Boxer-cum-politician Vijender Singh has said he has no qualms about admitting that he has paid an emotional price for the decision to make a political switch from the Congress to the BJP, but insisted that he had his reasons to do so.
Padukone said it's high time that players learn to withstand pressure, take responsibility, and deliver results after receiving significant support from the government.
The lack of an effective Indian boxing federation has damaged the competitiveness of the sport and contributed to the decline of boxing in the country, women's Olympic flyweight bronze medallist MC Mary Kom said on Tuesday.
Responding to a petition filed by three boxers over their non-selection for the upcoming Asian Games, the Union Sports Ministry on Monday told the Punjab and Haryana High Court it has no role in the selection of athletes.
Indian pugilists will be determined to overcome the recent setbacks both inside and outside the boxing ring when they aim for the last available tickets to the Olympic Games at the second World Qualification Tournament, starting in Bangkok on Friday.
Sports Minister Vijay Goel, on Saturday, met former Olympic bronze-medallist Vijender Singh to discuss the way forward for Indian boxing, which has been severely hampered by administrative wrangling in the past four years.
The 49-year-old Italian has been with the Indian team since 2017. He was confined to the IG Stadium in the national capital for the past two months owing to the national lockdown to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
India suffered one of its most embarrassing defeat in recent years despite Sunil Chhetri's 94th international goal in his 150th match.
The two boxers, who had signed up with the Indian Boxing Council (IBC), will be re-joining the national camp after submitting letters of apology to the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) for abruptly leaving the amateur circuit.
Entrusted with the task of undoing four years of damage, Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president Ajay Singh says the bickering that has ruined the sport is not very difficult to control and he is confident of bringing in a professional approach in the set-up with his corporate experience.
When the match began it was Federer who surprisingly looked intimidated under the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights as he sprayed errors all around the court but the Swiss great woke from his slumber in time to turn the match resoundingly in his favour.
Also ending with a bronze was tournament debutant and national champion Varinder Singh (60kg) after a high-intensity clash against Iran's Daniyal Shahbakhsh. The Indian lost 2-3 after fighting his heart out.
India's schedule on Day 3 of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on July 31, Sunday.
Incidentally, all three pugilists are currently embroiled in court case with the BFI over selection for the Asian Games.
Nieva said boxers in all the five Olympic categories for women will be picked after selection bouts over two days.
Sports Ministry formally recognises yogasana as competitive sport.
Nikhat made short work of Brazil's Caroline De Almeida to notch up a dominant 5-0 win.
Livid at being ignored for elections to put together a new federation on Sunday, two of Indian boxing's biggest stakeholders -- Railways and Services Sports Control Board -- have lodged a protest with the Sports Ministry. Neither Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) nor the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB) will be a part of the election process to constitute the Boxing Federation of India even though they have a vote each.
A few Indian stars will have to go through the disappointment of watching all the action from afar.
Maidaan draws out more yawns than yays, observes Sukanya Verma.
Seventy two years ago, a newly independent India ventured to hold the the first Asian Games in Delhi with meager resources.
All these male politicians are unlikely to risk their sinecures to speak up in support of a bunch of women wrestlers who have chosen to challenge a politician who appears to have the ruling regime in a stranglehold, points out Kanika Datta.
The IBA has also welcomed the presence of an IOC monitoring group, which would "see first-hand IBA's best practices regarding technical and competitions rules, specifically its heralded bout review process," the federation said.
Ameesha Joshi tells Harish Kotian/Rediff.com what made her and Anna Sarkissian devote much of the last 10 years on a movie on women's boxing in India.
Sanjay Mishra to become new BAI general secretary
Indian boxer Vikas Krishan, who forfeited his semi-final bout in the Asian Championships, won't be allowed to compete in the World Series of Boxing and will have to explain his no-show to a disciplinary committee of the national federation.
Sarjubala, competing in the flyweight 51kg category, defeated Tajikistan's Madina Ghaforova 5-0 in a bout which was more gruelling than what the score-line suggests.
Nikhat from Telengana was handed the fourth spot in the 51 kg category which already has the six-time World Champion MC Mary Kom, RSPB's Jyoti Gulia and Haryana's Ritu Grewal as other contenders.
Goof-up at World Championships: Russian anthem played incorrectly.
Boxing great MC Mary Kom will lead a five-member Oversight Committee that will probe sexual harassment charges against Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.
World champion Nikhat Zareen is keen to use the experience gained in the recently-concluded global event to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
Close on the heels of International Boxing Association provisionally suspending the Indian Federation, the Sports Ministry also suspended recognition to the IABF, citing 'flawed and faulty' elections.
All of the boxers have been training at their respective homes ever since the nationals camps came to a halt in mid-March owing to the virus outbreak
'A few months ago, everybody was saying, "Why isn't Vijender taking part in the Olympics?"' 'This is not like going to Haryana or Delhi that you just take a ticket and reach there.' 'Going to the Olympics is not easy'
Team India will compete in 15 sporting disciplines as well as four disciplines in the para sports category.
Vijender Singh will defend his WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title against Francis Cheka in New Delhi on December 17.
Nikhat notched up an easy 5-0 win over South Korea's Chorong Bak in the second round of the women's event.
In women's events, the semi-finalists in the 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, and 60kg as well as the finalists in the 66kg and 75kg will qualify for the Paris Olympics.
The stunning defeat of Commonwealth champion and Asian silver medallist Jai Bhagwan (60kg) has kicked up a storm at the All India Police Boxing Tournament as the judges have been accused of 'cheating'.
He said the team management has informed the Pakistan High Commission in the UK and the relevant authorities in London about the disappearance of Suleman and Nazeerullah.
