After a superb showing at the just-concluded National Boxing Championships, MC Mary Kom tells Laxmi Negi her sights are firmly set on next year's Olympics.
'You can still hear gunshots, and this time even children know they are not normal.'
L Sarita Devi (60kg) and Manoj Kumar (59kg) advanced to the quarterfinals along with Commonwealth Games debutant Mohammed Hussamuddin (56kg), in Gold Coast, on Saturday.
The participation of Indian athletes in Friday's Tokyo Olympic Games opening ceremony will be kept to a 'bare minimum' in view of the COVID-19 threat, while only six officials from the contingent will be allowed to take part in the event.
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.
An Olympic quota place pocketed, Indian boxer Shiva Thapa (56kg) ended his campaign with a silver medal after losing in the final of the Asian/Oceania Qualifying Tournament Qian'an, China on Friday. The 22-year-old Assamese, who is a World Championship bronze-medallist, went down 0-3 to Thailand's Chatchai Butdee in the summit clash. Butdee is the reigning Asian champion. Shiva had booked his ticket to Rio de Janeiro by making the finals yesterday after beating Kazakhstan's Kairat Yeraliyev. Meanwhile, it was a heartbreak once again for L Devendro Singh (49kg), who missed a second opportunity to qualify for the Olympics. The Commonwealth silver-medallist, who lost in the semifinals a day prior, went down in the box-off for the Olympic slot on Friday.
Ace boxer MC Mary will lead India's charge at the forthcoming Asian Games in Guangzhou, which commences from November 12 and then achieving her bigger goal -- to win gold at the 2012 London Olympics.
Top woman boxer L Sarita Devi has threatened to return the Arjuna award she was conferred last year and quit representing the country if the 'injustice' of dropping her from the Asian Games squad is not looked into by the sports minister.
The 21-year-old from Haryana then landed a flurry of punches in the third round as the last three minutes were closely-fought between the two. But Nitu defended tightly and looked in control to emerge victorious.
Panghal is the only Indian Olympic-bound boxer to be ranked as number
India's greatest ever Olympian Sushil Kumar strongly feels that panels similar to one headed by Justice RM Lodha to clean up the Board of Control for Cricket in India mess, is required to bring in more accountability and transparency in functioning of National Sports Federations (NSF).
World championship trials would be held from March 7 to 9, followed by the Asiad trials from March 10 to 13.
Modi rocket, Modi bomb, Priyanka sparklers. This Diwali, politicians are the rage when it comes to firecrackers. Fireworks with the prime minister's face and name are selling like hot cakes everywhere
Better late than never! That's the thought on Manipuris minds as they gear up to host their first ever international tournament from Wednesday.
Former World Boxing champion Aruna Mishra alleged that the adverse decision against Sarita Devi has robbed her off a gold in the Asian Games, but opined the boxer should have accepted the bronze medal as it was for the nation.
'Watch our Indian athletes in Tokyo Olympics,' Virat Kohli said in a video
Sonia Lather (57kg) stood just one win away from ending India's six-year-old gold medal drought at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championship as she advanced to final after outpunching Kazakhstan's Aizhan Khojabekova in the last-four stage in Astana, Kazakhstan on Thursday. The 24-year-old Sonia, who is a 2012 Asian Championships silver-medallist, defeated Khojabekova 3-0 to set up a clash with Italian Alessia Mesiano, who got the better of Bulgaria's Denitsa Eliseeva by a similar margin. The lone Indian left in the fray, Sonia was quick off the blocks against her rather sloppy rival. Combining right hooks with power-packed jabs, Sonia threw Khojabekova off balance on more than one occasion. Khojabekova was mostly clueless when it came to defending herself and her feeble attempts at attack were blocked or evaded effortlessly by the quick-thinking Haryana girl. In the end, it was hardly a surprise that judges ruled unanimously in Sonia's favour.
Mary Kom (51kg) will open her campaign against Dominica's Miguelina Hernandez on July 25; Panghal gets bye into pre-quarters.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Monday
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Badminton player Saina Nehwal was 'cancelled' on Twitter for praising PM Modi's speech.
MS Dhoni or Sachin A Billion Dreams? Dangal or Mary Kom?
The Army Sports Institute's stadium in Pune has been renamed after Tokyo Olympics gold medallist Neeraj Chopra.
Nitu has been in supreme form throughout the tournament, winning her first three bouts by RSC (referee stops contest).
Indian women boxers failed to secure a single Olympic quota berth at the AIBA World Championships after Pooja Rani (75kg) bowed out.
In the rematch of last year's quarter-finals, Nitu and Balkibekova went all guns blazing in the first round. However, the Kazakh was dominant and took the round 2-3.
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 pugilists were due to start training later this month or early in August after the Boxing Federation of India got the SAI nod to conduct the national camp amid the pandemic.
In a conference call with these boxers on Sunday, Boxing Federation of India (BFI) President Ajay Singh took stock of their preparations amid a national lockdown till April 14 to fight the pandemic.
President Ram Nath Kovind hosted high tea for the Indian contingent to the Tokyo Olympics 2020 at the Rashtrapati Bhavan Cultural Centre on Independence Day eve, August 14, 2021.
The Indian boxing team, which landed in Birmingham on Monday, wasted no time as they immediately started their practice for the mega-event.
Take a look at the on-location shoot of Bhoomi.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is hopeful that Bangladesh will agree to play the first-ever Day/Night Test between the two countries, notwithstanding the neighbours' apprehension about facing the pink ball.
'There is more to life than sport and anything can happen in sport, so you need something to fall back on'
Here's a look at the top 10 tweets from your favourite Bollywood celebrities.
Indian athletes, including the boxers and shooters, hit the ground running as they started their pre-Olympic training, hoping to live up to massive expectations in the pandemic-hit Games in Tokyo.
As Parineeti Chopra brings Saina Nehwal's story on screen, Joginder Tuteja takes a look at how well Bollywood's sports movies have done at the box office.
2020 could well have been a year of biopics with females taking centre-stage. After Chhapaak, it was time for Shakuntala Devi and Gangubai Kathiawadi to release later in the year with many more in the pipeline for 2021.
Rediff.com brings how the sportsmen celebrated India's 69th Independence Day.
Indian contingent would be aiming to make it all good with strong medal-winning performances when the acutely-low-on-buzz Commonwealth Games start
