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The Asian Boxing Championships concluded on a bittersweet note for India in Dubai on Monday. While Sanjeet Singh and Pooja Rani bagged gold medals, notable names like Mary Kom and Amit Panghal could only finish second-best in their respective categories.
The 19-member Indian contingent had a grand haul of 15 medals — their best-ever show in the Championships, with two gold, five silver and eight bronze medals.
With the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc in India, the Asian Boxing Championships had to be shifted to a new location — Dubai. This was the last opportunity for the nine Tokyo-bound Indian pugilists to get some much-needed match practice.
On that note, let's take a look at the five major takeaways from the Asian Boxing Championships.
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#5 Mixed fortunes for Tokyo-bound boxers
Among the Tokyo-bound boxers, only Pooja Rani (75kg) emerged with a gold medal, while Mary Kom (51 kg) and Amit Panghal (52kg) won silver. Vikas Krishan (69kg) ended up winning bronze.
Although Amit Panghal came second-best, he had his moments in the Championships. Pangal, who ran into Kharkhuu Enkhmandakh of Mongolia in the first round, had several hiccups against the same opponent when they met in the Asian Olympic qualifiers. The first-round win acted as a morale-booster for Amit Panghal going into Tokyo.
Read: Can Indian boxers create history at the Tokyo Olympics?
Panghal also got the better of Saken Bibossinov in the last-four, taking the bragging rights into the Olympics. Although Panghal lost to the current Olympic champion Shakobidin Zoirov in the final with a split verdict, the confidence the pugilist took from the Asian Boxing Championships would be immense.
It took a freak injury to cut short Vikas Krishan’s chances of progressing deep into this tournament. Krishan will have a lot of work to do in the Olympics as will Ashish Kumar (75 kg).
There was not much of an inference to draw from Pooja Rani’s gold as the final was the only bout she featured in. Pooja Rani got a bye in the first round and a walkover in the semi-final.
#4 Is Mary Kom under the weather?
It isn’t new for Mary Kom to shoulder a lot of expectations whenever she plays in a world tournament and the Asian Boxing Championships was no different. Although she won the silver, what could be worrying the ace boxer is the lack of match practice. Losing to a boxer who hasn’t qualified for the Olympics should be a cause of concern for the champion. To make matters worse, Mary Kom also looked a little physically weaker which could emerge as a talking point in Tokyo.
Read: Mary Kom wants to assess herself at the Asian Boxing Championship ahead of Tokyo Olympics
The performances of Simranjit Kaur (60kg) and Lovina Borgohain (69 kg) weren’t up to the mark either as both lost their opening bouts at the Asian Boxing Championships. Kaur’s fitness also looked compromised, especially after recovering from COVID-19 a few days before leaving for Dubai. If Simranjit Kaur can get her fitness back on track, she will be a boxer to watch out for in Tokyo.
#3 Refereeing hogging the limelight
The Asian Boxing Championships also put the spotlight on referees. At the receiving end was first Sakshi Choudhary (54kg). She had won her semifinal bout 3-2, however, after the third-round points’ decision was challenged by the Kazakhstan team, it was overturned and Sakshi had to bite the dust.
In the final, Amit Panghal’s scoreline was contested by the Indian camp which was eventually rejected by the jury.
#2 Kazakhstan boxers on the money in Asian Boxing Championships
Kazakhstan women pugilists won eight gold medals across 10 weight categories at the Asian Boxing Championships, asserting their country’s supremacy in the sport.
The country’s boxing prowess dates back to Soviet times. Close to 50,000 pugilists have emerged from the nation over the years, with Kazakhstan winning at least one boxing gold medal in every Olympics since 1996. The boxing powerhouse has a total of 22 medals at the Olympics and would be a force to reckon with in Tokyo.
#1 Record 5 medals for Shiva Thapa at the Asian Boxing Championships
The 27-year-old became the first Indian male boxer to win five medals at the Asian Boxing Championships, a feat that is yet to sink in for the champion boxer. Although he wouldn’t be on a flight to Tokyo for the Olympics, Shiva Thapa has made a long-lasting mark in the history of Indian boxing at the Asian Boxing Championships.
Shiva Thapa opened his medal count with a gold medal in 2013, followed by a bronze in 2015, a silver in 2017, a bronze in 2019 and finally a silver in the 2021 edition. The only other male boxer with five Asian Boxing Championships medals is Kazakhstan's Olympic silver medalist Vassiliy Levit.
However, Indian women boxers have outdone Shiva Thapa, with MC Mary Kom winning seven medals while L Sarita Devi has won eight. In fact, Devi has won five Asian Boxing Championships gold medals in succession.
