Amit Panghal to lead India in UAE

Amit Panghal. Pic/AFP

Following continuous efforts from the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), a full-strength Indian contingent is all set to participate in the upcoming 2021 ASBC Asian Boxing Championship which is jointly hosted by BFI and UAE Boxing Federation.

BFI, which had earlier named the women's team spearheaded by the six-time world champion Mary Kom, announced the men's side as well which will be headlined by defending champion Amit Panghal.

The matches will be kicked off from May 24 and go on till June 1 in Dubai. All the players alongside coaches and support staff are already in the bio-secure bubble.

"Players' best interest has always been a priority for the Boxing Federation of India and now is no different. We are thankful to the UAE Government, Indian Ambassador to UAE Mr Pavan Kapoor and ASBC President Anas Alotaiba who have helped us in every possible way to secure the team's travel to Dubai," said Ajay Singh, BFI President.

"This is a much-needed competition which is crucial for the final phase of training and preparation for the Olympics. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the participating boxers along with the member nations, all the very best," he added.

Alongside Asian Games gold medallist Panghal (52kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg) and Ashish Kumar (75kg) are the other Olympic-bound pugilists who have been named into the men's side.

The other boxers included in the squad are the 2013 Asian Championship gold medallist Shiva Thapa (64kg), Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Mohammad Hussamuddin (56kg), Vinod Tanwar (49kg), Varinder Singh (60kg), Sumit Sangwan (81kg), Sanjeet (91kg) and Narender (+91kg).

The Asian Championship will be the first boxing tournament to take off in Asia, the tournament was initially scheduled to take place in New Delhi. However, due to international travel restrictions, the tournament had to be shifted to Dubai.

The Indian team is expected to reach Dubai on May 22 and the contingent will be issued visas on their arrival. All the top players and Olympic-bound boxers are participating in the tournament.

Also Read: Mary Kom: I'm blessed to have not been touched by Covid-19 yet

Indian squad:
(Men): Vinod Tanwar (49kg), Amit Panghal (52kg), Mohammad Hussamuddin (56kg), Varinder Singh (60kg), Shiva Thapa (64kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg), Sumit Sangwan (81kg), Sanjeet (91kg) and Narender (+91kg).
(Women): Monika (48kg), MC Mary Kom (51kg), Sakshi (54kg), Jasmine (57kg), Simranjeet Kaur (60kg), Lalbuatsaihi (64kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), Pooja Rani (75kg), Saweety (81kg) and Anupama (+81kg).

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