Indian Boxers Asian Games: The Indian boxing squad at the 2023 Asian Games will be made up of seven men and six women, increasing the number of Olympic slots available for female boxers.
Given that it serves as a regional qualifying event for the Paris Olympics in 2024, boxers attach great importance to the Hangzhou Asian Games. This competition has more quota seats for female boxers since there are four semifinalists in each of the weight divisions of 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, and 60kg, as well as two finalists in each of the divisions of 66kg and 75kg. In light of these prospects, the Indian contingent is more optimistic about its female combatants.
Current world champions Nikhat Zareen (50 kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (75 kg), as well as Commonwealth Games bronze medalist Jaismine Lamboria (60 kg) and Worlds bronze medalist Parveen Hooda (63 kg), have accomplished significant feats. Exciting athletes like former World Youth Champion Arundhati Choudhary (66 kg) and Asian bronze medalist Preeti Sai Pawar (54 kg) also provide important skills.
Despite being excluded from the selection evaluation, Nikhat, a two-time gold medalist at the World Championships, and Lovlina, who won a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, have had some rigorous training throughout the preparation period.
You might also be interested in reading this: What Are The Qualities of a Great Boxer?
“Overall, during our preparations, we concentrated on the technical and tactical aspects of the game. The emphasis for our women, who put in a lot of effort and attention, was on punching effectively, including not wasting energy. The goal is to get as many medals and quota spots as you can,” head coach C.A. Kuttappa said.
Preeti, who won major praise at the World Championships in March, wants to reach her full potential. Parveen and Arundhati, who are now competing in lower-weight classifications, are keen to succeed in their new divisions.
These women participated in a multi-nation training camp in Patiala alongside the male boxers, and they will attend another before entering the Games Village in China. Through this preparation, athletes will be prepared for comparable challenges during the Games and able to adapt to compete against boxers with diverse fighting styles.
In the men’s part, there will be two quota spots (finalists) available in each of the following weight classes: 51 kg, 57 kg, 63.5 kg, 71 kg, 80 kg, 92 kg, and +92 kg.
Sanjeet (92 kg), a former Asian champion, Shiva Thapa (63.5 kg), a six-time Asian medalist and former Worlds medalist, and Sachin Siwach (57 kg), a former World junior champion, are all contenders for the World Championships title in Hangzhou. Deepak Bhoria (51 kg) and Nishant Dev (71 kg), both bronze medalists, are also there.
The leading candidates for medals and quota spots continue to be Deepak and Nishant. Deepak defeated world silver medalist and Asian Games gold medalist Amit Panghal twice during the evaluation and also won a world bronze earlier this year. Deepak will be a serious contender for the gold because of his reputation for taking down giants. To maximise the potential of his inherent strength, Nishant must improve his performance. Perhaps at the peak of his abilities, Thapa is putting in more effort than ever to produce a striking outcome.
Sanjeet, who is known for his flair, will need to put up a great display to dispel the idea that he performs below average, while Sachin, with his technical brilliance, would need to take advantage of the chance to replace Mohammed Hussamuddin. Younger Lakshay Chahar (80 kg) and seasoned Narender Berwal (+92 kg) both want to raise their profiles.
Even though the women’s boxing team was absent from the 2018 Asian Games, India still managed to win a gold and a bronze medal, so they may expect more medals this time around.
With strong rivals like Japan, Chinese Taipei, and China, notably in women’s boxing, plus boxers from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Thailand, and Mongolia, the rivalry is predicted to be fierce.
Indian boxers will pack a punch in the Asian Games in 2023. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
