National women’s boxing championships: Focus on Simranjit Kaur, Pooja Rani

In the absence of M.C. Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain, Simranjit Kaur and Pooja Rani will be the star attractions in the National women’s boxing championships.

File picture of Simranjit Kaur.

In the absence of Olympic medalists M.C. Mary Kom and Lovlina Borgohain, Olympians Simranjit Kaur and Pooja Rani will be the star attractions in the National women’s boxing championships beginning at the St Joseph’s International School on Thursday.

World championships medallist Simranjit will compete in 60kg, while Pooja, a reigning Asian champion, will feature in the 81kg draw instead of 75kg, in which she boxed in the Tokyo Games.

The presence of Worlds medallist Jamuna Boro (54kg), defending champion Pwilao Basumatary (60kg), Asian medallists Jasmine (60kg) and Nikhat Zareen (52kg), World youth champions N.Babyrojisana Chanu (54kg), T.Sanamacha Chanu (75kg) and Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) promises some exciting action.

READ: Mary Kom to skip National Women's Boxing Championships

The event, being staged with Covid-19 protocols, will be held as per the revamped weight divisions — 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 81kg and +81kg.

The gold and silver medallists will earn places in the National coaching camp. Two more boxers in each category will be selected on the basis of performances in the selection trials, which will take place after the National championships.

In the trials, the bronze medallists will compete alongside the boxers representing the second string teams of top-three outfits (Railways, Haryana and All India Police) in the last National championships.