Twelve-member team named for World women’s boxing championships

Nikhat and Lovlina will prove their mettle in the newer weight categories at the Worlds.
| Photo Credit: A.M. FARUQUI

Star boxers Lovlina Borgohain, a two-time Worlds bronze medallist and the Tokyo Olympics bronze winner in 69kg, and Nikhat Zareen, the 52kg reigning World champion, have been named in newer weight categories for the World women’s boxing championships to be held at the Indira Gandhi Sports Complex in Delhi from March 15 to 26.

Lovlina bagged the National Games title, the Asian championships crown and the Naytional championship after jumping to 75kg and will carry on in the heavier weight up to next year’s Paris Olympics.

Nikhat, who secured her maiden Commonwealth Games gold in 50kg, will continue in the lower weight in the World championships as well as the Olympics.

Ghanghas is back

Another Commonwealth Games gold medal winner, Nitu Ghanghas (48kg) returned to the Indian side following a long layoff due to injury issues and a surgery.

Manisha Moun (57kg), a 2022 Worlds bronze medallist, Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jaismine Lamboria (60kg), promising pugilists Asian bronze medallist Preeti Dahiya (54kg) and 2021 World youth champion Sanamacha Chanu (70kg) will provide solidity.

Reigning Asian champion Saweety Boora (81kg), World youth champions Sakshi Chaudhary (52kg) and Shashi Chopra (63kg) and 2019 South Asian Games gold medallist Manju Bamboria (66kg) will be eager to prove their mettle.

National champion Nupur Sheoran (+81kg) will get a big break after competing well at the domestic level for several years.

As per the new selection policy, the coaches and high performance director Bernard Dunne looked at a few criteria, including fitness, evolution in sparring, regularity in attending training sessions, to pick the boxers. Nine National champions out of 12 weight categories made it to the Indian side.

The squad: Nitu Ghanghas (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (52kg), Preeti Dahiya (54kg), Manisha Moun (57kg), Jaismine Lamboria (60kg), Shashi Chopra (63kg), Manju Bamboria (66kg), Sanamacha Chanu (70kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Saweety Boora (81kg) and Nupur Sheoran (81+kg).