What is next for Indian boxing after Tokyo Olympics?
(Courtesy : NDTV/BFI )
The country has won three medals at the discipline in the Olympic Games.
Boxing is a sport in which India has been making steady steps in the last decade or so. Vijender Singh was the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal when he clinched a historic bronze in Beijing in 2008. Four years later, the legendary Mary Kom won a bronze medal in London 2012 in what was the debut for women's boxing at the Olympic Games.
At the Tokyo Olympics, another Indian female boxer Lovlina Borgohain brought home a bronze medal. The 23-year-old became the first woman from Assam to participate in the Olympic Games and made the country proud with her fearless performances. The likes of Pooja Rani and Satish Kumar also showed flashes of brilliance but fell short in their quest for a medal.
With Tokyo 2020 now in the past, it is time for Indian boxers to turn their focus towards several upcoming competitions. Let’s take a look at the forthcoming boxing competitions where Indians will be participating.
AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships 2021
After a break of a couple of months, the Indian boxers will be back in action in October. The 21st edition of the World Boxing Championships will take place in Belgrade, Serbia between October 24 - November 6.
At the previous edition in 2019, India had managed to win two medals. Amit Panghal had won a silver medal in the flyweight category, whereas Manish Kaushik bagged a bronze medal in the light welterweight division. No Indian male boxer has ever been crowned a world champion. Several of them will be hoping to finally end the wait in 2021.
AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships 2021
The World Boxing Championships for women will also take place later in 2021. The exact dates are yet to be decided. Meanwhile, the venue is rumoured to be Kielce in Poland, however, AIBA is yet to confirm it.
At the previous edition two years ago, the Indian women fared better than their male counterparts. They brought home one silver medal and three bronze medals. Mary Kom, Lovlina Borgohain and Jamuna Boro all picked up bronze medals. On the other hand, Manju Rani won a silver medal in the light flyweight division. This time, the Indian women have designs on producing even better performances.
ASBC Grand Slam Boxing Championships 2021
The ASBC Grand Slam Boxing Championships began in 2019 to provide quality competition for emerging Asian and Oceanian pugilists. The inaugural edition took place in Xiamen, China.
India won three gold medals in the opening edition. Pooja Rani, Sparsh Kumar and Krishan Sharma all triumphed in their respective weight divisions. The second edition of the competition will take place in December this year.
AIBA Global Boxing Cup 2022
The 13th edition of the AIBA Global Boxing Cup will take place in April 2022. The competition which was earlier known as Boxing World Cup had started in 1979 and was discontinued after the 2008 edition.
AIBA President Umar Kremlev has supported the idea of introducing the tournament in the boxing calendar once again. Therefore, we will see it's return next year. It must be noted that it is a male only event. The venue will be Russia, with 15 different cities to host the competition.
Commonwealth Games 2022
The Commonwealth Games 2022 will take place in Birmingham, England between July 28 – August 8. The previous edition in 2018 in Gold Coast was a memorable one for Indian boxing. India finished at the second place in the medal table, with three gold, three silver and three bronze.
Mary Kom, Vikas Krishan Yadav and Gaurav Solanki won gold medals for the country. Tokyo Olympics trio Amit Panghal, Manish Kaushik and Satish Kumar claimed silver. Bronze medals went to Mohammad Hussamuddin, Manoj Kumar and Naman Tanwar. With a talented Indian contingent, the boxers are once again expected to shine in this prestigious competition.
Asian Games 2022
The 19th edition of the Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou, China between September 10-25. Hangzhou will also become the third Chinese city to host the prestigious meet after Beijing (1990) and Guangzhou (2010).
The Asian Games will include athletes from Oceania for the first time ever. India had won a meagre two medals in Jakarta in 2018. Amit Panghal will be defending his title. Vikas Krishan Yadav, who had won a bronze medal in the previous edition, will be aiming to do even better next year. Other Indian pugilists will also aim to step up their performance and shine on the continental stage.
AIBA Youth World Championships 2022
The AIBA Youth World Championships will once again take place in September 2022. This tournament acts as the springboard for next generation stars. The previous edition had taken place April 2021.
The young Indian pugilists returned home having recorded their best-ever haul in the competition's history. India went onto the top of the table with eight gold and three bronze medals. The youngsters will once again get a chance to rub shoulders with the world's best and hopefully replicate their previous memorable form on the global stage.
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