Panghal gets top billing, Mary 2nd

Amman, March 2

Amit Panghal (52kg) has been given the top billing in the men’s competition while MC Mary Kom (51kg) is seeded second in the women’s event of the Asian Olympics Qualifiers for boxing, which begin here tomorrow.

Eight men and five women from India will be aiming to secure the Tokyo Olympics berths at the continental event. While Panghal is the lone Indian man to be seeded, Lovlina Borgohain (69kg) and Pooja Rani (75kg) have been seeded second and fourth, respectively, in the women’s competition. The Indian team arrived in Jordan on Friday last week after a training stint in Assisi, Italy.

The tournament has 63 quota places on offer and a boxer will be assured of a Tokyo ticket on reaching the semifinals stage. In some weight categories, depending on the size of the draw, there could be box-offs between losing quarterfinalists to decide the Olympics berths. — PTI

India Squads

Men: Amit Panghal (52kg), Gaurav Solanki (57kg), Manish Kaushik (63kg), Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg), Sachin Kumar (81kg), Naman Tanwar (91kg), Satish Kumar ( 91kg).

Women: MC Mary Kom (51kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (57kg), Simranjit Kaur (60kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), Pooja Rani (75kg).

Sumit Sangwan’s doping ban lifted

New Delhi: The one-year doping ban on boxer Sumit Sangwan (91kg) was lifted after the National Anti-Doping Agency’s (NADA) appeals panel ruled that his intake of a banned substance was unintentional. Sangwan was cleared after a hearing conducted here today. — PTI