World Championship medallists Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain and Nishant Dev will wade via attracts which can be at greatest tough of their quest to attain India’s greatest Olympic medal tally in boxing when the competitors kicks off in Paris on Saturday. Indian boxers have fetched three medals within the Olympics to date, all bronze. Whereas Vijender Singh stays the one male to have achieved the feat again within the 2008 Beijing Video games, girls stars MC Mary Kom (London, 2012) and Borgohain (Tokyo, 2021) later added to the general haul.
The six boxers in Paris had been handed attracts starting from slippery to tough on Thursday. Expectations are excessive from the group and two-time reigning world champion Zareen is on the forefront.
The 28-year-old has an uphill job forward as three of the highest medal contenders within the light-flyweight (50kg) division — China’s Wu Yu, Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat and Uzbekistan’s Sabina Bobokulov — are in her half.
Zareen opens her marketing campaign in opposition to Germany’s Maxi Klotzer on Sunday, following which she is going to meet top-seeded Asian Video games and reigning flyweight world champion Wu.
If Zareen crosses this hurdle, she could meet both eighth-seeded Asian Video games silver medallist Raksat or Bobokulova.
Each boxers have defeated the Indian just lately. Whereas Raksat acquired the higher of Zareen on the Asian Video games final yr, Bobokulova beat her on the Strandja Memorial closing in February.
However the tenacious Hyderabadi can be up for the problem and if she will get via two rounds, she would change into a favorite for gold.
The seasoned Amit Panghal (51kg) has had a rollercoaster of a trip this Olympic yr — from not being the primary alternative in his weight class within the nationwide group to creating the reduce for Paris within the one and solely likelihood he acquired.
Outing from the nationwide group deflated his confidence however he has unfinished enterprise to handle, having made a first-round exit in Tokyo.
Panghal has acquired a first-round bye and meets African Video games champion, Zambia’s Patrick Chinyemba, who had misplaced to the Indian on the Commonwealth Video games, within the spherical of 16.
He faces Asian Video games silver medallist Thitisan Panmod of Thailand within the quarterfinals and will doubtlessly meet Rio Olympics and reigning world champion Hassanboy Dusmatov from Uzbekistan or Tokyo bronze-winner Kazakh Saken Bibossinov within the semifinal.
The immensely proficient Nishant, probably the most constant performers within the Indian squad, has acquired one of the best draw. With a primary spherical bye, the debutant will tackle Ecuador’s Rodriguez Tenorio within the pre-quarters on Thursday.
If Nishant will get previous Tenorio, he’ll meet Mexico’s Pan American Video games champion Merco Verde within the quarterfinals. He could come up in opposition to prime seed Sewon Okazawa of Japan within the semifinals.
Borgohain shall be chasing historical past, so as to add to her 69kg bronze. The Assamese boxer, who has bulked as much as 75kg, will conflict with Norway’s Sunniva Hofstad within the first spherical.
Nevertheless, Borgohain has a troublesome check ready for her within the quarterfinal within the type of Chinsese Li Qian, the reigning Asian Video games champion and likewise a two-time Olympic and world medallist.
Though Borgohain defeated Qian on the world occasion final yr, she misplaced within the earlier two conferences — Asian Video games and the Czech Grand Prix.
A win within the quarters could pit Borgohain in opposition to both fifth-seeded world silver medallist Australian Caitlin Parker or Morocco’s heavyweight world champion Khadija El-Mardi.
Asian Video games bronze medallist Preeti Pawar (54kg), competing in her debut Video games, will battle with Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh within the first spherical. A win will take her to the spherical of 16 the place world silver-medallist Yeni Arias of Colombia awaits her.
One other debutant Jaismine Lamboria, who has dropped from 60kg to 57kg simply forward of the ultimate qualifier, has acquired maybe essentially the most tough draw.
She takes on Tokyo silver-medallist, former world champion Nesthy Petecio of Philippines, in her opening bout. Ought to she win, Jaismine can be up in opposition to France’s European Video games champion and world bronze winner Amina Zidani.
The boxing occasions on the Paris Video games will happen at two venues. The early rounds shall be held on the North Paris Enviornment whereas the enduring Stade Roland-Garros will host the semifinals and finals.
(Aside from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)
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