Young wrestler Antim Panghal, who challenged stalwart Vinesh Phogat in the Asian Games trials, is determined to prove a point in the continental showpiece and the subsequent World Championships.
Incidentally, all three pugilists are currently embroiled in court case with the BFI over selection for the Asian Games.
Antim survives Zhang challenge to make semis; Jyoti, Radhika eliminated
In the 57kg competition, much was expected from talented Anshu Malik but the 2021 world championship silver medallist struggled to score against Nanjo, the reigning U23 world champion.
The medal count was nowhere close to satisfactory at the senior level but junior performances held out hope for a brighter future as Indian wrestling searched for new stars in a challenging 2025.
India's boxer Amit Panghal (51kg) displayed his class as he reached his second consecutive Commonwealth Games final, while Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) also remained on course for a gold in her maiden appearance in Birmingham on Saturday.
Dominant efforts by two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Amit Panghal headlined Indian boxers' march into six finals at the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria on Saturday.
Manisha Bhanwala went out of the bronze medal race after losing her repechage round 0-9 to Bulgaria's Bilyana Dudova.
He joins ahead of a demanding 2026 season packed with major events, including the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. One of the first things on his agenda will be "tackling" the selection policy.
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.
India's young women wresters expectedly struggled at the big stage as three of them were eliminated in Zagreb, Croatia Tuesday, but Priya Malik (76kg) stayed in medal contention
Mixing strong defence with measured attack, young wrestler Antim Panghal won her second World Championship medal with a dominating 9-1 victory over U-23 World Champion Emma Jonna Denise Malmgren in the bronze play-off in Zagreb on Thursday, ensuring that the Indian contingent won't return empty-handed from the Croatian capital.
Amit Panghal, a World Championships silver medallist, out-punched Namri Berri of Vanuatu via an unanimous verdict.
They weren't up for a windfall even after the trophy but life was certain to get a lot better as some sponsors and state governments stepped up to lift them financially.
The 19-year-old Panghal put up a dominant show in the 53kg category, winning all her bouts without much fuss.
The Indian defeated Kazakhstan's Atlyn Shagayeva 8-0 final to emerge the first Indian to win gold in the competition's 34-year long history.
India Amit Panghal (52kg) bowed out of the Olympics boxing after a surprising 1-4 defeat to Rio Games silver-medallist Yuberjen Martinez in the pre-quarter-finals, on Saturday.
Tokyo Olympian and 2019 Asian Championships silver medallist Ashish Chaudhary will also be representing the country for the second time and would be keen to add another major medal to his name.
India's boxers Nitu Ghanghas won the women's 48kg Commonwealth Games title before Amit Panghal stormed to the gold medal in the men's 51kg, in Birmingham, on Sunday.
The CWG is set to be held in Birmingham from July 28 to August 8.
Amit Panghal will be eager to exorcise the ghosts of disappointing Tokyo Games
The second-seeded 23-year-old, who is also an Asian Games gold-medallist, thrashed his rival 5-0 to move into the pre-quarterfinals of the world showpiece. The Indian had been given a first-round bye.
Six-time world champion M C Mary Kom (51kg) qualified for Tokyo Olympics by advancing to the semi-final with a comfortable win over Philippines' Irish Magno, at the Asia/Oceania Qualifiers in Amman, on Monday. World number one Amit Panghal (52kg) qualified for his maiden Olympic Games, while Manish Kaushik (63kg) remained in the hunt for a Tokyo ticket despite losing his quarter-final bout.
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.
Panghal said that he will always strive to win medals for the country.
Panghal is the only Indian Olympic-bound boxer to be ranked as number
While the women scripted history, delivering India's best-ever overseas showing, the men endured a humbling low, returning without a single medal for the first time in 12 years.
Olympic-bound Indian boxer Amit Panghal described his silver-winning performance at the recently-concluded Asian Championships in Dubai as the best of his career so far.
Former World championship bronze medallist Simranjit Kaur has become the latest Indian boxer to turn professional.
It was a stunning loss for Panghal, who had won a gold medal in the Cologne World Cup a couple of months back. The 23-year-old ended up paying for his rather weak defence in the bout against Escobar.
Amit Panghal holds the numero uno position with 420 points, according to the list released by the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Boxing Task Force
Sanjeet Kumar won a gold medal in the 91 kg weight category at the Asian Boxing Championships.
Boxer Amit Panghal was tested but advanced to the quarterfinals of Asian Olympic qualifiers while the second-seeded Mary Kom produced a typically clinical performance to dismantle New Zealand's Commonwealth Games bronze-winner Tasmyn Benny for a 5-0 triumph.
Asian champion Amit Panghal (52kg) became the first Indian to enter the finals of the men's AIBA World Boxing Championships while Manish Kaushik (63kg) signed off with a bronze medal after going down in the semi-finals
The Asian Games gold medallist was nominated last year as well but was not considered due to a failed dope test in 2012, for which he served a one-year ban.
Antim Panghal returns to India after Olympic controversy
In the women's draw, world silver-medallist Sonia Chahal (57kg) advanced to the last-four stage at the continental showpiece.
The pint-sized dynamo from Rohtak became the first Indian male boxer to claim a silver medal at the World Championships, which concluded in Ekaterinburg, Russia on Saturday.
In a letter to the Minister, Amit Panghal, who became India's first male boxer to win a world championship silver last year, said that athletes should not have to plead their case for an award by nominating themselves.
However, Asian Games bronze winner Pooja Rai settled for a bronze medal after going down to the Netherlands' Nouchka Fontijn.
