Indian boxing has endured a turbulent year spoiled by the training of troubles, overwhelming defeats and an Olympic Paris Olympic campaign, all aggravated by the negligence of the National Federation which caused unprecedented embarrassment in the country. There were very few positive points to count in a year when, after a largely successful 2023, expectations were high. However, no boxer was able to add to the three bronze medals – Vijer Singh (2008), Mc Mary Kom (2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (2021) – which India had obtained in previous editions of the Olympic Games.
Nishant must, unlucky to miss an Olympic medal, was the most efficient in India, but the world champions Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina disappointed despite a largely detained belief that the fortune of female boxing followed an ascending trajectory.
Apart from the ring, the negligence of the India boxing federation (BFI) cost India an Olympic quota even though the administrators rushed worldwide to keep sport on the Olympic list.
Controversy and coaching crisis
The lamentable performance of the first global qualification tournament, where the nine boxers failed to obtain a place at the Paris Games, prompted High Performance Director Bernard Dunne to resign from his post when he was still in Italy, less than four months before the Olympic Games.
It was not only the defeats that were disturbing, but the way boxers lost who was really discouraging. Frequent eliminations and out -of -the -class RSC defeats highlighted inherent technical defects that had not been discussed. With the exception of Nishant, there was practically no name in Indian boxing which could be considered a success.
Adding to the misfortunes, the country quickly lost the 57 kg women’s Olympic quota, won by Parveen Hooda at the Asian Games last year, after the boxer received a 22 -month suspension by the World Anti -Doping Agency (WADA) for three failures where it is in a year.
The bronze medallist in the 2022 world championship did not submit when he is the period between April 2022 and March 2023, as mandated by AMA regulations.
The BFI was also to be blamed for this unprecedented embarrassment since the federation is duly informed of such a period of time by the international organization.
The Federation should have intervened to ensure that the athlete submitted the details required in time.
Consequently, India had to fight again for the qualification in the female category of 57 kg, the spot ultimately going to Jaismine Lamboria during the last Olympic qualifications.
There have been wholesale changes to this event with the old gold medalist from Asian Games Amit Panghal replacing Deepak Bhoria in the 51 kg category.
Finally, Panghal and Nishant made the cup for the quadrennial show with Jaismine, adding to the three quotas won by Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti Pawar (54 kg) and Lovlina (75 kg) last year.
In all, six boxers qualified for Paris, a drop in the five men and four women who represented India at the Tokyo 2021 Games.
Sterile Olympics, Nishant’s sorrow
Before the big event at the rear of two consecutive world championship titles, Zareen was praised as one of the strongest contenders of the medal of India.
However, in the 50 kg fiercely competitive category, the Telangana boxer was completely outstanding by the Wu Yu of China in a brutally unilateral fight.
Zareen, unable to match the incessant pace of his opponent, said later that she had “not eaten for two days to maintain the weight” and felt weak.
A victory far from a second consecutive Olympic medal, Lovlina also went to a Chinese boxer. The bronze winner of the Tokyo Games could not exceed the familiar enemy Li Qian.
For Panghal, who received a fairly easy draw, it was already seen because he made another pre-arterfinal outing of the Olympic Games.
The most heartbreaking loss, however, was endured by Nishant. The 23-year-old was beaten 1-4 by Marco Verde Alvarez of Mexico in the quarterfinals of 71 kg, although he seems to dominate the fight.
This result rekindled the fierce debate and the indignation to judge.
The devastating result denied Nishant, the 2023-Médallique World Championship in bronze, a podium during its beginnings while the Indian boxing contingent returned to the empty hands of Paris.
Sport has been sleeping since. The boxers did not participate in any tournament with the BFI deciding not to send a team for the Asian championships.
India joins world boxing
With the International Olympic Committee (IOC) threatening to leave boxing of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games if the national federations continued to align themselves with the suspended International Boxing Association (IBA), India has joined world break in rupture (WB).
However, the Asian boxing confederation (ASBC) voted against the left IBA to join the rival association.
But BFI reaffirmed its support in WB, which also has the support of the IOC, by successfully submitting for the accommodation rights of the CUP boxing finals next year.
The future of sport remains, however, surrounded by uncertainty and it remains to be seen if he can succeed in holding his place at the Olympic Games.
(With the exception of the title, this story has not been published by NDTV staff and is published from a unionized flow.)
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