Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships: Indian boxers bag 39 medals in Dubai

India’s 20 youth event medals improve on last edition’s tally of 12. (Representational image)

Four youth women boxers, including Preeti Dahiya, won gold on the final day of the 2021 ASBC Asian Youth & Junior Boxing Championships, 2021, in Dubai. The team finished with a haul of 39 medals, including 14 gold.

India won eight gold, five silver, and six bronze medals for a total haul of 19 in the junior category. The youth boxers added a further six gold, nine silver, and five bronze medals. This is the first time that the continental event is jointly hosting both age groups.

Youth champs
Bishwamitra Chongtham (51 kg) secured India’s first gold in seven years in the youth men’s category, while Vishal (80 kg) added another. Neha (54 kg) secured India’s third gold with victory in the youth women’s event, winning by split decision.

Preeti Dahiya (60 kg) struck the fourth gold with another split decision victory. Sneha Kumari (66 kg) and Khushi (75 kg) also bagged victories.

On the other hand, Nivedita Karki (48 kg), Vishvanath Suresh (48 kg), Simran Verma (52 kg), Tamanna (50 kg), Preeti (57 kg), Vanshaj (64 kg), Khushi (63 kg), Jaydeep Rawat (71 kg), and Tanishbir Kaur Sandhu (81 kg) bagged silver in their respective events.

Daksh Singh (67 kg), Abhimanyu Loura (92 kg), Deepak (75 kg), and Aman Singh Bisht (92+ kg) secured bronze in their respective categories among the men. Lashu Yadav (70 kg) earned bronze for the women.

India’s 20 youth event medals improve on last edition’s tally of 12.

Prize money
Gold medal winners in the youth level will be awarded $6,000, while silver and bronze medal winners will receive $3,000 and $1,500, respectively. The prize money for gold, silver, and bronze medallists were $4,000, $2,000, and $1,000, respectively, in the junior category.

Boxers from nations with strong boxing history such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan took part in the championships. For many of the Indian boxers, this was the first competitive tournament at the Asian level after almost two years due to the pandemic.