Women boxers set for CWG
New Delhi: Set to make their debut in the Commonwealth Games, Indian women boxers on Tuiesday slogged it out on the opening day of trials to select the core group from which the final squad for the July event would be finalised later this month. The opening day of trials featured six bouts but bigwigs such as Olympic bronze-medallist M C Mary Kom (51kg) and former World Championships silver-medallist l Sarita Devi (60kg) would be fighting it out on Wednesday. Women will compete in the flyweight (51kg), lightweight (60kg) and middleweight (75kg) categories. Medals will be fought for over four rounds of two minutes. “It’s funny, we would making our debut at the CWG after being there for such a long time. But now it is like the final frontier for women boxers. All of us are very excited,” said Mary Kom, who is coming back after over a year-long sabbatical following the birth of her third child. The squad of three would be picked in the last week of this month after the final round of trials expected to be held in Patiala. The ongoing trials, being held over two days, would be used to pick four boxers in each weight category.
Ad-hoc boxing committee to meet
New Delhi: The ad-hoc committee appointed by the IOA to run some affairs of Indian boxing after the federation’s international termination will meet here on Wednesday for a second time to discuss the possibility of seeking more international tours for the pugilists from the world body. The six-member committee, headed by veteran administrator Tarlochan Singh, met for the first time last month and finalised the dates for holding selection trials for the Commonwealth and Asian Games. In its second meeting on Wednesday, the committee plans to formalise a letter to the International Boxing Association seeking more tours for Indian boxers to prepare for the two mega-events. Meanwhile, more than a month after promising an ad-hoc panel to screen applications for the formation of a new Indian Boxing Federation, the International Boxing Association is yet to finalise it despite discussing the country’s case in a recent Executive Committee meeting. The EC of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), which has terminated India after IABF’s failure to hold fresh elections, discussed the country’s case at the recent World Youth Championships in Bulgaria but no immediate solution is in sight.
IOA serious about 2019 AsiaDS
New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association on Tuesday expressed a strong desire to stage the 2019 Asian Games here following the withdrawal of Vietnam capital Hanoi and is banking on the next central government to approve the plan, IOA Secretary General Rajeev Mehta said. Mehta said in case India hosts the 2019 Asian Games, the IOA will not exercise financial powers and will only organise the multi-sporting event, a remark which appeared to stem from the experience of 2010 Commonwealth Games corruption scandal. “We want to host 2019 Asian Games after Vietnam’s withdrawal. We will take a final decision in IOA General Body Meeting which will be held most likely next month. We are waiting for the new government to be formed and hoping to get its approval,” Mehta told PTI in an interview here. “We have all the infrastructure in Delhi. I feel it’s a matter of getting government approval,” he added. Hanoi was chosen in 2012 to host the 18th Asian Games ahead of Indonesia’s Surabaya but last month, the Vietnamese capital withdrew due to economic pressures. Indonesia has expressed its willingness to step in as a replacement and a final decision on the host city will be decided on September 20 during the Incheon Asian Games. India had bid for hosting this year’s Asian Games but had lost out to Incheon in 2007.