Boxing, Olympics 2024: Nikhat, Lovlina shoulder hopes but pressure on male boxers mounts

As we count down to the 2024 Olympic Games, the top competitors will be expected to continue to perform at the highest level, while others will hope to punch above their weight and reach for a spot on the podium. In the build up to the mega event in Paris, Scroll looks at the eight different Olympic disciplines where Indians have returned with a medal.

The Indian boxing contingent’s build-up to the the Paris Olympics has been a challenging one. While the potential for success remains high and new talents have emerged, not everything has gone smoothly.

In this Olympic cycle, Nikhat Zareen has risen as the new face of Indian boxing. From being a challenger before the Tokyo Olympics, the boxer from Telangana has now taken over the mantle from Mary Kom.

Several younger female boxers, such as Nitu Ghanghas, Preeti Pawar, Parveen, and Jasmine Lamboria have also found success, showcasing the depth of talent in the women’s category.

Eventually, four female boxers have earned the opportunity to represent India in Paris – two-time World Champion Zareen, Tokyo bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, along with young talents Lamboria and Pawar.

Conversely, the results in men’s boxing have been sporadic and inconsistent, and India will field only two male pugilists in Paris. Amit Panghal will aim to rectify his performance from Tokyo, while Nishant Dev will hope to make a significant impact in his Olympic debut.

In the same Olympic cycle, Bernard Dunne, who guided Ireland’s Kellie Harrington to a gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, replaced Santiago Nieva as the High Performance Director for the Boxing Federation of India.

Despite his successful five-year stint with the Irish Athletic Boxing Association, Dunne resigned from his position in India, in March this year. His tenure became controversial after he scrapped the selection trials and introduced an evaluation process in the national camp based on parameters like performance in training, technique, weight management, and sparring.

This new policy was met with stiff resistance from boxers, coaches, and officials within the Boxing Federation of India. Some boxers even challenged the selection policy in court.

The situation came to a head when all nine Indian boxers crashed out of the first Olympic qualifiers in Busto Arsizio, Italy, in March, leading to the end of Dunne’s tenure. Previously, nine boxers (five men and four women) had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics, with Borgohain winning a bronze medal. Ultimately, only six Indian boxers have qualified for the Paris Olympics.

In the past, India has won a total of three bronze medals in boxing at the Olympics – Vijender Singh in Beijing 2008, Mary Kom from London 2012, and Borgohain in Tokyo 2020. While the athletes face pressure to demonstrate that the sport is not in decline, despite the sporadic results and behind-the-scenes developments suggesting otherwise, there is also the added challenge of aiming for a higher-valued medal this time.

India will compete in the 50kg, 54kg, 57kg, and 75kg for women, and 51kg and 71kg for men – with bouts taking place at the North Paris arena and Roland Garros stadium.

Medal prospects

Nikhat Zareen

Zareen became embroiled in controversy in 2019 after clashing with legendary Mary Kom over Zareen’s request for a fair trial to choose India's representative at the Tokyo Olympic boxing qualifications, which were to be held in Jordan.

Ahead of the Paris Olympics, 28-year-old Zareen was one of the first Indian athletes to have secured a spot and is one of the toughest boxers in her 50 kg weight category. She not only has a World Championship title in the 52kg category but also the 50kg event.

Also read: Boxing, Olympics 2024: Sparring with rival and battling nerves – Nikhat Zareen eyes Paris podium

She earned her qualification at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, where she clinched a bronze medal. Following her qualification, Zareen won a silver medal at the Strandja Memorial earlier this year and triumphed at the Elorda Cup in May. She then capped it off with a gold medal at the Grand Prix in the Czech Republic.

Since receiving timely reality checks at the Asian Games and Strandja Memorial, she has expressed her intent to address any flaws well before making the trip to Paris. Her track record and ability to consistently bounce back suggest that she possesses the resilient character an Olympic medalist needs.

Lovlina Borgohain

The 2020 Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Borgohain secured her second consecutive Olympic berth by advancing to the final of the 75kg event in the Asian Games with a commanding 5-0 victory.

However, in her last Olympic appearance, she competed in the 69kg category and with that weight category removed from the Paris program, Borgohain upped her weight to transition to the 75kg Olympic weight class.

The 26-year-old from Assam secured gold medals at both the Asian Championships and World Championships to go with a silver medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games in the same category. However, at the ongoing Grand Prix Usti Nad Labem in the Czech Republic, she suffered a surprising defeat to Cindy Ngamba, a member of the IOC Refugee boxing team.

Her recent performances have been a mixed bag and the new weight category is bound to be challenging. Still, she remains a strong medal bet for India.

Other contenders

Like Borgohain, Panghal too had competed at the Tokyo Olympics. However, he had an underwhelming campaign as, then ranked the World no 1 in the 52kg category, he was defeated in his first match by Rio Olympics silver medalist Yuberjen Martinez of Columbia by a 1:4 split decision.

Panghal has qualified for Paris in the 51kg event, but was only given chance when Deepak Bhoria failed to secure a quota. The experience and motivation to turn things around this time should fuel Panghal in Paris.

Meanwhile, Dev will be the only other male boxer representing India in Paris. The 2023 World Championship bronze medallist is known for causing upsets and is one of the most promising boxers in his weight category. However, with stiff competition in his division, Dev faces a significant challenge to make a mark in his Olympic debut.

Vijender Singh remains the only male Indian boxer to have won an Olympic medal. Although many promising boxers have emerged since then, they have all faded away. Panghal and Dev now have a chance to change that.

Commonwealth Games bronze medalist 22-year-old Lamboria secured the quota in the women’s 57kg category during the second Olympic qualifier after Parveen Hooda, who initially won the quota, was suspended. Pawar, 20, who earned the quota by reaching the semi-finals of the Asian Games, has also gained a reputation for making waves.

However, with relatively less experience in senior tournaments compared to their counterparts, both boxers are likely to face significant challenges.

The boxing events at the Olympics will take place from July 27 to August 10.

Indian contingent

Women: Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine (57kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg)

Men: Amit Panghal (51kg), Nishant Dev (71kg)