New Delhi, Jan 5 (IANS) World Champion Minakshi, two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen, and Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain kicked off their campaign with easy wins in the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, on Monday.
This is the first time that the men's and women's National Championships are being held simultaneously at the same venue, and 600 boxers from across the country are participating in 10 weight categories each for men and women.
Nikhat (48-51kg), representing Telangana, blanked Nidhi of Chandigarh 5:0 while Minakshi (45-48kg) defeated Tamil Nadu’s V Lakshaya S Vijayan by an identical margin.
In the women’s 70-75kg category, Lovlina had little trouble in packing off Krisha Verma by an unanimous decision.
In the men’s events, Sagar (47-50kg) defeated Ashutosh 5:0 while Sumit (70-75kg) beat Arshpreet Singh by an identical margin. Young star Hitesh (65-70kg) also registered a dominating 5-0 win over Ankit.
In the 55-60kg weight category, Sachin registered a dominant 5:0 win over Tushar, while Ankush (50-55kg) defeated Suraj Bhan by an identical margin.
Earlier on Sunday, 2018 Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal of SSCB and Sagar of Haryana registered contrasting wins to advance in the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships.
Amit, playing in the Bantamweight category, dominated Usman Mohd Sultan of Bihar to get an unanimous decision.
In the heavyweight category, Sagar was made to work hard by Edwin of Kerala before managing to win by a split decision. Lalrambuat of Mizoram was the other boxer to win by unanimous decision in the bantamweight category, beating Santosh Kumar of Odisha.
Other prominent names which are competing in the Nationals include reigning World Champion Jaismine, World Championships bronze medallists Pooja Rani and Parveen, former World Champion Nitu Ghanghas, Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti Pawar among women, and World Boxing Cup Finals gold medallist Hitesh and Sachin, World Boxing Cup Finals silver medallist Abhinash Jamwal and Asian Aames bronze medallist Narender Berwal in men’s section.
Each member association has sent a maximum of 10 men and 10 women boxers, while athletes who participated in the World Boxing Cup Finals in Noida in November 2025 have received direct entry into the nationals. Only boxers born between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 2006, are eligible to compete.
All the medallists in Olympic weight categories will be called for the national camp, while only the gold and silver medallists from all the non-Olympic weight categories will be part of the camp following the Nationals.
--IANS
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