CHENNAI: The recently-held men's national boxing championships was a rare opportunity for lower-ranked boxers to stake a claim for the No 1 spot ahead of the vital Olympic qualifiers next year. Instead, it was the usual suspects who stamped their authority during the event. Amit Panghal (51kg), Shiva Thapa (63.5kg), Sachin (57kg) put up some slick performances to be among gold winners during the premier domestic competition in Shillong. More importantly, they now have a fair chance of representing the country during the World Qualification Tournament 1 (Olympic qualifiers which will be held from February 29 to March 12) in Italy.
The top-four finishers, as reported earlier, will be part of the camp. According to national boxing chief coach CA Kuttappa, there were no major surprises. There are a couple of boxers, who finished outside the top-four, who are likely to be included in the camp, which is scheduled to start from December 17th. "We are taking the four medallists from each weight category (gold, silver and two bronze medallists) in the camp. After the assessment period, we'll prune it down to three each," Kuttappa, who acted as one of the observers during the nationals, told this daily.
The camp for the Olympic weight categories — 51 kg, 57 kg, 63.5kg, 71 kg, 80 kg, 92 kg, +92 kg — will be in Patiala while the camp for the non-Olympic weight categories is scheduled to be conducted in Rohtak. After a subdued show during the Asian Games, the nationals was a chance for boxers including senior pros like Shiva and Sachin to course correct. Kuttappa had hoped that more youngsters would step up but that's not how things unfolded.
"In some of the weight categories, there was a huge gap in quality. We didn't see good boxers. Most of them didn't participate for some reason or other," he noted. Abhinash Jamwal, who suffered a narrow defeat against eventual winner Shiva in the opening round, caught the eyes of the observers and he could be included in the camp. Now, the focus turns to camp. Some of the seniors like Sachin and Amit left no doubts in the minds of the selectors during the nationals but their task is far from over. They will need to sustain their performance during the assessment camp which could begin from early next year. Kuttappa is hopeful the selected bunch can rise to another level then.
"Sachin, Amit (Panghal) had a cruise. They notched up dominant wins. It was all one-sided. This is a big opportunity. We'll see how they fare during the assessment period, which could begin from January 8." It should be noted that no men boxers from the country have secured Olympic quotas so far. The next month or so could be life-changing for the pugilists, who'll be part of the camp. A productive camp could potentially propel them to secure tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
After dominant show at nationals, Amit Panghal, Shiva Thapa, Sachin to be part of national camp which is scheduled to begin from December 17; No 1-ranked pugilists at camp will make cut for World Qualification Tournament 1
