Nine Indian boxers will try to earn as many quota places as possible in the first World Olympic boxing qualification tournament, starting at the E-work Arena in Busto Arsizio, Italy, on Sunday.
The Indians trained in a multi-nation camp, including boxers from Ukraine, Tajikistan, Japan, Greece and Hungary, for 10 days in Montenegro before shifting to Busto Arsizio.
World championships bronze medallists Deepak Bhoria (51kg), Mohammad Hussamuddin (57kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg) and former Worlds and multiple Asian medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) will be among the leading names who are capable of securing slots in the Paris Olympics.
While Bhoria and Nishant will try to overcome their disappointing performances in the Asian Games and underline their potential, Hussamuddin, who is coming back after his knee surgery, will be keen to prove himself. Thapa will be hungry to make it to his third Olympics.
National champions Lakshya Chahar (80kg) and Sanjeet (92kg) and Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal (+92kg) can also fancy their chances.
Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jaismine Lamboria (60kg) and former World youth champion Ankushita Boro (66kg) will try to win quota places and complete a full women’s squad to Paris.
Four Indian women – Nikaht Zareen (50kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Parveen Hooda (57kg) and Lovelina Borgohain (75kg) – have already bagged the Paris Olympics quota places through the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.
Altogether 633 boxers, including 400 men and 233 women, from 115 teams – comprising 113 nations, a boxing refugee team and an outfit of individual neutral athletes (primarily formed to accommodate Russian and Belarusian athletes, but only two Belarusians have applied) – will be seen in action in the nine-day event.
All the weight categories, barring two, will have four places up for grabs. Women’s 57kg will offer two quota places, while women’s 60kg has three.
The Indian squad: Men: Deepak Bhoria (51kg), Mohammad Hussamuddin (57kg), Shiva Thapa (63.5kg), Nishant Dev (71kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Sanjeet (92kg), Narender Berwal (+92kg); Women: Jaismine Lamboria (60kg), Ankushita Boro (66kg).
