Indian boxing fans will have ‘high expectations’ from their pugilists as they hit the ring in the Asia & Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament beginning in Qian'an, China on Wednesday. It may be worth recalling that India had fielded seven boxers at the 2012 London Olympics, and for the 13-member Indian boxing squad heading to China, matching that will be a huge challenge.
The International Boxing Association (AIBA) has altered the Olympic qualifying norms since the last Olympics with berths for the big-ticket event getting tougher than ever before. Seven Indian boxers made it to the 2012 London Olympics by virtue of reaching the quarterfinals of the 2011 World Championship in Baku.
“At the last Olympics there were 60 qualifying berths for boxers from Asia and now that has been whittled down to 30, so it is not going to be easy. Look at Shiva Thapa, he won a bronze medal at the 2015 World Championship in Doha but is still yet to make it to the Olympics,” says Indian boxing team head coach Gurbaksh Singh Sandhu.
The Indian men boxing contingent has as many as six boxers, who will be looking to feature in their second Olympics. The likes of Laishram Devendro Singh (49kg), Shiva Thapa (56kg), Manoj Kumar (64kg), Vikas Krishan (75kg) and Sumit Sangwan (81kg). The squad has a relatively unknown Dheeraj Rangi in 60-kg category. “All our boxers have really worked hard at our camp in NIS Patiala.
Dheeraj Rangi is a Services boxer and has got an opportunity to make a mark in China. Sumit Sangwan is making a comeback after a long injury-induced absence in light heavyweight category,” adds Sandhu.
The country erupted into raptures when Vijender Singh won a coveted bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics – in the process enhanced the ‘expectation quotient’ among fans of ‘medal maange more’ from our pugilists. The weight of expectations did affect our men boxers at the 2012 Olympics, where none of our seven men pugilists made it to the podium.
Devendro Singh and Vijender Singh came close to doing that but lost in the quarterfinals. Manoj Kumar reached the second round, while the likes of Shiva Thapa, Jai Bhagwan, Vikas Krishnan and Sumit Sangwan had lost in their first round bouts. “It’s difficult to say precisely how many boxers will make it to Rio. The qualifying norms are very stringent now and we can keep our fingers crossed.
The presence boxers from Oceania nations like Australia and New Zealand will only make our task more difficult,” Sandhu uses his words carefully before embarking on overseeing another practice session of his wards.
