Injured Mary Kom to skip Nationals
I will be a little nervous but I know I can make the cut at the elite level too.
SHASHI CHORA, junior boxer
ROHTAK: Five-time World Champion MC Mary Kom will be missing the Elite Women’s National Boxing Championship starting Saturday.
Celebrated names like L Sarita Devi and Sarajubala Devi will be vying for top honours and a berth in the India squad for this year’s Commonwealth and Asian Games. The reigning Asian champion Mary Kom is nursing a few niggles.
Over 300 top boxers will be stepping into the ring during the second edition with the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) indicating that the week-long tournament will be seen as selection trials for the CWG and the Asian Games.
Most of the newly-crowned champions at the Youth World Championships have registered.
Indian boxers have been on a roll in the year gone by and will be eager to make the new year equally rewarding for the coun- try. “This will be my first shot at the senior level and I am positive about doing well against the best boxers,” Shashi Chora, gold medallist in the World Youth Championships said.
“I will be a little nervous but I know I can make the cut at the elite level too,” she added.
Recently elevated Performance Director for the Elite women’s team Raffael Bergamasco will be present their to keep a close watch on the women pugilists.
Bergamasco had played a crucial role in helping India clinch four gold, a silver and two bronze medals at the AIBA World Youth Boxing Championship.
Women’s team head coach Shiv Singh and a couple of other senior members from the selection panel will also be there to keep a tab on the performances.
BRITISH JUNIOR OPEN
BIRMINGHAM: As many as four Indians have reached the quarterfinals of the ongoing British Junior Open Squash here, with at least one semi-final spot assured. The Indian boys have made it to the last eight stage in two age categories.
India is assured of a semi-final spot in the boys U-17 section where Tushar Shahani and Saksham Choudhary, both seeded 9/16, will face each other. Neel Joshi, seeded 3/4, has also reached the quarters as has Arnaav Sareen, seeded 17/32, both in the U-15 section.