Asian Games medallist Narender to lead Indian team at World Boxing Cup in Brazil

Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal will headline a 10-member Indian men’s boxing team that was handed a mixed draw at the inaugural World Boxing Cup in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, starting Monday.

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This will be the first event hosted by World Boxing since receiving provisional recognition from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in February and the inclusion of the sport in the 2028 LA Olympics.

Competitions will be held for both men and women, but India has sent only male boxers, as the women’s National Championships concluded only on Thursday. It will be the first time Indian boxers compete internationally in the new weight categories introduced by World Boxing.

Boxers who finished first and second in each weight category at the National Championships in January travelled to Brazil for a week long camp.

The reigning national champions, barring Sumit (85kg) who is unfit, will compete in the tournament and will be hoping to bring home at least half a dozen medals.

The team does not include the likes of Nishant Dev and Amit Panghal, both of whom have turned professional, or veteran boxer Shiva Thapa and 2023 World Championship bronze medallist Deepak Bhoria, who had competed in the Paris Olympic qualifiers.

It will be the first time that elite Indian boxers will compete on the international circuit since the Paris Olympics.

Two boxers have got a direct entry in the semi-finals and few more need just a win to reach the last four.

Lakshya Chahar will be the only Indian in action on the opening day. He will take on 2023 World Championship middleweight silver medallist Wanderley Pereira of Brazil in the 80kg pre-quarterfinals.

Among other Indians in fray, Sachin (60kg) and Vishal (90kg) have got a bye in the opening round and will take the ring directly in the semi-finals while Jadumani Singh Mandengbam (50kg) will need to beat last year's World Boxing Cup finals silver medallist Ellis Trowbridge of Great Britain to book a spot in the semi-finals.

Nikhil Dubey (75kg) could make it to the semi-finals with a win over local hope Kaue Belini while Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist Narender will face off against Kazak’s Daniyal Saparbay in the quarterfinals.

Manish Kumar (55kg), Abhinav Jamwal (65kg) and Hitesh (70kg) have also received opening round byes.

Manish is likely to face off against Paris Olympian Yusuif Chothia of Australia or USA debutant Orlando Zamora in the second round while Jamwal will meet Denis Bril of Germany.

The six-day tournament will feature over 130 boxers, including Olympians, from 19 countries, including Australia, France, England, Germany, Kazakhstan, the USA, and Uzbekistan.

India Team

Jadumani S Mandengbam (50kg), Manish Rathore (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), Hitesh (70kg), Nikhil Dubey (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Jugnoo (85kg), Vishal (90kg), Narender Berwal (90+kg).