A cash bonanza awaits Indian boxers if they notch up medals at the London Olympics.
He was not quite sure if training abroad before Olympics would help much but after spending a fortnight preparing in Ireland, London-bound Vijender Singh said the experience has done a world of good to the Indian boxers ahead of the mega-event this month.
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.
India struck gold not once but twice in their maiden appearance at the Winner International Boxing Tournament with Paramjeet Samota (+91kg) and teen sensation Shiva Thapa (56kg) finishing on top in the finals in Belgrade, Serbia.
Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Paramjeet Samota (+91kg), Manpreet Singh (91kg) and teen sensation Shiva Thapa (56kg) notched up contrasting wins to enter the semi-finals on a mixed opening day for Indian boxers in the Winners' International tournament in Belgrade, Serbia.
Just being in the final was enough to fetch him an Olympic berth at the Asian Qualifiers but teen Indian boxer Shiva Thapa (56kg) on Saturday said his target was never just the London ticket as he was desperate to hear the national anthem during the medal ceremony -- played only for the gold-medallists.
Indian boxer Shiva Thapa stunned former Olympic silver-medallist Worapoj Petchkoom 16-10 to enter the semi-finals of the Asian Olympic Qualifiers in Astana (Kazakhstan) and is now just one win away from booking a berth for the London Games.
A warning in the closing few seconds cost Shiva Thapa (56kg) dearly as the promising Indian boxer settled for a silver medal after going down narrowly in the final of the 43rd men's and women's Grand Prix in Usti and Labem, Czech Republic.
Shiva Thapa (56kg) was the lone Indian boxer to make the final after Olympic-bound Vikas Krishan (69kg) settled for a bronze medal following his loss in the semi-final of the 43rd men's and women's Grand Prix in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic.
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.
Commonwealth Games gold medalist Paramjeet Samota (+91kg) and Youth Olympics silver medalist Shiva Thapa (56kg) entered the finals of the Winner's international boxing tournament in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday.
Fourth seed Shiva Thapa (60kg) stunned Olympic bronze-medallist and top seed Dorjnyambuug Otgondalai of Mongolia to enter the Asian Boxing Championships final, in Tashkent, on Friday.
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.
Vikas Krishan (60 kg) picked his second successive international gold medal, while Shiva Thapa (54 kg) settled for a silver as India rounded off its World Youth Boxing Championship campaign with two medals, in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Monday.
Asian champion Vikas Krishan (60kg) and Shiva Thapa (54kg) assured themselves of not just a medal but also a berth in the Youth Olympic Games after qualifying for the semi-finals of the World Youth Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan on Friday.
Fourth seed Shiva Thapa (60kg) became the first Indian boxer to clinch three consecutive Asian Championships medals, while Sumit Sangwan (91kg) notched up his maiden podium finish as both boxers settled for silver medals at the continental showpiece, in Tashkent, on Saturday.
Indian boxers came good on Sunday as they advanced to the semi-finals of the Asian Youth Boxing Championship in Tehran, Iran.
Mary Kom fought back in the final three minutes but that was not enough to get the judges' nod.
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.
Asian quarter-finalist Sachin (49kg) scored an emphatic victory over Mexico's Gustavo Antonio Alvarez to enter second round of the AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia on Saturday.
Also ending with a bronze was tournament debutant and national champion Varinder Singh (60kg) after a high-intensity clash against Iran's Daniyal Shahbakhsh. The Indian lost 2-3 after fighting his heart out.
Top seed Vikas Krishan (75kg) and fourth seed Shiva Thapa (60kg) were among the four Indian boxers who qualified for the World Championships and assured themselves of medals by advancing to the Asian Championships semi-finals, in Tashkent, on Wednesday.
On a comeback trail after serving her one-year ban, Asian Games bronze-medallist L Sarita Devi will be seen in competitive action from December 1 as part of a 13-strong Indian team of 10 men and 3 women for the training-cum-competition event in the Chinese city of Qian'an.
Shiva Thapa became only the third Indian boxer ever to assure himself of a World Championships medal besides inching closer to an Olympic berth as he advanced to the semifinals with a dominating victory, in Doha, on Saturday.
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.
The Indian contingent's schedule at the Rio Olympics for Thursday.
Rising Indian boxer Shiva Thapa (56kg) and Commonwealth Games gold-medallist Manoj Kumar(64kg) endured draining contests but came out triumphant to enter the quarterfinals on a bitter-sweet day for India in the World Boxing Championships in Almaty (Kazakhstan) on Monday.
India have named a strong 10-member boxing team for the forthcoming South Asian Games to be held in Shillong from February 13 to 16.
Shiva Thapa, the only Indian boxer to have qualified for the Rio Olympics so far, got words of encouragement from none other than cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar.
'Aggression is very important.' 'In the new scoring system the judges are more impressed if you land more punches and fight more aggressively.'
Impressed by India's performance at the Doha International Tournament, Aussie boxers want exchange programme with India, claims coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu
Third seed Satish Kumar (+91kg) and sixth seed Manoj Kumar (69kg) were among the three Indian boxers who qualified for the World Championships after winning their respective box-offs at the Asian Championships in Tashkent, on Sunday.
Vikas Krishan regrets underestimating 19-year-old Youth Olympic champion Bektemir Melikuziev of Uzbekistan in the final at the Asian Boxing Championships in Thailand.
Check out India's report card on the sixth day of the 2016 Olympics.
World Boxing Council Asian champion Neeraj Goyat was the lone Indian left in fray for an Olympic berth after he entered the semi-finals even as other two bowed out following first round losses in the International Boxing Association's Olympic Qualifying Tournament for professional boxers in Vargas, Venezuela.
National coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu says the four-year-long administrative logjam cannot escape blame for all that has gone wrong with the once flourishing sport.
Sarjubala, competing in the flyweight 51kg category, defeated Tajikistan's Madina Ghaforova 5-0 in a bout which was more gruelling than what the score-line suggests.
The newly elected President of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) Ajay Singh, on Wednesday, announced that senior men's and women's nationals will be held in Guwahati and Uttarakhand, respectively.
The looming threat of an Olympic expulsion has ended for Indian boxers after the International Boxing Association (AIBA) agreed to extend the deadline for formation of the proposed new federation, which took another step forward by getting itself registered as a society.
India's comeback-man Akhil Kumar (60kg) pummelled his Nepalese rival Purna Bahadur Lama before notching up a Technical Knockout win to give Indian boxers a good start on Wednesday.