Indian boxers are now eyeing the World Championship, the aim is to perform better in the tournament
Tashkent. Indian boxers will aim to better their bronze medal haul last season when they take to the ring for the men’s World Championships starting here on Monday. The event will not fetch any Olympic quota but the boxers will face a tough challenge at the World Championships ahead of the Asian Games in September. This will better prepare them for the Asian Games, which is a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics. Revised weight categories for men in the Olympics have been reduced from 13 to seven. It includes weight categories of 51kg, 57kg, 63.5kg, 71kg, 80kg, 92kg, 92kg and above.
In the absence of Amit Panghal, India’s hopes will rest on six-time Asian Championships medalist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg). Panghal won the first silver for the country in 2019 while Akash Kumar won the lone medal (bronze) for the country last season. Shiva has tasted a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championships and will be eager to change the color of his medal this time around. Shiva is joined by other experienced players in the team including Mohammad Hussamuddin (57kg) and Ashish Chowdhary (80kg). Hussamuddin is a two-time Commonwealth Games medalist while Ashish is an Asian Championship silver medalist.
Ashish had also represented the country in the Tokyo Olympics. He will be participating in this event for the second time and would like to add another big medal to his name. The Indian contingent also has young boxers like 2021 world youth champion Sachin Siwach (54kg) and Harsh Chowdhary (86kg) who will be competing at the global event for the first time. Strandja Memorial silver medalist Govind Sahni (48kg) would also like to continue his good form. The young boxing quartet of Varinder Singh (60kg), Akash Sangwan (67kg), Nishant Dev (71kg) and Sumit Kundu (75kg) would be looking to make the most of their past experience in their second World Championship. CA Kuttapa is back as the head coach with the boxers. Like the Women’s World Championship held in March, boxers from many countries will not participate in this event. The International Boxing Federation, headed by Russia’s Umar Kremlev, has allowed boxers from Russia and Belarus to compete under their national flags in the event, contrary to the recommendation of the International Olympic Committee.
Britain, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Canada, Ireland, Sweden, Poland and New Zealand have boycotted it in protest. Despite the boycott of these countries, more than 640 boxers from 104 countries are set to compete in the tournament. Its gold medal winners will get prize money of two lakh dollars. Silver medalists will get one lakh and both bronze medalists will get $ 50,000 equally. Indian team: Govind Sahni (48kg), Deepak Bhoria (51kg), Sachin Siwach (54kg), Mohd Hussamuddin (57kg), Varinder Singh (60kg), Shiv Thapa (63.5kg), Akash Sangwan (67kg) ), Nishant Dev (71kg), Sumit Kundu (75kg), Ashish Chowdhary (80kg), Harsh Chowdhary (86kg), Naveen Kumar (92kg) and Narendra Berwal (over 92kg).
