The India team has enjoyed a lot of success in the just-concluded Asian Boxing Olympic qualifiers in Jordan. The tournament saw Amman with as many nine Indian boxers qualify for the 2020 Olympics.
However, no India boxers won a gold medal at the Asian Olympic qualifiers as Vikas Krishan, and Simranjit Kaurput put up a brilliant performance to win a silver medal.
India has, however, made history as this was their biggest ever boxing quota of athletes who have secured tickets for Tokyo 2020.
Nine out of the 13 boxers already earned the right to participate in Tokyo, which shows India’s most significant quota of fighters that will take part in the Olympics.
The male boxers who have already secured qualifications are Amit Panghal, Ashish Kumar, Vikas Krishan, Satish Kumar, Manish Kaushik, while Mary Kom, Pooja Rani, Lovlina Boroghain, and Simranjit Kaur were the female publish that secures qualifications.
With the World qualifiers to come to Paris, even if India fails to have any representatives, they can at least still rely on having nine contenders in Tokyo.
Amit Panghal who is ranked world no. One was seeded top as many expected him to kick off in flying colors in the tournament, but he found it hard making waves in the ring. He won his first bout in the competition after a narrow 3-2 split win over Mongolian Enkhmanadakh Kharkhuu.
In the female category, 37-year old Mary Kom had to rely on her experience to defeat Chang Yuan from China. The veteran pugilist remains one of the most aged athletes to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in Japan.
Written by: Olumide Akinnifesi