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The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) will host the men’s National Championship on September 15. The gold medalists will qualify for the world championships slated for next month in Belgrade, Serbia.
The senior nationals will be held at the Inspire Institute of Sports (IIS) in Bellary, Karnataka. This will be the first national championship since 2020 (which was eventually cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The top two in each weight class will get an automatic entry into the national camp.
Boxing Federation of India (BFI) secretary-general Hemanta Kalita told Sportskeeda:
“The champions from each category will make the team for the world championships. We are all excited for it since these are the first nationals since 2020.”
The Nationals will also see a comeback of the head guard for the first time in eight years. Men’s amateur boxing did away with the equipment in 2013. It happened after the International Boxing Association (AIBA) medical commission concluded that removing it “may reduce the risk of concussion in the sport.”
Elite boxers aiming to win gold
The country’s top boxers such as Amit Panghal (52 kg), Manish Kaushik (63 kg) and Satish Kumar (+91 kg) will also have to compete for gold to become eligible for selection.
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Vikas Krishnan, though, is likely to skip the competition as he is currently nursing a shoulder injury.
“Everyone who wish to be eligible for the worlds will have to compete at the nationals and win gold. This includes the Olympians too. There is no exception,” Kalita added.
The world championships, scheduled to be held from October 24 to November 6, would be the first major international competition since the Tokyo Olympics.
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"The gold and silver medalists in all the weight categories will get an automatic berth in the national camp. The BFI will select a third boxer in each of the weight categories through selection trials,” Kalita said.
The revised weight divisions for men, after being increased from 10 to 13, are 48kg, 51kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63.5kg, 67kg, 71kg, 75kg, 80kg, 86kg, 92kg, and +92kg.
