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New Delhi, September 12: India’s women pugilists begin their preparation for the AIBA World Youth Boxing Championship in Guwahati later this year by taking part in the prestigious Ahmed Comert International Boxing Championship this week.
Ten feisty Indian ladies took off for Istanbul on Monday early hours in the hope of getting valuable match experience against some of the world’s best boxers.
Soniya and Jyoti (48 kg), Deepa and Parveen (54kg), Shashi Chopra (57kg), Ankushita Boro (60kg), Lalita (64kg), Tilotima Chanu (60 kg), Manisha (64 kg) and Niharika Gonella (75 kg) will participate in the week-long tournament starting on Monday.
The Ahmed Comert championship is an invitational event organized by the Turkish Boxing Federation every year which attracts all the top boxing nations.
"We have been training very hard for the last three months and the boxers are all set for the task at hand. Our aim is to clinch at least six to seven medals," Bergemesco Raffael, the Italian coach of the team, said.
"We have brought in some major changes and the boxers are using new tactics and styles. Everyone is performing better now. Although we will be looking more at gaining experience in this championship, we would still like to not lose sight of the medals either,” the optimistic Italian added.
After their recent stint in Kazakhstan, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has brought in massive changes to improve the standards of the boxers. The entire aim is to prepare the women for the World Youth Championship in India.
"We want our boxers to get the right experience before the biggest championship in our country. We will leave no stone unturned to give them the best facilities and help them perform to the best of their abilities,” the President of the BFI, Ajay Singh, said on the eve of the tournament.
