Indian boxers face challenging opening bouts in World Olympic Boxing Qualification Tournament 2024
Dara Singh Chahal
4th Mar 2024: The World Olympic Boxing Qualification Tournament 2024 in Busto Arsizio, Italy, presents a formidable challenge for nine Indian boxers. Leading the Indian contingent, Shiva Thapa, competing in the men’s 63.5kg category, confronts reigning world champion Ruslan Abdullaev of Uzbekistan in his opening bout.
Thapa, a six-time Asian Championships medalist, aims to overcome his adversary, whom he faced in the final of the 2022 Asian Boxing Championships in Amman.
Joining Thapa, other Indian boxers face equally daunting tasks:
Sanjeet Kumar (Men’s 92kg) squares off against Kazakhstan’s Aibek Oralbay, the 2022 Asian champion and 2018 Youth Olympics gold medalist.
Nishant Dev (Men’s 71kg) initiates his campaign against Great Britain’s Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, Lewis Richardson.
Asian Games bronze medalist Narender Berwal (Men’s +92kg) meets Germany’s Nelvie Tiafack, the 2022 European champion.
Lakshya Chahar (Men’s 80kg) confronts Iran’s Meysam Gheshlaghi, a former Asian Championships silver medalist.
These matchups underscore the competitive nature of the tournament, where Indian pugilists face opponents with impressive credentials. Their performances in the ring will determine their journey towards securing berths for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
