after securing comfortable wins in their pre-quarterfinal bouts in Kielce, Poland. Among other women, Gitika (48kg) made the last eight. From the men’s contingent, Asian silver medallist Ankit Narwal (64kg), Bishwamitra Chongtham (49kg), Sachin (56kg) and Vishal Gupta (91kg) stood just one win away from ensuring a medal for the country.
7 Indian women in finals; 4 men in SFs
Youth Boxing Worlds: 7 Indian women in finals; 4 men in semis
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi:
India had a fine day at the AIBA Youth Men’s and Women’s World Boxing Championships in Kielce, Poland on Tuesday as all its seven women pugilists entered the finals after registering wins in their semifinal encounters.
Out of the seven, Gitika (48kg), Babyrojisana Chanu (51kg), Poonam (57kg) and Arundhati Chaudhary (69kg) posted victories by unanimous decisions. Vinika (60kg), T Sanamacha Chanu (75kg) and Alfiya Pathan (+81kg) won by split decisions.
Among the ones who won by unanimous decisions, Gitika defeated Erika Prisciandaro of Italy in her semifinal match, while Babyrojisana thumped another Italian Lucia Ayari in her last-4 bout. Poonam was victorious over Uzbekistan’s Sitora Turdibekova in the semifinal. Arundhati beat another Uzbek boxer Khadichabonu Abdulleva.
From the ones who won by split decisions, Vinka brushed aside Veronika Gajdova of Czech Republic 4-1, Sanamacha Chanu got past Poland’s Daria Parada and Alfiya Pathan won a closely-fought bout against Poland’s Oliwia Toborek 3-2.
Four Indian men made it to the semifinals. Asian junior champion Bishwamitra Chongtham (49kg) and Asian youth championship silver medallist Ankit Narwal (64kg) lived up to the expectations and notched up easy 5-0 victories against Serbian Omer Ametovic and Brazil’s Ezequiel Da Cruz respectively in their last-8 clashes. Vishal Gupta (91kg) and Sachin (56kg) also progressed into the semis.
8 boxers, including seven women, enter finals
Sachin sails into final; 3 others bow out in semis Seven Women Pugilists All Set To Vie For Gold TIMES NEWS NETWORK
New Delhi:
Indian pugilists posted a historic performance at the AIBA Youth Men’s and Women’s World Boxing Championships as 8 boxers, including seven women and 1 male boxer sailed into the final in Kielce, Poland.
Among the men, Sachin (56kg) was the only Indian boxer to progress into the finals as he comfortably defeated 2018 European junior champion Michele Baldassi of Italy 5-0 to set up the summit clash with Kazakhstan’s Yerbolat Sabyr.
Three other men in action: Bishwamitra Chongthom (49kg), Ankit Narwal (64kg) and Vishal Gupta (91kg) couldn’t progress further as they lost their semifinal bouts and signed off with bronze medals.
The previous best was 10 medals that the Indians won at the 2018 World Youth Boxing Championships in Hungary.
All the women boxers will play their final bouts on Thursday whereas Sachin will play his final match on Friday. Earlier on Tuesday, all the seven Indian women boxers in the semifinals had put up flawless performances to progress into the finals and and will be aiming to add the yellow metal to their name.
The seven boxers who have made the finals are: Gitika (48kg), Babyrojisana Chanu (51 kg), Poonam (57kg), Vinika (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (69kg), Sanamcha Chanu (75kg) and Alfiya Pathan (81kg).
7 gold medals
Hindol Basu , April 23, 2021: The Times of India
India’s young and upcoming women boxers created history as they won seven gold medals at the 2021 AIBA Youth Men’s and Women’s World Boxing Championships in Kielce, Poland. A total of seven women had reached the finals in various weight categories and all of them emerged on top with resounding victories.
Gitika Narwal (48kg), Babyrojisana Chanu (51kg), Poonam (57kg), Vinka (60kg), Arundhati Choudhary (69kg), T Sanamacha Chanu (75kg) and Alfiya Pathan (+81kg) put up dominating performances to win gold medals on the penultimate day of the championship. All seven were triumphant by unanimous decisions.
