Mary Kom, Manish Kaushik to make competitive return as Olympic-bound Indian boxers gear up for Boxam meet
New Delhi [India], February 12 (ANI): Six-time world champion Mary Kom (51kg) and Commonwealth Games silver medalist Manish Kaushik (63kg) will return to the ring for the first time after the Asian Olympic Qualifiers held in Jordan in March last year.
Kom recovered from dengue while Manish freshly rehabilitated from an injury and are all geared to pack a flurry of punches once again.
Amid the coronavirus pandemic, while the sporting world is still trying to make a comeback, 26 elite Indian boxers are gearing up to participate in the two international tournaments.
The Olympic qualified as well as probable boxers will be going to Castellon, Spain for the Boxam International Boxing Tournament while the rest of the elite boxers will be travelling for the Strandja Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria.
The World Championship silver medallist Amit Panghal (52kg), who had won gold in the recently-concluded Cologn World Cup, along with Hussam Uddin Mohammed (57 kg), Vikas Krishan Yadav (69 kg), Ashish Kumar (75 kg), Sumit Sangwan (81 kg), Sanjeet (91kg) and Satish Kumar (+91 kg) are the other India men boxers who will be fighting for the title in their respective weight category.
It will also be the first tournament for the Asian Games gold medallist Vikas since returning from a pro boxing stint in the US.
Youngster Jasmine, who has been highly impressive in the ongoing national camp, will be accompanying the boxers to Spain for her maiden senior tour and will fight in the 57kg women's category alongside Asian Championship bronze medallist Manisha Moun.
While Simranjit Kaur (60kg), who clinched gold at the Cologn World Cup in December, Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg) are the other Indian women boxer to participate at the Boxam meet scheduled from March 1 to 7.
While the Olympic-bound boxers battle it out at the Boxam meet, the country's 12 (7 men and 5 women) other pugilists will present a challenge at the sport's one of the oldest and prestigious tournaments, the 72nd Strandja International Boxing Tournament scheduled from February 21-28.
In the men's category, Deepak (52 Kg), Kavinder Singh Bisht (57 Kg) will lead the charge alongside Naveen Boora (69 Kg), Ankit Khatana (75 Kg), Sachin Kumar (81 Kg), Naveen Kumar (91 Kg) and Manjeet Sandhu (+91 Kg) will be seen in action.
The women's team will be represented by Jyoti (51 Kg), Sakshi (57 Kg), Shashi Chopra (60 Kg), Lalita (69 Kg), and Bhagyabati Kachari (75 Kg).
The boxers who are currently in the national camp are undergoing final preparations ahead of these crucial preparatory matches. (ANI)
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