Nikhat Zareen secured a Paris Olympics berth and assured herself of a medal as she cantered to the 50kg semi-finals of the Asian Games.
India have fielded a strong contingent led by two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen and Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain.
Debutant boxer Amit Panghal (49kg) continued his sensational run to make the final with a hard-fought win but an injured Vikas Krishan (75kg) had to settle for bronze after being declared medically unfit for his semifinal at the 18th Asian Games, in Jakarta, on Friday.
As we celebrate International Women's day on March 8, meet the Indian sportswomen who have made the nation proud with their superlative performances in the sporting arena.
Vijender Singh is determined to keep the record with a world title to boot as he enters the new decade donning multiple hats, including the one of an active politician "with strong opinions". The 34-year-old trailblazing boxer, who delivered India's first Olympic and men's world championship medals in boxing back in 2008 and 2009, has logged an enviable 12-0 record in the professional circuit, which he entered in 2015.
Som Bahadur Pun also bowed out in the in the first round of the 23rd Asian Boxing Championships.
Bantamweight boxer Shiva Thapa put up an impressive show against Chinese Taipei's Li Lin Yen to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Asian Championships in Amman, Jordan on Friday.
Indian boxers shone bright at the Doha International Tournament as Commonwealth Games silver-medallist L Devendro Singh (49kg) advanced to the final, while six others entered the semis.
M C Mary Kom (51kg) and Shiva Thapa (60kg) were among the prominent names assured of medals as the host nation continued to dominate the ring in the US $100,000 India Open boxing tournament for men and women, in Delhi, on Tuesday.
'It has made things easier for me in terms of planning for Olympics'
Five-time World champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) pipped arch-rival Pinki Jangra to the India's women's squad, while World Championships bronze medallist Shiva Thapa (56kg) made the cut in a star-studded men's boxing team for the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in China from March 23.
Lovlina won her maiden World Championships gold after two bronze medals, in her fourth attempt.
Five-time world champion Mary Kom, returning to the ring after recovering from some niggles that kept her out of the Asian Games, prevailed 5-0 against Kazakhstan's Aigerim Kassanayeva to pick up India's lone senior category gold at the event on Saturday.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) maintains that winning a gold medal at the Nationals was not a criterion to pick the team.
Incidentally, all three pugilists are currently embroiled in court case with the BFI over selection for the Asian Games.
'The experience and dedication of our boxers make me confident in their abilities to excel at the Asian Games.'
Indian boxing's biggest names are demanding an all systems reboot to halt the sport's decline after a medal-less Olympic campaign in Rio and their roadmap goes beyond having the much-delayed national federation.
Frustrated by Indian Olympic Association's refusal to grant them recognition, Boxing India President Sandeep Jajodia said he was 'baffled' by IOA's logic.
Six-time champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) was beaten by Turkey's Busenaz Cakiroglu in the semi-finals and had to settle for a bronze medal in the World Women's Boxing Championships, in Ulan-Ude, on Saturday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Thursday
Sports Ministry confirms Satwik, Chirag for Khel Ratna, Shami and 25 others for Arjuna award
Olympic bronze medallist M C Mary Kom has resumed training in Bengaluru post her eight-month long family break from the boxing ring after winning the gold medal in last year's Asian Games.
Former Commonwealth Games gold-medalist Manoj Kumar (64kg) put up a spirited show but could not match the power of fifth seed Fazliddin Gaibnazarov in his pre-quarterfinal bout to bow out of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. The 29-year-old Indian went down 3-0 in the contest which was not particularly engaging in its quality of boxing but showcased Manoj's fighting spirit.
A new body is in place to run boxing in India but the turmoil in the sport seems far from over with the Indian Olympic Association sitting on Boxing India's request for recognition even as its ad-hoc committee invited entries for next year's National Games despite having no validity.
Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist boxer Lovlina Borgohain slammed the Boxing Federation of India, saying she is facing a lot of 'mental harassment' because of regular change of her coaches.
Continuing that momentum, Hussamuddin took charge of the final round as well, and secured a 4-1 victory.
You don't prep for 2028 but for 2040, or even 2044. Sustained sporting excellence is based on mass support, grassroots development, and funding - and it is this trifecta India needs to work on, systematically, asserts Prem Panicker.
Veteran Manoj Kumar (69kg) assured himself the second Commonwealth Games medal of his career as four Indian boxers entered the semi-finals of the mega-event with contrasting victories in the quarter-finals, in Gold Coast, on Tuesday.
Nikhat, Lovlina on course for CWG berth
Out of competitive action for over a year, five-time world champion M C Mary Kom will return to the ring in an invitational tournament to be held in Mongolia next month.
Vijender Singh will defend his WBO Asia Pacific Super Middleweight title against Francis Cheka in New Delhi on December 17.
It's a dip that India can probably relate to given that the country went from two gold, three silver and four bronze in Guangzhou 2010 to a mere two bronze at Incheon 2014.
Indian boxers L Devendro Singh (49kg) and Gaurav Bidhuri (52kg) will be pulling in some punches in the upcoming season of the World Series of Boxing, after grabbing two-year contracts with Polish and Italian franchises.
Jeremy Lalrinnunga smashed two Games records on his way to a sensational gold medal win
A summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
Bitter about the administrative mess which he feels cost him a medal at the Rio Olympics, pugilist Manoj Kumar says Indian boxing is on death bed right now and desperately needs intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "I am sure that I would have won a medal if India was not suspended from the International Boxing Association (AIBA).] "Had the first round in that pre-quarterfinal bout gone in my favour, the result would have been different," Manoj told PTI in an interview.
Mary Kom would look to go one step closer towards her sixth gold when she takes the ring in the 48kg semifinals, in New Delhi, on Thursday.
It was a disappointing first session for Indian boxers in the World Championships quarter-finals, on Wednesday, as the seeded duo of Asian champion Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar (64kg) lost, and Satish Kumar (+91kg) was declared medically unfit.
The Haryana-boxer, one of only four Indians with a world championships medal to his credit, launched very few attacks but managed to connect just enough straights to get the judges' nod.
The debutant duo of Gaurav Solanki (52kg) and Manish Kaushik (60kg) advanced to the quarterfinals, continuing Indian boxers' fine preliminary run at the Commonwealth Games, in Gold Coast, on Monday.