Previously, Indian women had won five gold medals at the 2017 edition of the event in Guwahati. With seven gold, the Indian women’s team also finished as the No. 1 side in the ongoing championship, ahead of Russia.
Providing a perfect start to the day was Gitika Narwal, who came into the final having defeated two-time European champion Erika Prisciandaro of Italy in the semifinal. The Rohtak girl brushed aside local favourite Natalia Kuczewska 5-0 to secure India’s first gold.
Babyrojisana was equally good in her final. The Asian youth champion, who hails from Manipur, looked in great touch as she secured gold with a comfortable 5-0 win against the European junior champion Valeriia Linkova of Russia.
Fighting in the 57kg final, Poonam hit the aggressive mode from the word go and dominated her experienced opponent Sthelyne Grosy of France with precise punches. The girl from Hisar, Haryana notched up a thrashing 5-0 victory to bag gold. She has been undefeated at the international level so far.
Vinka also produced a spectacular show in the 60kg final as her punches – packed with tremendous power – were too strong for Kazakhstan boxer Zhuldyz Shayakhmetova. Arundhati Choudhary, who comes from Rajasthan, too completed a fine 5-0 win against Polish boxer Barbara Marcinkowska.
Asian youth champion Sanamacha, who trains at boxing legend MC Mary Kom’s academy in Imphal, added the historic sixth gold for India when she outpunched Kazakhstan’s Dana Diday 5-0 in the 75kg final.
Bringing India its seventh gold was Nagpur girl Alfiya Pathan, as she stunned a strong contender in European youth champion Daria Kozorez of Moldova 5-0.
A 20-member Indian contingent has already created history by securing 11 medals at the championships, bettering their previous best of 10 medals in the 2018 edition.
Sachin wins 8th gold medal
Hindol Basu , April 24, 2021: The Times of India
Following the footsteps of the seven gold medal-winning women boxers, Sachin added an unprecedented eighth gold to the country’s medal haul at the 2021 AIBA Youth Men’s and Women’s World Boxing Championships in Kielce, Poland.
In the 56kg final, Sachin, who hails from Bhiwani, Haryana, upped the ante in the final round to defeat Kazakhstan’s Yerbolat Sabyr 4-1 in a spirited performance by the end of which his opponent was left with a bloodied face.
In a fascinating contest between two southpaws displaying a similar style of boxing, Sachin used his rightleft combination to score points but could not prevent the quick moving Sabyr from establishing a narrow lead in the first round. The Kazakh boxer counter-attacked better and clinched the opening round 3-2. In the second round, Sachin amplified his attacks and drew level by getting a split verdict in his favour. The final round belonged to the relentless Sachin as Sabyr ran out of steam.
Sachin is the first Indian male boxer since 2016 to finish on top. It was his namesake Sachin Siwach, now a senior camper, who fetched a gold in that edition.
Besides Sachin, Bishwamitra Chongthom (49kg), Asian youth silver-winner Ankit Narwal (64kg) and Vishal Gupta (91kg) ended with bronze medals following semifinal losses in the men’s draw. India ended their campaign with 11 medals – eight gold and three bronze medals to claim the top spot in overall standings.
World rankings, 2021: June; Panghal No. 1
Sabi Hussain, June 27, 2021: The Times of India
NEW DELHI: In a big morale boost ahead of the Tokyo Games, India’s Amit Panghal was ranked as World No. 1 boxer in his men’s flyweight (52kg) category by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Boxing Task Force (BTF).
The reigning Asian Games champion and World Championships silver-medallist is the only Indian boxer from the nine Tokyo-bound men and women pugilists to have received the top billing by the BTF. The news will definitely spur Panghal to Olympic glory as the No. 1 ranking has come just 27 days ahead of the start of the boxing competitions (July 24-August 8) at the Tokyo Games.
The 25-year-old Rohtak boy’s nearest rival and his nemesis of late, Uzbekistan’s Shakhobidin Zoirov, has been ranked fifth in the world. The other three boxers in top-five of the 52kg category include France’s Billal Bennama (World No. 2), Algeria’s Mohamed Flissi (No. 3) and China’s Hu Jianguan (No. 4). Among them, Panghal has defeated Bennama and Jianguan once each, while he has lost to Zoirov in all his three meetings so far, with the latest being the controversial 2-3 defeat in the final of the Asian boxing championships in Dubai. Against Flissi, Panghal has never competed before.
