Sanjeet Kumar won a gold medal in the 91 kg weight category at the Asian Boxing Championships.
The change means that Panghal, an Asian Games gold-medallist in 49kg, will now have to move to 52kg, while Thapa and Kaushik will have to forego the 60kg division and move up to the newly-created 63kg. Thapa is a three-time Asian Championships medallist and a world bronze-medallist, while Kaushik won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games last year.
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.
Thanks to their decent showings in recent years, Boxing Federation of India (BFI) president Abhay Singh Chautala has pinned his hopes on the pugilists to bring laurels to the country in the upcoming London Olympics.
World champion Nikhat Zareen is keen to use the experience gained in the recently-concluded global event to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
Frustrated by Indian Olympic Association's refusal to grant them recognition, Boxing India President Sandeep Jajodia said he was 'baffled' by IOA's logic.
It was gold rush for India at the Asian Junior Boxing Championships in Dubai on Sunday with four pugilists from the country winning gold medals.
He stopped short of saying retirement but India's long-serving national boxing coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu has hinted at stepping down from his position after next month's Olympics, saying that he wants to 'rest' post the Rio campaign.
In a double jolt for Indian boxing, middle-weight pugilist Manjit Singh has been suspended for two years after failing a dope test while fellow glovesman Baljeet Singh's 'A' sample has also tested positive.
Nikhat's form augurs well for India with the Olympics coming up next year.
The suspended Indian Boxing Federation (IABF) claims to have taken the first step towards regaining recognition from the International Boxing Association by preparing the draft of an amended constitution which would be compliant with the AIBA statute.
'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'
With the Ireland weather similar to London, this is basically seen as a trip to help the young squad get acclimatized to the conditions likely to be encountered at the Olympic Games.
Panghal and Kaushik have entered the semi-finals at the Worlds, making it the first time when India have more than one boxer in fray for the medal rounds of the marquee event.
'We need to be aware that we have a difficult game in Hong Kong. We have time to prepare, to be competitive and try to win and get the three points.'
The suspended Indian Boxing Federation has infuriated the International Boxing Association (AIBA) yet again and it is the pugilists who are paying the price for their refusal to act according to the world body's diktat.
Debutant Akash Kumar (54kg) secured India's first medal at the AIBA World Boxing Championships in Belgrade on Tuesday after advancing to the semi-finals with a superb win over former Olympic silver-medallist Yoel Finol Rivas of Venezuela.
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.
Medals eluded them but not the spotlight as the Indian men's boxing team shared the dais with London Olympics bronze-winning woman pugilist M C Mary Kom at a felicitation function organised by sponsors Monnet Group in New Delhi on Thursday.
Tata group has been a constant in India's sporting landscape and the conglomerate's involvement only grew under Ratan Tata.
Addressing close to 700 employees and the leadership team across the Air India headquarters and Air India Training Academy in Gurugram, Chandrasekaran urged them to stay on course, terming the accident the most "heartbreaking" crisis of his career.
Former World Championship silver medallist L Sarita Devi, who lost to five-time world champion M C Mary Kom in the trials, was included in the Indian women's boxing team for the November Asian Games as a reserve.
A day after the Ministry of Home Affairs allowed sports complexes and stadia to open without spectators, National Sports Federations were deliberating ways to facilitate training of at least the Olympic-bound athletes. The lockdown has been extended till May 31.
Incidentally, all three pugilists are currently embroiled in court case with the BFI over selection for the Asian Games.
'It is an extraordinary situation no doubt but we are all hoping for this to be brought under control by June', says BFI confident of COVID-19 storm passing.
Vijender Singh, Akhil Kumar and Jitender Kumar will return to the ring when the national camp kicks off in Patiala from October 1.
Indian Boxing Federation on Tuesday said World Champion MC Mary Kom's suspension could be revoked if the ace pugilist apologises to the jury for her "unsporting behaviour" during the senior National Boxing Championship.
With the country's boxing administration in a shambles, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) said on Wednesday that the top pugilists may not be able to compete in the upcoming Asian Games under the national flag if the elections are not held as per schedule next month.
Four-time world champion M C Mary Kom's suspension, for "unsporting behaviour" after her quarterfinal loss in the ongoing Women's National Boxing Championship, was revoked on Wednesday.
'And when I say sabotage I mean people who are not happy to see India rise as a sporting nation. This girl has been through so much, your heart breaks for her. What more could she have done? Which other test?'
Ashish Kumar continued his brilliant form at the 2022 Thailand Open international boxing tournament as he entered the finals alongside India's three other pugilists in Phuket on Wednesday.
With Simranjit (60kg), Sakshi (54kg), and Jaismine (57kg) progressing into the last-4 stage, the women's team has confirmed India a medal in each weight category.
The Mission Olympic Cell is also considering higher incentives for retired Olympians and world-class players who want to take up coaching, in an effort to retain top talent within India.
Nikhat made short work of Brazil's Caroline De Almeida to notch up a dominant 5-0 win.
Deepak clinched one of the most memorable wins of his career with a 4-1 win over more fancied Zoirov
Nikhat notched up an easy 5-0 win over South Korea's Chorong Bak in the second round of the women's event.
A cash bonanza awaits Indian boxers if they notch up medals at the London Olympics.
Kiren Rijiju, the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports led the tributes for the champion pugilist.
Defending champion M C Merykom had an easy victory in the 46 kg class semi-finals of the women's World Boxing Championships, beating Russia's Sabitova Elena.
Indian Boxing Federation's Secretary General Brig P K Muralidharan Raja will be the deputy Chef-de-Mission of the country's contingent in this year's London Olympics after being nominated for the job by IOA.
