Indian boxers' final preparations for the upcoming World Championships in Liverpool have been significantly hampered by unexpected delays in obtaining UK visas. With the championships set to kick off on September 4 under the new World Boxing federation, the Indian team is scrambling to make the most of the limited time remaining. While many of their international rivals, including teams from Uzbekistan, the USA, Ireland, and Poland, are already deep into their final training camps, the Indian squad faces a logistical nightmare that has disrupted their plans for a crucial camp in Sheffield.
Of the 20 boxers scheduled to attend the camp, only four women have managed to secure their visas and arrive in the UK. The women's team members who made it are Minakshi, Nikhat Zareen, Pooja Rani, and Nupur Sheoran. This leaves six other female boxers, along with all ten members of the men's team, in India, unable to join their teammates. This includes prominent names like Lovlina Borgohain and Sachin Siwach. The men's head coach, Dharmendra Yadav, is in the UK, but none of his boxers have been able to fly out. Meanwhile, the women's head coach, D. Chandralal, is still in India, monitoring the situation from afar as he is part of the electoral college for the Boxing Federation of India elections.
Despite the setbacks, the coaches are determined to push forward. D. Chandralal shared his strategy for the four women already in Sheffield, saying, "I'm monitoring the training from here. I want our girls to spar with boxers of heavier or lower weights so that they don’t give away clues to the opponents too early. We’re collecting videos of prospective opponents for our homework.” This approach aims to maintain a competitive edge and keep opponents guessing even without a full squad.
The full squad awaiting their opportunity to compete in Liverpool includes:
Men's Team: Jadumani Singh (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Abinash Jamwal (65kg), Hitesh (70kg), Sumit Kundu (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Jugnoo (85kg), Harsh Choudhary (90kg), Narender Berwal (90+kg).
Women's Team: Minakshi (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (54kg), Jaismine Lamboriya (57kg), Sanju (60kg), Neeraj Phogat (65kg), Sanamacha Chanu (70kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Pooja Rani (80kg), and Nupur Sheoran (80+kg).