World Championship medalists Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain and Nishant Dev will go through draws that are complicated at best in their quest to achieve India’s best ever Olympic medal tally in boxing when the competition begins in Paris on Saturday. Indian boxers have won three medals at the Olympics so far, all bronze. Although Vijender Singh remains the only man to have achieved the feat at the 2008 Beijing Games, female stars MC Mary Kom (London, 2012) and Borgohain (Tokyo, 2021) subsequently added to the overall result.
The six boxers in Paris had draws that ranged from slippery to difficult on Thursday. The group’s expectations are high and two-time world champion Zareen is at the forefront.
The 28-year-old has a tough task ahead of her, as three of the top medal contenders in the light flyweight (50kg) division – China’s Wu Yu, Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat and Uzbek Sabina Bobokulov – are in their half.
Zareen opens her campaign against Germany’s Maxi Klotzer on Sunday, after which she will face Asian Games leader and current world flyweight champion Wu.
If Zareen clears that hurdle, she could meet Asian Games silver medalist eighth seed Raksat or Bobokulova.
Both boxers defeated the Indian recently. While Raksat got the better of Zareen at last year’s Asian Games, Bobokulova beat her in the Strandja Memorial final in February.
But the tenacious Hyderabadi would be up to the challenge and if she gets past two rounds, she would become one of the favorites for gold.
Experienced Amit Panghal (51kg) has been through a rollercoaster this Olympic year – from not being the first choice in his weight category in the national team to being eliminated by Paris in the only chance he got.
The break from the national team has diminished his confidence, but he has unfinished business to resolve after being eliminated in the first round in Tokyo.
Panghal received a bye in the first round and faces All-Africa Games champion Patrick Chinyemba of Zambia, who had lost to the Indian in the Commonwealth Games, in the round of 16.
He faces Asian Games silver medalist Titisan Panmod of Thailand in the quarterfinals and could potentially face Rio Olympics and reigning world champion Hassanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan or Tokyo bronze winner Kazakh Saken Bibossinov, in the semi-final.
The immensely talented Nishant, one of the most consistent players in the Indian team, got the best toss. With a break in the first round, the newcomer will face Ecuadorian Rodríguez Tenório in the pre-quarterfinals, on Thursday.
If Nishant overcomes Tenório, he will face Mexican Pan American Games champion Merco Verde in the quarterfinals. He could face top seed Sewon Okazawa of Japan in the semifinals.
Borgohain will seek history, to add to the bronze under 69kg. The Assamese boxer, who weighs 75kg, will face Norwegian Sunniva Hofstad in the first round.
However, Borgohain has a tough test awaiting her in the quarter-finals in the form of China’s Li Qian, the reigning Asian Games champion and also a two-time Olympic and world medalist.
Although Borgohain defeated Qian at last year’s world event, she lost in the previous two meetings – Asian Games and Czech Republic Grand Prix.
A win in the quarters could pit Borgohain against Australian Caitlin Parker, the fifth-seeded world silver medalist, or Morocco’s world heavyweight champion Khadija El-Mardi.
Asian Games bronze medalist Preeti Pawar (54kg), competing in her debut Games, will fight Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh in the first round. A victory will take her to the round of 16, where world silver medalist Yeni Arias of Colombia awaits.
Another debutant Jaismine Lamboria, who dropped from 60kg to 57kg just before final qualifying, perhaps got the toughest draw.
She faces Tokyo silver medalist, former world champion Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines in her opening bout. If she wins, Jaismine will face French European Games champion and world bronze winner Amina Zidani.
Boxing events at the Paris Games will take place in two locations. The first rounds will be held at the North Paris Arena, while the iconic Stade Roland-Garros will host the semi-finals and finals.
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