The six-strong Indian team is aiming for a historic title in the Paris Olympics
Six of the Indians have qualified for the Paris Olympics in boxing and the country is ready to win medals in the French capital once again after the Tokyo edition.
India competed first in the Olympic Games in 1948 in London short after the country became fully independent from the United Kingdom one year earlier. The Indian boxers attended and qualified 15-times in the boxing tournament of the Olympic Games until 2021.
Their first Olympic medal in the sport was achieved by Vijender Singh at the Beijing 2008 edition and he became also the first Indian who could win a bronze at the World Boxing Championships.
Their second bronze was delivered by national icon, the six-time World Champion Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte at the women’s flyweight (51kg) in London in 2012. Their third bronze medal was taken by Lovlina Borgohain in the last Tokyo Olympics and she is also member of the team in Paris as well.
Their team competed in the Boxam Tournament, the Strandja Memorial Tournament, the Asian U22 Boxing Championships and at the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem this year next to the qualification events. Since the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event, the Indians trained in Europe and their team is in France already to finalize the preparation.
Dmitriy Dmitruk, Chenanda Achaiah Kuttapa, Pranamika Borah, Dharmendra Singh Yadav and Khimanand Belwal are the coaches of the Indian team in the training camps but physiotherapist, masseur, masseuse, doctor, nutritionist, video analyst and psychologist are also supporting the preparation of the squad.
All of the four qualified Indian girls have huge potential in the upcoming Olympic Games but the two-time World Champion Nikhat Zareen has the best chance to achieve her next career highlight at the women’s light flyweight (50kg). Zareen won all of her contests in 2022, she won big events and the experienced girl is ready to earn a medal in Paris.
The Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti Pawar (54kg), the tall Jaismine Lamboriya (57kg) and their ace, the World Champion and Tokyo Olympics star Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) also qualified for the Paris Olympics. Borgohain achieved a bronze three years ago and the Asian Champion has the potential to beat her main rivals in Paris.
Amit Panghal returned to the national team in time to get a flight ticket to Paris through the 2nd World Olympic Boxing Qualifying Event. The 29-year-old flyweight (51kg) boxer will be competing in his second Olympics after Tokyo and the Asian Games winner has the speed and skills to get a medal in Paris.
India’s next male sensation, Nishant Dev achieved a bronze medal at the 2023 Men’s Elite World Boxing Championships in Tashkent and finally he qualified for the Paris Olympics through the last chance option from Bangkok.
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