The stage is set, the spirits soaring high! Come the 19th of February witness your favourite pugilists ignite the ring with raw passion and aggression at the Keenan stadium, Jharkhand, as they showcase their talents at the on-going 34th National Games. The field boasts of 240 men and women boxers from across 33 State/Board teams, all geared up to display their guts for glory over a course of five days. The battle for national pride has 80 medals at stake spread over ten weight categories for men and women each.
The event will feature Commonwealth, Asian Games and Youth Olympic medallists also including World, Asian as well as international Youth champions, battling it out for top honours. The field of contention comprises of renowned names such as Dilbagh Singh (69 Kg), Nanao Singh (49 Kg), Diwakar Prasad (60 Kg), Amandeep Singh (46-49 KG), Manpreet Singh (46-49 KG), Sarita Devi (51 Kg), Chhoto Loura (60 Kg) Lekha KC (+81 Kg), Kavita Chehal (81 KG) and many more.
The contest will serve as a perfect platform for emerging boxers to display their skills in the aspiration of being selected as a part of the core group for the World Championships and the 2012 London Olympics. The National Games are usually regarded as the melting pot of talent, a view echoed by National Coaches GS Sandhu and Jaidev Bisht. “The Games will provide good exposure and a great opportunity for young boxers to make a mark at the national circuit, moreover the cash incentives provided to the medal winners, by various states is a source of huge motivation for all the boxers”, Bisht adds. A few of the upcoming players to look forward to are, L Davendro Singh representing SSCB in fly weight, Shiv Thapa of Assam in bantam weight and Sumit Sangwan of Delhi in the light heavy weight category. The women’s event will also have its share of fresh talent. Sagar Tokas from Delhi, Vanilalduati from Tripura, Pinky Jangra from Haryana and Krishna Thapa of Madhya Pradesh have all shown a lot of promise in their respective weight categories.
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All set to make his first appearance at the senior level, 17 year old Thapa believes, this tournament is a golden opportunity for young players to book their spots in international events. The Youth Olympic bronze medallist and a silver medallist at the Youth World Cup 2010, exudes confidence talking of his chances and says, “I am sure of a brilliant performance and will return with a gold.”
In a manner of speaking, this is the arena, where the old guard makes way for the new, although in some cases the “old” just refuses to give way. One such example is of veteran Boxer Dilbagh Singh who would be representing the state of Haryana. Dilbagh, a nine time national champion in the welterweight category and also the defending champion here, would be looking to reassert his dominance in the 69 KG weight category. “It is an honour to represent my state at this prestigious tournament. The field is challenging but I am sure of a good performance, I have tremendous experience backing me up and my will power is as strong as ever”, admits the veteran boxer.
It’s not just the player rivalries that grab your attention; the tournament also marks a fierce competition amongst various participating states and boards. The 33rd edition of the National Games saw Haryana take the top honours by a fair margin, with a total of 17 Medals – 10 gold, 3 silver and 4 bronze. While the defending champions are confident of retaining the title, runners up Assam having won 4 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze medals would be looking to better their performance.
Hosts Jharkhand are not far behind in their ambitions, the state is hoping for at least six golds (three each in men’s and women’s category) as per Jharkhand Boxing Association chief, Dr. Dinesh Upadhyay.
All in all, the tournament will display an enthusiastic display of valour and skill, where each participant will take home an experience they would cherish for life.
The weight classification is as follows:
The weight classification is as follows:
| 34th National Games Boxing Wight Categories | ||
| Men | Women | Weight Classification |
| 46-49 KG | 45-48 KG | Light FLY |
| 52 KG | 51 KG | Fly |
| 56 KG | 54 KG | Bantam |
| 60 KG | 57 KG | Light |
| 64 KG | 60 KG | Light Welter |
| 69 KG | 64 KG | Welter |
| 75 KG | 69 KG | Middle |
| 81 KG | 75 KG | Light Heavy |
| 91 KG | 81 KG | Heavy |
| 91+ KG | 81+ KG | Super Heavy |
Warm Regards
Brig PK Muralidharan Raja
Secretary General,
Indian Boxing Federation.
