Boxing Federation of India announced 12-strong team for the Commonwealth Games including legend Mary Kom

The Boxing Federation of India announced their team to the upcoming Commonwealth Games which will be held in Gold Coast, Australia next month. The 12-strong team, which was selected by their head coach Mr. Santiago Nieva, contains several favourites including India’s national icon Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte, two-time Olympian Vikas Krishan Yadav and top rank boxer Manish Kaushik.
India hosted the AIBA Women’s Youth World Boxing Championships in Guwahati and their federation will be welcoming the top elite female boxers in the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in New Delhi later this year. Their preparation for the Commonwealth Games was successful in the Indian Open Boxing Tournament and several other international competitions to keep their boxers in top form.
India’s five-time AIBA Women’s World Champion and five-time ASBC Asian Women’s Champion Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte returned to the world of boxing in top shape and moved back to her original light flyweight (48kg). The Indian icon is the top favourite of her weight class in the Commonwealth Games and she is aiming for her first ever Commonwealth Games title.
Pinky Jangra Rani was bronze medallist at the women’s flyweight (51kg) in the last edition of the Commonwealth Games and regained her place in the Indian national team with perfect timing. Former AIBA Women’s World Champion veteran Sarita Devi Laishram will be representing India at the lightweight (60kg) while their fourth addition in the female squad will be 20-year-old Lovlina Borgohain at the welterweight (69kg) who claimed bronze medal in the ASBC Asian Confederation Women’s Boxing Championships in Vietnam.
Amit Panghal had strong concurrency at the light flyweight (49kg) but he defeated AIBA Youth World Champion Sachin Siwach Singh and Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympian Shyam Kumar Kakara in the national selection events. The ASBC Asian Confederation Boxing Championships bronze medallist Amit is among the favourites of his category where England’s Galal Yafai could be his main rival.
India’s new flyweight (52kg) option Gaurav Solanki qualified for the Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games and achieved silver medal in the Apia 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games but the upcoming event will be his first big elite multisport event. Mohamed Hussamuddin achieved silver medal in the 2017 Strandja Memorial Tournament in Bulgaria and the strong bantamweight (56kg) boxer delivered enough good results to be selected for the squad.
Asian Games Test Event winner Manish Kaushik, who replaced ASBC Asian Champion Shiva Thapa in the team, won almost all of his contests in the recent half year beating tough Cuban, Indian, Japanese and Filipino boxers therefore he could be a secret favourite at the lightweight (60kg). India’s two-time Olympian Manoj Kumar won the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and still involved to the squad the welterweight (69kg).
India’s two-time Olympian and former Asian Games winner Vikas Krishan Yadav will be their middleweight (75kg) boxer in Gold Coast where he can fight in a possible dream match with England’s sensation Benjamin Whittaker. AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships bronze medallist Naman Tanwar (91kg) and Satish Kumar (+91kg) also selected to take part in the Commonwealth Games with at least medal hopes.

The Indian team in the Commonwealth Games
Women’s 48kg: Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte
Women’s 51kg: Pinky Jangra Rani
Women’s 60kg: Sarita Devi Laishram
Women’s 69kg: Lovlina Borgohain
Men’s 49kg: Amit Panghal
Men’s 52kg: Gaurav Solanki
Men’s 56kg: Mohamed Hussamuddin
Men’s 60kg: Manish Kaushik
Men’s 64kg: Manoj Kumar
Men’s 75kg: Vikas Krishan Yadav
Men’s 91kg: Naman Tanwar
Men’s +91kg: Satish Kumar