Six boxers from both the male and female divisions will represent India in the boxing competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. This is a prominent quadrennial event.
India's boxers have improved significantly at the second Boxing World Qualifiers in Bangkok, even though they lost one of the four quotas that were previously assured by the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou due to Parveen Hooda's drug test. By the end of the competition, the Indian squad had secured three additional spots guaranteed for the Summer Games, making six members of the team.
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Before destiny had its way, 22-year-old fighter Jaismine Lamboria's path to the Paris Olympics appeared improbable. The bronze winner at the Commonwealth Games took back India's 57kg quota, which had to be given up after Parveen Hooda's 22-month punishment for failing to provide his whereabouts.
At first, Parveen, who won bronze in the Asian Games in 2023, was guaranteed a place in the 57kg division for the Summer Olympics. However, Jaismine was given a fresh opportunity as a result of her ban.
She filled the void, having been ranked second by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) for the Olympic Qualifiers in the 60kg class.
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When Nikhat, then 23 years old, battled with the famous Mary Kom in 2019 over her demand for a trial to decide India's representative in the Olympic boxing qualifications in Jordan, the dispute erupted. Nikhat, seeking a fair chance, had called for a trial; Mary Kom, pointing to her vast expertise and distinguished profession, had preferred a straight admittance. Nikhat was given a chance after the BFI intervened, but regrettably, she lost the fight badly, defeating Mary by a score of 1–9.
Nevertheless, in 2023, Nikhat's Olympic ambition came true when the 27-year-old was one of the first athletes from India to be awarded a ticket to the Paris Olympics. She earned a spot in the summer competition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou in 2022, where she took home the bronze. After qualifying, Zareen won a silver medal in the Strandja Memorial earlier this year, a gold medal at the Grand Prix in Czechia, and a triumph at the Elorda Cup in May.
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The 19-year-old had previously participated in the Asian Championships in Jordan in 2022 and the IBA World Championships in New Delhi in 2023, where she took home a bronze medal. Her prior accomplishments included a silver medal at the Youth Asian Championships in 2021 and a gold in the Khelo India Games in 2020 and 2021, respectively.
Preeti was very inexperienced, yet she made a tremendous impression on the main platform. She qualified for the Olympics in the women's 54kg division at the Asian Games by overcoming reigning Asian champion and three-time medalist Zhaina Shekerbekova of Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals with a hard-fought 4-1 victory. She then proceeded to the semifinals.
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After winning bronze in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, 26-year-old Lovlina Borgohain advanced to the 75kg final at the Asian Games and defeated Thailand's Baison Maneekon 5-0 to earn her second straight Olympic ticket.
There is a twist in Lovlina's Olympic story, though. She was just the third Indian boxer to earn an Olympic medal, following Mary Kom and Vijender Singh, when she last participated for her country at the Olympics in the 69kg class. Lovlina had to switch to the 75kg division to continue her Olympic goal when the 69kg class was eliminated from the Paris 2024 schedule.
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Nishant Dev defeated Vasile Cebotari of Moldova 5-0 in the 71kg division quarterfinal of the second World Boxing Qualifiers to become the first male boxer from India to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Nishant faced several obstacles on his journey to Paris, including injuries and setbacks that put his will to the test. He persisted despite only missing out on qualification at the inaugural World Boxing Qualifiers in Busto Arsizio, Italy earlier this year after losing 1-4 to Omari Jones of the USA in the quarterfinals.
When Nishant made his international debut in 2021, he first gained attention when he advanced to the Elite World Boxing Championship quarterfinals. When an old shoulder problem returned in the early months of 2022, his path took a difficult turn. After a 2010 tumble downstairs, a rod that was inserted got infected, necessitating surgery and prolonged rehabilitation. Nishant triumphantly returned to defend his championship in the National Boxing Championships in Hisar in January 2023, despite these losses.
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After being dropped from the national squad because the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) assessment system favoured bronze medallist Deepak Bhoria in the global championship, India's silver medallist at the world championship, Amit Panghal, had little opportunity to establish himself.
Panghal's main competition following his debut in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics was the 2022 Commonwealth Games, when he won the gold medal.
He had also won the Strandja Memorial earlier in the year, but Paris's qualification appeared far off. Panghal, however, qualified for the Olympics this year by defeating China's Chuang Liu in a close 5-0 quarterfinal match at the 2nd World Qualification Tournament.
Also Read: List of Indian Athletes Who are Qualified for Paris Olympic 2024
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