Page 2 - Boxing

Lovlina Borgohain, Nikhat Zareen named in India's World Championship Squad

Star boxers Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain were on Thursday named in India's squad for the World Championships set to take place in Liverpool in September. The 20-member squad was finalised after the boxers went through a week-long assessment at the National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala. The tournament, to be held from September 4 to 14, will be the first World Championships held under the aegis of the new governing body of the sport, World Boxing. It will feature competitions in 10 weight classes for men and women. It will also be for the first time ever that male and female boxers would compete in an Olympics-style boxing at the same event for the title of World Boxing Champion. Both Zareen and Borgohain had missed the women's nationals in March. While the two-time world champion Zareen was injured at the time, the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallist Borgohain had missed the event as the Assam state unit refused to send her due to infighting in the federation. The duo had

BFI interim body seeks Vijender's help to revamp training system

Indian boxing's interim committee chief Ajay Singh on Thursday said he has "requested" Olympic medallist pugilist Vijender Singh to lend his expertise by overseeing "some training camps" and offering suggestions for improvement. Vijender, who won a bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Games, remains India's only male boxer to have finished on the podium at the Olympics. "Vijender is quite involved with the activities. Of course, he is a huge inspiration for boxers. But we also want to use his skills and his expertise to oversee some of our training processes and give us some suggestions on how to improve," Singh told reporters. "Because you know, many times boxers have the skill but it becomes a mindset issue," he added. The boxer-turned-politician has also plied his trade in the professional circuit, but hasn't competed there since 2022. Singh added that Vijender's involvement is in its early stages. "He is just starting now and I have requested him to oversee some of the training ca

Imane Khelif Skips Eindhoven as Boxing Body Enforces Sex Verification

Olympic champion Imane Khelif is skipping the Eindhoven Box Cup in the Netherlands less than a week after World Boxing announced mandatory sex testing for all athletes. The Algerian boxer, who won gold at the Paris Games last summer amid scrutiny over her eligibility, did not register in time for the event before applications closed on Thursday. The decision of Imane's exclusion is not ours. We regret it, tournament media director Dirk Renders told The Associated Press. The 26-year-old Khelif had intended to return to international competition at the Eindhoven tournament this weekend before World Boxing announced its new sex testing policy last Friday. The governing body specifically mentioned Khelif, saying she'd have to screened to be approved to fight at any upcoming events, including the Eindhoven Box Cup. Eindhoven mayor Jeroen Dijsselbloem criticized World Boxing's decision. As far as we are concerned, all athletes are welcome in Eindhoven. Excluding athletes based on ...

Lovlina starts boxing academy in Guwahati, gets Rs 2 crore from CM

Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain has unveiled her boxing academy in Barchandra in north Guwahati and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced a grant of Rs 2 crore for its development. Set up on land purchased by Borgohain in 2021, the Lovlina Borgohain Boxing Academy, inaugurated on Wednesday, aims to provide grassroots boxers with professional infrastructure, including a 26x26 boxing ring and a fully equipped gym. The centre is Guwahati's first of its kind and will cater to youth from across Assam and the northeast. "This academy is a vital step towards identifying and developing the next generation of champions from Assam," said Sarma. He also agreed to aid Lovlina in the acquisition of land and costing for the building of hostels for the athletes. The minister has also promised to help the academy in covering expenses related to the coaching staff and expansion of the academy. Lovlina said she began to work on the project after the 2024 Olympics, using her

Is boxer Imane Khelif a biological male? What does 'leaked' lab report say

Imane Khelif's 2023 New Delhi test revealed an XY karyotype - indicating that she is a male; World Boxing now requires sex tests to verify eligibility for female competitions

