Indian Squad for Final Olympic Qualifiers Announced: Amit Panghal Returns, Six Changes Made

Indian boxing fans have something to cheer about as World Championships silver medallist Amit Panghal has made a comeback to the Indian squad for the final Olympic qualifiers in Bangkok. The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has made six changes to the squad in hopes of securing more quota places for the upcoming Olympics.

The Indian boxers had a disappointing outing at the previous Olympic qualifying event, failing to secure any quota places. This led to the resignation of High Performance Director Bernard Dunne. In a bid to turn things around, the BFI conducted assessments by foreign coaches Dmitry Dmitruk, C.A. Kuttappa, and Dharmendra Yadav, resulting in the inclusion of Panghal in the squad.

Notable omissions from the squad include 2023 World Championships bronze medallists Deepak Bhoria and Mohammad Hussamudin, as well as seasoned boxer Shiva Thapa and national champion Lakshya Chahar. Panghal, who had missed out on previous events, has now earned his spot back in the team.

In the women’s category, Ankushita Boro has made a shift to the 60kg category, beating CWG bronze medallist Jaismine Lamboria. National champion Arundhati Choudhary has emerged as the top performer in the 66kg weight class.

With four Olympic quota places already secured by Indian boxers, the team is looking to add more to their tally at the final qualifiers. The squad for the qualifiers includes Amit Panghal, Sachin Siwach Jr., Abhinash Jamwal, Nishant Dev, Abhimanyu Loura, Sanjeet, Narender Berwal, Ankushita Boro, and Arundhati Choudhary.

Indian boxing fans will be eagerly watching as the team aims to secure their spots at the Olympics and make the country proud on the international stage.