Five-time world champion M.C. Mary Kom and former Asian Games champion Vikas Krishan Yadav are some of the biggest names in a star-studded Indian squad for the forthcoming 12th South Asian Games, the AIBA Adhoc Committee announced on Monday.
Apart from Mary and Yadav, Shiva Thapa, Laishram Devendro Singh, Manoj Kumar and L. Sarita Devi are some of the other star names in the squad.
Shillong and Guwahati will host the South Asian Games this year from February 5-16. The boxing competition will be held in Shillong from February 13-16.
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With the Rio Olympics coming up later this year, the Indian boxers will be looking to use the regional tournament for some valuable exposure ahead of the continental qualifiers. It will be their first major competition since the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games in 2014.
It will also be important for Sarita Devi as she aims to put behind the traumatic memories of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea where she was handed a controversial defeat verdict by the judges in the semi-finals of the women's 60kg category against home favourite Park Ji-Na.
Sarita Devi kicked off a controversy at the award ceremony when she refused to accept her bronze medal and handed it over to the silver medallist, Park. However, she accepted the medal later. This was followed by provisional suspension of Devi and her coaches by the International Boxing Association (AIBA).
The squad:
Women:
51 kgs: M.C. Marykom, 60 Kgs: L. Sarita Devi, 75 Kgs.: Pooja Rani Bohra
Men: 49 Kgs: L. Devendro Singh, 51 kgs: Madan Lal, 56 kg: Shiva Thapa, 60 kgs: Dheeraj, 64 kgs: Manoj Kumar, 69 kgs: Mandeep Jangra, 75 kgs: Vikas Krishan
Reserves:
Women: 51 kgs: Sarjubala, 60 kgs: Sonia Lather, 75 kgs: Aruna Mishra
Men: 49 kgs: Shymakumar Kakara, 51 kgs: Kavinder Bisht, 56 kgs: V. Durga Rao, 60 kgs: Manish, 64 kgs: Thomas M., 69 kgs: Rakesh
75 Kgs.: Vikas Krishan / Sukhdeep Singh Bhatti
Coaches: Jaydev Bisht, Dharmender Yadav, Kuttappa, O. Geeta Chanu, Sandhya Gurung
Doctors: Nirmolak Singh, Gurmeet Kaur
Physiotherapist: Preeti
Masseur: Bismillah
Manager: Hemanta Kumar Kalita