Heavyweight boxing legend, businessman George Foreman passes away at 76

George Foreman, the fearsome heavyweight who lost the Rumble in the Jungle to Muhammad Ali before his inspiring second act as a 45-year-old champion and a successful businessman, died Friday night. He was 76. Foreman's family announced his death on social media. A devout preacher, a devoted husband, a loving father, and a proud grand- and great-grandfather, he lived a life marked by unwavering faith, humility and purpose," his family wrote. A native Texan, Foreman began his boxing career as an Olympic gold medalist who inspired fear as he climbed to the peak of the heavyweight division by stopping Joe Frazier in 1973. His formidable aura evaporated only a year later when Ali pulled off one of the most audacious victories in boxing history in Zaire, baiting and taunting Foreman into losing his belt in one of the greatest fights ever staged. Foreman left the sport a few years later, but returned after a 10-year absence and a self-described religious awakening. He then pulled off one

BFI suspends secretary general Kalita over financial irregularities

Boxing Federation of India secretary general Hemanta Kalita was suspended on Tuesday after being found guilty of "financial irregularities" in an investigation and his nomination for the president's post in the upcoming election was also rejected on a day of dramatic developments in the BFI. Treasurer Digvijay Singh was also suspended on similar charges after an inquiry conducted by former Delhi High Court judge Sudhir Kumar Jain. Jain was appointed by the BFI to carry out the investigation. The inquiry followed a complaint accusing the two of unauthorised fund withdrawals, fraudulent billing, and abuse of power, which PTI had reported last month. "Justice Jain has concluded his investigation and submitted his report, which has found both of you guilty of serious charges of financial irregularities and mismanagement of funds," BFI president Ajay Singh said in an official communication to the duo. "The findings of the report establish a clear breach of fiduciary duties and ...

Controversy erupts as BFI president and secretary contradict statements

The women's national boxing championship, which has already faced multiple postponements since late last year, became the subject of fresh uncertainty once again

IOA forms ad hoc panel to run boxing affairs, federation terms it illegal

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on Monday constituted a five-member ad hoc committee to oversee the affairs of boxing in the country on the ground that the sport's national federation failed to hold elections on time. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI), within hours, termed the IOA's decision as "illegal" and said it will file a petition to the Delhi High Court to quash the order. The IOA said that the BFI did not hold its elections due on February 2 and asked the ad hoc panel, to be headed by former Athletics Federation of India (AFI) treasurer Madhukant Pathak, to hold the polls at the earliest. "IOA has been closely monitoring the administrative affairs of the Boxing Federation of India. As per the governing norms, elections to BFI were to be conducted on or before 02 February 2025. Despite the prescribed timeline, the elections have not been held, resulting in administrative instability within the federation," IOA President PT Usha wrote in an office order. "In view of t

Mary Kom denies IOA resignation reports, says she'll complete her tenure

The Indian Olympic Association's athletes commission chairperson and boxing legend M C Mary Kom on Tuesday denied reports that she has resigned from her position, insisting that she has been misunderstood and will complete her tenure in the panel. The 42-year-old Manipuri, who is also a 2012 Olympics bronze-winner, had travelled to Haldwani for the National Games closing ceremony last week where she expressed her displeasure over being lodged at an "inferior hotel". Speaking to PTI, Mary Kom said her outburst has been misconstrued as resignation. "I have not resigned, I will complete my tenure (which ends in 2026)," she asserted. "I was merely telling my fellow (athletes commission) members that if this kind of treatment happens again, I will consider resigning. I never said that I am resigning. IOA is my family and if I am unhappy over something, I have every right to express it. "This does not mean that I am resigning," she went on. Mary Kom was elected to the panel in 2022 wit

Vowed to fight back against IBA's accusations, says Algerian boxer Khelif

Algeria boxer Imane Khelif, who found herself in the middle of a bitter divide about gender in sports during the Paris Olympics, has denounced false and offensive accusations from the International Boxing Association. I have been knocked down more times than I can count. But I have never stayed down, Khelif said late Tuesday on her Instagram account. The IBA said this week it will file criminal complaints against the International Olympic Committee in the U.S., France and Switzerland. The Swiss-based IOC allowing female boxers Khelif and Lin Yu-ting to compete and win gold medals in Paris last year may serve as grounds for criminal prosecution, the IBA claimed. Khelif responded by saying she will take all necessary legal steps to ensure that my rights and the principles of fair competition are upheld." "Those responsible of these actions must be held accountable, and we will pursue all available legal avenues to ensure that justice prevails," she added. The Russian-led IBA has bee

