Deepak Bhoria, Nishant Dev, Parveen secure Asian Games berths; Amit Panghal, Nitu miss out | Boxing News – Times of India

NEW DELHI: Following the assessment, Indian boxers Deepak Bhoria (51kg) and Nishant Dev (71kg), both World Championship bronze medallists, have been selected to represent the Indian men’s boxing team at this year’s Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Joining them are Parveen Hooda (57kg), the bronze medallist from the 2022 Worlds, Jaismine Lamboria (60kg), a bronze medallist from the Commonwealth Games, as well as Arundhati Chaudhary and Preeti Pawar. They will join star boxers Nikhat Zareen (51kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) in the women’s team for the continental event scheduled from September 23 to October 8.
Nikhat Zareen, a two-time world champion, and Lovlina Borgohain, who won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, automatically qualified for the Asian Games by virtue of reaching the final of the World Championships in March.
The boxing competitions at the Asian Games hold significant importance as they also serve as the first Olympic Qualifiers for the boxers from the continent, paving their way to the 2024 Paris Games.
However, reigning Asian Games light flyweight champion and 2019 World Championship silver medallist Amit Panghal will not be able to defend his crown as he once again finished behind Deepak in the assessment.
Under the Boxing Federation of India’s new selection policy, which evaluates boxers based on various parameters over a span of two to three weeks, the two-time Commonwealth Games medallist and 2019 Asian Champion lost out to Deepak, resulting in his exclusion from this year’s World Championships. Deepak and Nishant, on the other hand, showcased impressive performances at the World Championships in May, narrowly losing their semifinal bouts but securing bronze medals.
Reigning women’s world champion in the 48kg category, Nitu Ghanghas, also did not make the cut as she was surpassed by Preeti Pawar in the 54kg weight class. Nitu had moved up in weight as the 48kg division is not included in the Olympics, and Nikhat had already secured a spot for the Asian Games in the 51kg division.
Preeti, a courageous 19-year-old from Haryana, displayed remarkable skill during her debut at the World Championships earlier in the year, defeating the top seed and the silver medallist from the previous edition.
Among the men, the experienced Shiva Thapa will represent the country in the super lightweight category (63.5kg). Meanwhile, Sachin Siwach, the 2021 World Youth champion, has moved up from 54kg to 57kg in the absence of Mohammad Hussamuddin, the Worlds bronze medallist who is currently recovering from a knee injury sustained during the quarterfinals of the championship in May.
In addition, former Asian champion Sanjeet (92kg), Lakshya (80kg) Chahar, and Nerender Berwal secured their spots for the marquee event, outperforming Commonwealth Games silver medallist Sagar Ahlawat.

Squad:
Women: Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Parveen Hooda (57kg), Jaismine Lamboria 60kg, Arundhati Chaudhary (66kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg).
Men: Deepak Bhoria (51kg), Sachin Siwach (57kg), Shiva Thapa (63.5kg), Nishant Dev (71kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Sanjeet 92kg, Narender Berwal (+92kg).