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Boxing Nationals: Panghal sits out, Shiva and Kaushik to renew rivalry
Focus will be on Olympic weight categories with Asian Games, a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics, scheduled in September-October 2023
Commonwealth Games champion Amit Panghal will skip the Elite Men's National Boxing Championships starting in Hisar on Saturday. Panghal, who was suffering from a shoulder injury, has decided to take time off to recover and prepare for a busy 2023.
The focus will be on the seven Olympic weight categories (51kg, 57kg, 63.5kg, 71kg, 80kg, 92kg, +92kg) as the Asian Games scheduled in September-October will be the first qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It will be a big opportunity for the boxers to get a call for the national camp on the basis of their performance. It will be the start of a new cycle for us as next year we have the world championships and Asian Games,” men’s boxing team head coach Narender Rana said.
In the absence of Panghal—he made a fine comeback this year at the Birmingham CWG—and Deepak Kumar Bhoria, the 2019 Asian Boxing Championships silver medallist who is also recovering from injury, the flyweight category (51kg) will be open for youngsters to seize the opportunity.
In featherweight (57kg), CWG bronze medallist Mohd Hussamuddin will be the favourite. The seasoned Services boxer was in great form in 2022 and won bronze at the Asian Championships in Amman recently. He is likely to be tested by former world youth champion Sachin Siwach, who has moved up from 54kg.
“I have beaten Hussamuddin before and it is always good to have a competitor like him. I have prepared well and will be looking to give my best,” said Siwach, who will represent Railways.
The light welterweight (63.5kg) will see fierce rivals Shiva Thapa and Tokyo Olympian Manish Kaushik in action. For Kaushik, it will be a comeback tournament. The 2019 world championships bronze medallist has been out for a long time due to a right arm injury. With both pitted in the upper half of the draw, they are likely to meet in the semi-finals. It will be a big test for Kaushik if he faces Thapa, who recently won his sixth Asian championships medal in Amman. Shiva injured his right knee during the continental event but has fully recovered.
Former Asian champion Sanjeet (92kg) and Lakshya Chahar (80kg) will aim to dominate in their division.
The super heavyweight (+92kg) category will also see stiff competition with CWG silver medallist Sagar Ahlawat and Asian Championships bronze medallist Narender Berwal in the fray.