World Championship medallist boxer Nishant Dev to make professional debut

World championship bronze medallist Indian boxer Nishant Dev has turned professional, bidding adieu to his amateur career. One of the most consistent Indian boxers in recent times, Dev, who represented India at the Paris Olympics, has signed with Eddie Hearn and Matchroom Boxing. The 24-year-old will make his professional debut at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on January 25. His opponent is yet to be announced. The event is headlined by a super middleweight bout between Steve Nelson and Diego Pacheco. "I'm very excited to be joining Matchroom Boxing and beginning my professional career in Las Vegas on January 25th," Dev wrote on Instagram on Friday. "My goal is to become India's first ever world professional boxing champion and I know I have a whole nation behind me to help me achieve this." The two-time National champion is being trained by former professional boxer Ronald Simms. "I'm working hard every day with my trainer Ronald Simms. I know I have the right team behind me an

Coaching crisis, Olympic setbacks mark a disastrous year for Indian boxing

Indian boxing endured a turbulent year marred by coaching turmoil, crushing defeats, and a medal-less Paris Olympics campaign, all of it made worse by the national federation's negligence that brought unprecedented embarrassment to the country. There were very few positives to count in a year when, after a widely successful 2023, expectations were sky high. Yet no boxer was able to add to the three bronze medals -- Vijender Singh (2008), M C Mary Kom (2012) and Lovlina Borgohain (2021) -- that India had secured in the previous editions of the Olympics. Nishant Dev, unlucky to miss out on an Olympic medal, was India's top performer but the likes of world champions Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina disappointed despite widely held belief that fortunes of women's boxing were following an upward trajectory. Outside the ring, the Boxing Federation of India's (BFI) negligence cost India an Olympic quota even as administrators globally scrambled to retain the sport on the Olympic roster. Controv

Jake Paul beats 58-year-old Mike Tyson as the hits don't match the hype

The boos from a crowd wanting more action were growing again when Jake Paul dropped his gloves before the final bell, and bowed toward 58-year-old Mike Tyson. Paying homage to one of the biggest names in boxing history didn't do much for the fans that filled the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys on Friday night. Paul won a unanimous decision over Tyson as the hits didn't match the hype in a fight between the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer and the former heavyweight champion in his first sanctioned pro fight in almost 20 years. All the hate from the pre-fight buildup was gone, replaced by boos from bewildered fans hoping for more action in a fight that drew plenty of questions about its legitimacy long before it happened. The fight wasn't close on the judge's cards, with one giving Paul an 80-72 edge and the other two calling it 79-73. Tyson came after Paul immediately after the opening bell and landed a couple of quick punches but didn't try much else the rest of the way. Even

I want a personal coach, need to improve strength: Boxer Nikhat Zareen

It wasn't her day, acknowledged Indian boxer Nikhat Zareen dwelling on her shocking medal-less Olympic campaign but asserted that she would be back stronger with the help of a personal coach that she is currently trying to find. Nikhat, who was a strong medal contender, bowed out of the 50kg women's boxing competition following an unanimous decision loss to top seed and reigning Asian Games champion Wu Yu of China in the preliminary stage. She was the first of six Indian boxers to qualify for the Olympics, where she made a maiden appearance. "Nobody is perfect, It was not my day. I was unseeded and had to face a very good boxer in the early rounds. What really hurts was that boxers who I had already defeated (in past competitions) they won medals, that was heartbreaking," she told PTI Videos. "But we have to accept the reality and keep going. I don't want to plan anything, and want to go with the flow. I didn't have a personal coach," she added. Nikhat, a two-time world champion,