The No. 1 ranking will definitely help Panghal in securing a favorable draw at the Olympics, where he’s unlikely to face any strong challenge before the quarterfinal bout. The top-eight seeds in Tokyo wouldn’t meet before the quarters, leaving Panghal to concentrate on his two matches in the Round of 32 and 16. In the Round of 64, he’s likely to be accorded a bye based on his top billing.
The numero uno ranking is also a validation of Panghal’s match consistency, as this is the second time that he’s been ranked No. 1 in less than 15 months. Ahead of the Asian Olympics qualifier in Amman, Jordan in March 2020, the diminutive pugilist was ranked No. 1 by the BTF. Now, as per the rankings released for the Tokyo Olympics (as on June 18, 2021), the Indian has held on to his top spot. As a result, Panghal becomes only the second Indian boxer to reach the top spot since Vijender Singh was ranked No. 1 in the middleweight category in 2009 after securing the World Championships bronze.
Among the other Tokyo-bound Indian boxers, six-time world champion, M C Mary Kom, has been ranked seventh in her 51kg category, with her nearest rivals, China’s Chang Yuan (2nd) and Chinese Taipei’s Huang Hsiao-Wen (3rd), placed above her in the BTF rankings. Other three women boxers in the top-10 are Simranjit Kaur (60kg, 4th ranked), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg, 5th ranked) and Pooja Rani Bohra (75kg, 8th ranked).
In the men’s category, the four other Tokyo-bound boxers are ranked: Manish Kaushik (63kg, 18th), Vikas Krishan Yadav (69kg, 10th) and Ashish Kumar Chaudhary (75kg, 9th) and Satish Kumar (+91kg, 9th).
The IOC’s BTF has the mandate to organise and deliver the qualification events for boxing and the Olympic boxing competitions in Tokyo after the AIBA’s suspension due to concerns over finance, governance, ethics and refereeing and judging.
Rankings, international
2020: Panghal #1 52 kg; Kom .#3 in 51kg
New Delhi:
There’s some good news for Indian sports amid the pandemic gloom. The Amateur International Boxing Association (AIBA), the sport’s global governing body, has released its rankings chart for the men and women boxers after a gap of more than 18 months and has declared reigning Asian Games champion and World Championships silver-medallist, India’s Amit Panghal, as world No.1 pugilist in the 52 kg weight division.
There’s high importance attached this, since this is the first time AIBA has ranked the country’s biggest Olympics medal hope in boxing as World No.1. AIBA had last released the rankings in early January 2019, that too, for only the women pugilists. At that time, six-time world champion M C Mary Kom had become the only Indian boxer to attain the numero uno position in her 48kg weight category. Panghal was announced world’s top boxer in his weight category in February this year ahead of the Asian Olympic qualifiers in Jordan, but the announcement was made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC)-appointed Boxing Task Force, which has been mandated to conduct the Olympic qualifiers and the main event in Tokyo. The same task force had seeded Panghal second at the 2019 Worlds in Ekaterinburg, Russia.
This is the first time since January last year that AIBA has come up with its official rankings, based on their performance in tournaments ranging from 2018-2019.
Rohtak-boy Panghal, 24, who holds the distinction of being the most successful Indian boxer in the world hampionship’s history following his silver finish in Russia, is placed on top of the rankings chart with 1300 points. His fierce arch-rival, reigning Olympic and Worlds champion, Zoirov Shakhobidin from Uzbekistan, has taken the second position with 1200 points.
Apart from Panghal, Kavinder Bisht is now World No.4 in the 56kg division with 750 points, while both Deepak (49kg) and Manish Kaushik (64kg) are placed sixth in their respective weight categories. In the women’s section, Mary Kom is World No.3 in the 51kg weight category with 1550 points, trailing her nemesis, North Korean Pang Cholmi (2350 points), a gold medallist at the 2018 Delhi Worlds, and Turkey’s Busenaz Cakiroglu (2000 points).
