Indian boxers have won three medals in the Olympics so far, all bronze. While Vijender Singh remains the only man to achieve the feat at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, female stars MC Mary Kom (London, 2012) and Borgohain (Tokyo, 2021) later added to the total. | Photo credit: Getty Images
World Championship medalists Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain and Nishant Dev will go through the toughest draw to achieve India’s best ever Olympic medal in boxing when the competition begins in Paris on July 27.
Indian boxers have won three medals in the Olympics so far, all bronze. While Vijender Singh remains the only man to achieve the feat at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, female stars MC Mary Kom (London, 2012) and Borgohain (Tokyo, 2021) later added to the total.
Six boxers in Paris were given a draw ranging from slippery to tough on July 25. Expectations are high from the group and two-time world champion Zareen is ahead.
The 28-year-old has an uphill task as three of the top medal contenders in the light-flyweight (50kg) division – China’s Wu Yu, Thailand’s Chuthamat Raksat and Uzbekistan’s Sabina Bobokulova – have already halved.
Zareen opens her campaign against Germany’s Maxi Klotzer on July 28, after which she will meet Asian Games top seed and flyweight world champion Wu.
If Zareen clears this hurdle, she could meet either eighth-seeded Asian Games silver medalist Raksat or Bobokulova.
Watch: India’s medal prospects at Paris Olympics 2024
Two boxers have defeated India recently. While Raksat was better than Zareen at last year’s Asian Games, Bobokulova defeated her in the Strandja Memorial final in February.
But the tenacious Hyderabadi will rise to the challenge and if he gets through the two rounds, he will be the favorite for the gold.
Experienced Amit Panghal (51kg) has been a rollercoaster this Olympic year – from not being the first choice in his weight class in the national team to making the cut for Paris on his only occasion.
The time out from the national team hurt his confidence, but he has unfinished business, having been knocked out in the first round in Tokyo.
Panghal has secured a bye in the first round and meets African Games champion Patrick Chinyemba of Zambia, who lost to India in the Commonwealth Games, in the round of 16.
He will face Asian Games silver medalist Thitisan Panmod of Thailand in the quarterfinals and potentially meet Rio Olympian and world champion Hasanboy Dusmatov of Uzbekistan or Tokyo bronze medalist Kazakh Saken Bibossinov in the semifinals.
The highly talented Nishant Dev, one of the most consistent players in the Indian squad, has been the best draw. With a first-round bye, the debutant will face Rodriguez Tenorio of Ecuador in the pre-quarters on August 1.
If Nishant can get past Tenorio, he will meet Mexican Pan American Games champion Merco Verde in the quarterfinals. He could face top seed Sewon Okazawa of Japan in the semifinals.
Lovlina Borgohain will be chasing history, to add to the 69kg bronze. The Assamese boxer, who weighs up to 75kg, will fight Sunniva Hofstad of Norway in the first round.
However, Borgohain has a tough test waiting for him in the quarterfinals in the form of China’s Li Qian, Asian Games champion and two-time Olympic and world medalist.
Although Borgohain defeated Qian at last year’s world event, he lost in two previous encounters – the Asian Games and the Czech Grand Prix.
A win in the quarter-finals could pit Borgohain against fifth-seeded silver medalist Australia’s Caitlin Parker or Moroccan heavyweight world champion Khadija El-Mardi.
Asian Games bronze medalist Preeti Pawar (54kg), competing in her Games debut, will battle Vietnam’s Vo Thi Kim Anh in the first round. A win will take her to the round of 16 where world silver medalist Yeni Arias of Colombia awaits her.
Another debutant Jaismine Lamboria, who has dropped from 60kg to 57kg before qualifying for the final, may have the toughest draw.
He took on the Tokyo silver medalist, former world champion Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines, in the opening match. If she wins, Jaismine will face European Olympic champion and world bronze medalist Amina Zidani.
Boxing events at the Paris Games will take place in two venues. The preliminary rounds will be held at the Arena Paris Nord while the iconic Stade Roland-Garros will host the semifinals and finals.