Weight management is the athlete's responsibility: Indian Boxer Mary Kom

No stranger to the physical toll of weight management during a competition, six-time world champion boxer M C Mary Kom Thursday waded into the debate surrounding wrestler Vinesh Phogat's Olympic heartbreak for being 100gm over, saying that to be within the prescribed limit is an individual responsibility. The 42-year-old mother of four, who is India's only woman boxer with an Olympic medal (a bronze in London, 2012), was in the city to promote Utkarsh Small Finance Bank, which named her as its brand ambassador. Speaking for the first time on Phogat, who was disqualified on the day of her 50kg finals in the Paris Games for being marginally over the prescribed limit, Mary Kom said weight management is an athlete's responsibility. "I felt so disappointed in the sense that I have also done the same (weight management) for the last so many years. Weight is important, that is my responsibility. I cannot blame anyone," she said. "I do not want to say this in her case. I am saying this in

Boxing's Olympics future uncertain as Asian governing body sides with IBA

Boxing's already uncertain Olympic future was thrown into further jeopardy after the sport's Asian governing body voted against leaving the suspended International Boxing Association (IBA) to join the rival association. The polling was held via a secret ballot with 21 countries voting in favour of continuing with IBA, while 14 cast their ballot in favour of joining World Boxing, the new body constituted to run the affairs of the sport. There was one invalid vote. Besides India, which participated as an observer, the other countries whose names figured on the roll call included, Bahrain, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Chinese Taipei, Timor Leste, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Lebanon, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam and Yemen. The IBA has been at loggerheads with the IOC, .

French prosecutors investigate cyber harassment of Olympic champ Khelif

French prosecutors opened an investigation into an online harassment complaint made by Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif after a torrent of criticism and false claims about her sex during the Summer Games, the Paris prosecutor's office said Wednesday. The athlete's lawyer Nabil Boudi filed a legal complaint Friday with a special unit in the Paris prosecutor's office that combats online hate speech. Boudi said the boxer was targeted by a misogynist, racist and sexist campaign as she won gold in the women's welterweight division, becoming a hero in her native Algeria and bringing global attention to women's boxing. The prosecutor's office said it had received the complaint and its Office for the Fight against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crime had opened an investigation on charges of cyber harassment based on gender, public insults based on gender, public incitement to discrimination and public insults on the basis of origin. Khelif was thrust into a worldwide clash over gend

Indian boxing contingent disappoints despite high hopes at Paris Olympics

The Indian boxing contingent, that featured two reigning world champions in Nikhat Zareen and Lovlina Borgohain, entered the Olympics hoping for an unprecedented medal haul, only to crumble under pressure, leaving behind a trail of disappointment in a medal-less campaign. Boxing became a medal hope for India after Vijender Singh's historic bronze at the 2008 Beijing Games. MC Mary Kom added a women's bronze to it in 2012. Although the 2016 Rio Games saw the boxers return without a medal, Borgohain clinched a bronze at the Tokyo Olympics to revitalise the sport. Expectations were high from Paris and observers of the game felt at least one, if not two medals, could be expected from the six boxers who qualified. Two-time world champion Zareen (50kg), Borgohan (75kg), and 2023 world championship bronze-medallist Nishant Dev (71kg) were all seen as strong podium contenders. Poor show ======= But when it came to actual competition, the Indians never seemed to have the momentum needed

Olympics 2024: Lin Yu reaches gold-medal bout amid gender misconceptions

Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan has advanced to the gold-medal bout in the women's featherweight division, winning her third consecutive bout while dealing with widespread scrutiny regarding misconceptions about her gender at the Paris Olympics. One day after welterweight Imane Khelif of Algeria reached her weight division's final with a third straight victory in Paris, Lin defeated Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey 5:0 on Wednesday night. Lin will fight for gold on Saturday. Lin and Khelif have dominated all of their Olympic bouts despite the massive distractions created by the fallout from the Olympic-banished International Boxing Association's decision last year to disqualify both fighters from the world championships for allegedly failing an eligibility test. Both fighters have responded to this unwelcome spotlight by making two of the best tournament runs of their lengthy amateur careers. Just like Khelif, Lin has never been a dominant champion in her sport, but that hasn't stopped ma