India to field 9-member boxing team for Olympic qualifiers

In what may be the last qualifier before the Rio Olympics, India will field a nine-member team for the boxing World Olympic qualifiers, starting June 16 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Commonwealth Games silver-medallist L. Devendro Singh (49 kg) and Asian Games bronze-medallist Vikas Krishan (75 kg) will lead the team.

India will not field anyone in the 56 kg category, as Assamese boxer Shiva Thapa had already booked his Rio berth at the Asian Olympic qualifiers in March.

In the lightfly and flyweight division, only the gold and silver winners will qualify for the Olympics, while the top-five will get Rio berths in the remaining eight weight divisions.

The final Olympic qualifying event in July will be for those boxers who are competing in the International Boxing Association (AIBA)-promoted World Series of Boxing and AIBA Pro Boxing League -- the two semi-professional leagues where India does not have any presence.

That event will also be open to professional boxers from around the world.

The team for the Baku event includes Commonwealth Games silver medalist Mandeep Jangra in the 69 kg slot, CWG gold medallist Manoj Kumar for 64 kg, Gaurav Bidhuri for the 52 kg division, among others.

Team: L Devendro Singh (49 kg) Gaurav Bidhuri (52 kg), Dheeraj Rangi (60 kg), Manoj Kumar (64 kg), Mandeep Jangra (69 kg), Vikas Krishan (75 kg), Sumit Sangwan (81 kg), Amritpreet Singh (91 kg), Satish kumar (+91 kg).

--IANS

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