Xtra Time Web Desk: The upcoming Tokyo Olympics can prove to be India’s best chance for winning multiple medals. As many as 126 athletes will be representing the country in 18 disciplines. With a week to go for the biggest sporting spectacle to begin, Xtra Time analyzes the medal prospects of the country in various disciplines. Let us highlight on the Indian boxing team.
Indian squad: MC Mary Kom (51kg), Pooja Rani (75kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), Simranjit Kaur (60kg), Amit Panghal (52kg), Vikash Krishan (69kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg), Satish Kumar (91kg) and Manish Kaushik (63kg).
Past performances in Olympics: India pugilists have claimed only two bronze medals in the history of Olympics. Vijender Singh won the first ever medal for the country in 2008 Beijing Olympics while six times world champion MC MaryKom won a bronze in 2012 London Olympics.
The sport is seen as one of India’s strengths with many boxers having the potential to win a medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. As many as nine Indian pugilists will be seen at the Tokyo Olympics, the biggest contingent ever to represent the nation at the Olympics stage. The Indian boxers will be heading to Tokyo at the back of some great performances in global competitions. In May this year, India bagged 15 medals (two gold, five silver, and eight bronze) in the ASBC Asian Boxing Championships that was held in Dubai. A few months ago, in the Boxing World Cup in Cologne in December 2020, India finished with nine medals, including three gold medals. The Indian boxing team in currently training in Italy and will leave for Tokyo directly so as to avoid the added travel restrictions imposed on those travelling from India.
Six-time world champion MC Mary Kom will lead Indian challenge in women’s flyweight section (51kg), gunning for her second Olympic medal after the bronze in London 2012. Reigning Asian champion Pooja Rani will be another strong contender in women’s middle-weight (75kg). The 2018 World Championship bronze-medallist Simranjit Kaur and Lovlina Borgohain (welterweight 69kg) are the other members of women’s squad and both are capable of causing a few upsets and get into medal contention.
Two-time Olympian Vikas Krishan Yadav (men’s welterweight, 69kg), 2019 world silver-medalist Amit Panghal (men’s flyweight, 52kg), 2014 Asian Games bronze-medallists Satish Kumar (men’s super heavyweight, +91kg), 2018 Commonwealth Games runner-up Manish Kaushik (lightweight, 63kg) and Ashish Kumar (middleweight, 75kg) comprise the men’s team.
The nine boxers look in great form and have contributed much to India’s success in the two top events in the build-up to the Olympics. Among the nine, Mary Kom, Vikas Krishan and Amit Panghal are the top contenders for medals in their respective categories.
Mary Kom – Women’s 51kg
The last time Mary Kom qualified for an Olympics at London 2012, she returned home with a bronze medal in the 51kg category. The six-time flyweight world champion will hope to win her second Olympics medal. The 38 year old boxer will enter the ring at Tokyo high on confidence. Mary won gold and a bronze in the Asian Boxing Championship and Boxam International Boxing tournament recently. The mother of four will be the flag bearer of the country in the opening ceremony and will hope to sign off from the Olympic Games by winning a gold in the biggest sporting event of the world.
Amit Panghal – Men’s 52kg
The biggest hope to emerge among the Indian boxers in the past couple of years, Amit Panghal qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, after a comeback in his quarter-final match against Carlo Paalam of the Philippines. The Asian Games gold medalist lost the first round at the Asian boxing Olympic qualifiers but came back with some counter punches to earn the victory and with it, a ticket to Tokyo. The 25-year-old Indian boxer has risen from strength to strength since winning the National Boxing Championship in 2017. Bronze at the 2017 Asian Championships was followed by silver at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, golds at the 2018 Asian Games and 2019 Asian Championships and silver at the 2019 World Championships.
Vikas Krishan – Men’s 69kg
A third appearance at the Games beckoned for veteran Indian boxer Vikas Krishan, who made sure of his place at Olympics 2020 with a quarter-final victory at the Asian boxing Olympic qualifiers over Japan’s Quincy Okazawa. The only other Indian boxer other than Beijing 2008 bronze medalist Vijender Singh to qualify for three Olympics, Vikas Krishan had to fight hard against Okazawa to earn his place. A gold medalist at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Vikas Krishan, who had switched to professional boxing before deciding to make a comeback, went only as far as the quarter-finals at Rio 2016 and will be hoping to go at least one better at the 2020 Olympics.