The coveted Olympic medal eluded him yet again, but, far from being bogged down, boxer Vikas Krishan says he is now aiming to become the first Indian to clinch two medals at the World Championships irrespective of whether a national federation takes shape or not.
A summary of Indian athletes' performance on Wednesday, Day 6 of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Led by Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra, India will seek to showcase its ascendency as a sporting power at the Asian Games, which opens formally on Saturday after an unprecedented one-year delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Sports Ministry will depute an observer for the much-awaited elections, scheduled for September 25 in Mumbai, to constitute a new Boxing Federation of India.
Boxer Akhil Kumar on Monday failed to win a tactical bout dashing hopes of first Olympic medal from the ring compounding India's woes in the Games in Beijing with its challenge in women's table tennis fizzling out in first round and succes remaining elusive in athletics.
Both the boxers stuck to a defensive approach but Rani was the more accurate of the two.
'Boxing is all about being aggressive and maintaining a tempo while you are in the ring. I film-making I realised how important it was to take a step back and be patient.'
Amit Panghal (52kg) and Kavinder Singh Bisht (56kg) remained on course for their second successive international gold medals this year and India looked good to notch up its best ever performance in the Asian Boxing Championships.
I have not announced retirement: Mary Kom
The champion pugilist won India's only gold at the fifth Commonwealth Boxing Championships in Liverpool, as the team ended up with a commendable tally of one gold, two silver and six bronze medals.
Monica Puig gave Puerto Rico its first ever Olympic gold after an a outstanding display of tennis to defeat Germany's Angelique Kerber to win the women's singles title at the Rio Games on Saturday.
Asian Games medallists Vikas Krishan (75kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) were among the five Indian boxers who entered the finals, on Friday, while three others settled for bronze medals in what is turning out to be India's best ever performance inside the ring at the Commonwealth Games.
Pinki Rani replaced an injured M C Mary Kom, while Priyanka Choudhary came in for the suspended Sarita Dev in the Indian squad announced for the Women's World Boxing Championships to be held at Jeju, South Korea from November 13 to 25.
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.
Apart from Nikhat, Manisha Moun and Parveen Hooda, both of whom bronze medal at the Women's World Boxing Championships, met the Prime Minister.
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.
The Delhi high court on Wednesday sought a response from Boxing India on a plea challenging International Boxing Association's (AIBA) decision to suspend boxer Sarita Devi for refusing to accept the bronze medal at the Asian Games in South Korea.
A bronze medal in his kitty, Indian boxer Shiva Thapa could not add the Olympic quota place to it despite a valiant effort in a hard-fought box-off of the World Championships in Doha on Wednesday.
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.
A historic fifth successive World Championship gold medal under her belt but star Indian woman boxer M C Mary Kom remains hungry for more and will not consider hanging up her gloves before finishing on podium at the 2012 London Olympics.
The young Indian boxing of L Devendro Singh (49kg), Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Mandeep Jangra (69kg) continued their fine form to enter the finals of the Asian Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan.
MC Mary Kom on Monday created history as she assured India its fourth Olympic medal after winning her quarterfinal boxing bout against Maroua Rahali of Tunisia by 15-6 margin in the women's 51 kg category.
Putting an end to the status of the bronze medal won by Indian woman boxer L Sarita Devi, the Olympic Council of Asia on Thursday re-instated her medal in the 60kg category after a hearing with the India's Asian Games contingent officials in Incheon.
Indian pugilists put up a commendable show at the Ahmat Comert Cup International Boxing Championship.
It turned out to be a field day for India's young pugilists as they punched their way to an unprecedented nine medals, including four gold, in the Golden Glove of Vojvodina -- an international boxing tournament being held in Kikinda, Serbia.
Star paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal and World champion boxer Nikhat Zareen have been named India's flagbearers for the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham on Monday.
Every medal is a story of struggle, says the indomitable M C Mary Kom, who considers her fifth Asian Championship gold medal special as it came despite the many roles she has had to play outside the ring in the past one year.
India finished the Championships with one silver and two bronze medals. 2010 Commonwealth champion Paramjeet Samota (91kg) and 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist Balwinder Beniwal (64kg) had to settle for bronze medals each after losing in the semi-finals.
He had lost the motivation to compete and the death of his father last year had nearly convinced Diwakar Prasad to give up boxing.
England manager Gareth Southgate pointed at fatigue and injuries as a reason England were unable to match Spain's control of much of the match or build on the momentum of Cole Palmer's 73rd minute equaliser after Nico Williams had put Spain ahead two minutes into the second half.
Vikas Krishnan (60kg) and Naveen Kumar (81kg) fetched gold medals, while three others settled for silver as the Indian boxing team finished runners-up at the Asian Youth Boxing Championships in Tehran, Iran.
India's five-time world champion M C Mary Kom said a podium finish in London would give her the freedom to leave the ring on a high.
Berlin-based boxer Sadia Bromand is fighting for her compatriots and wants to win the Olympic gold for the Afghan women living under oppression.
Jitender Kumar (51kg) pummelled Welshman Jo Gage 18-6 while AL Lakra (57kg) got a walkover to the semi-finals, assuring India of an unprecedented four medals at the AIBA boxing World Cup in Moscow on Thursday.
Akhil Kumar gave India a resounding start at the inaugural AIBA boxing World Cup, out-punching Germany's Marcel Schneider 15-6 to enter the bantamweight semi-finals and assure himself a medal, in Moscow on Wednesday. The 27-year-old Indian will be up against Beijing Olympics silver medallist Yankiel Leon Alarcon of Cuba in the next round on December 13.
India's woman boxer Sarita Devi is facing an International Boxing Association (AIBA) probe for returning her Asian Games bronze medal during the podium ceremony with the world governing body's supervisor describing her act as "regretful".
Sonia Chahal stormed into the finals of Women's World Boxing Championships by outclassing her North Korean opponent Jo Son Hwa
Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final
A few Indian stars will have to go through the disappointment of watching all the action from afar.