CHENNAI: Indian boxing will soon witness some high-profile bouts with marquee names like Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain set to return to action. As reported by the The New Indian Express last month, the two star pugilists, along with several other elite names including Paris Olympian Preeti Sai Pawar, will be taking part in the Elite Women Boxing Tournament, which is scheduled to begin from June 27 to July 1 in Hyderabad.
This will be Nikhat's first competitive action since the Paris Games. The double world champ, along with Preeti, had taken part in a 17-day exposure tour in Tashkent, Uzbekistan last month. Upon their return to the country, the duo has been training in Inspire Institute of Sport, Bellary and were expected to travel to Hyderabad for the aforementioned event, which holds quite a lot of significance.
The event, which is being organised by the Telangana Boxing Federation under the aegis of the Boxing Federation of India and the Sports Authority of Telangana, is a pathway for those boxers who were unable to take part in the national championships which was conducted in Greater Noida earlier this year. As per the selection policy, the national championship is the main pathway for the boxers aspiring to be part of the national camp. The gold and silver medallist in the upcoming event will be included in the national camp. And based on the boxers performances in the said camp, a team for the upcoming World Championships and other key events will be picked.
"This tournament is not just a pathway into the elite national camp, it is also a way to build bench strength and discover new talent. We are confident that the new domestic structure will empower Indian boxing and help maintain its momentum on the global stage," Ajay Singh, BFI president and chairman of Interim Committee, was quoted as saying in the official announcement of the tournament.
Nikhat, meanwhile, will be taking part in the 51kg category instead of 50 as the former is one of the updated weight categories in the Olympic programme.
Lovlina is also expected to change her weight category due to a similar reason. Having made 75kg her own in recent years, she'll be forced to opt for either 70kg or +80kg. She might opt for the former as she was formerly a welterweight (69kg).
The tournament is expected to feature boxers from 15 units, including the top teams from the 8th Elite Women's Nationals — Railways, Haryana, All India Police, Services, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu — alongside host Telangana, the Combined SAI National Centre of Excellence team, and the TOPS Core & Development squad.
