CHENNAI: Indian boxers are unlikely to have any major competition this year. This newspaper has learnt that the ASBC Elite Boxing Championships, which India was supposed to host in November, has been postponed to 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This decision was taken at the Asian Boxing Confederation’s Executive Council meeting on Monday. The online meeting was attended by president Anas Alotaiba and most EC members, this newspaper has learnt. All events on the ASBC calendar marked for the remaining part of the year have been shifted to 2021.
Earlier in April, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) had announced that India has been granted hosting rights. The event includes men’s and women’s events. The federation was yet to decide on a host city for the competition.
Last year’s edition was the first time both men and women featured in this championship in Bangkok. Amit Panghal and Pooja Rani had risen above the rest to finish as No 1 pugilists. Indian men had won seven medals, while women came back with six.
While the fate of most championships is sealed, the Asian federation is yet to take a call on ASBC Grand Slam Boxing Championship, which is scheduled to be held in December. Grand Slam is a fairly new concept. These events started last year featuring a limited number of boxers.
Nine elite Indian boxers (five men and four women) are currently training at NIS, Patiala. With strict protocols in place, they have been focussing on building strength under the coaches including Santiago Nieva.
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