Indian boxers are all set to showcase their talent at the Men’s World Championships, which is scheduled to begin from May 2 in Belgrade, Serbia. The tournament is an opportunity for boxers from around the world to compete at the highest level and win big. India, like many other countries, will not have an opportunity to secure an Olympic berth, but it provides a platform for the pugilists to prepare themselves for the upcoming Asian Games.

The Men’s World Championships will feature seven weight divisions, ranging from 51kg to +92kg, and India’s hopes will rest on the shoulders of their experienced and young boxers. With the absence of Amit Panghal, the country’s maiden silver medallist in 2019, and last edition’s lone medallist Akash Kumar, the responsibility will fall on six-time Asian Championship medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg) to bring glory for the country. Having already won a bronze medal in 2015, Shiva will be eager to change the color of his medal this time.

Mohammad Hussamuddin (57kg) and Ashish Chaudhary (80kg) form the experienced core of the Indian squad. Hussamuddin is a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, while Ashish is a former Asian Championship silver medallist and also represented the country at the Tokyo Olympics. The Indian squad also has some young blood in 2021 World Youth champion Sachin Siwach (54kg) and Harsh Choudhary (86kg). Both boxers will be making their World Championships debut.

The Indian team also comprises Strandia memorial silver medallist Govind Sahani (48kg) and promising young pugilists Varinder Singh (60kg), Akash Sangwan (67kg), Nishant Dev (71kg), and Sumit Kundu (75kg), who are all competing in their second World Championships. These boxers will be looking to use their experience to win this time.

India’s hopes will be high as they aim to better their previous performance of securing just one bronze medal in the last edition. The boxers are accompanied by CA Kuttapa, who returns as head coach, and the team will look to perform well despite the absence of some countries due to the Russian and Belarusian boxers competing under their own flag, against the International Olympic Committee’s recommendation.

The Men’s World Championships will feature over 640 boxers from 104 countries, fighting it out for the ultimate prize of USD 200,000 for the gold medalists, USD 100,000 for the silver medalists, and USD 50,000 each for the bronze medalists. Seven defending World Champions are among those who will fight for glory, including Sofiane Oumiha from France, Tomoya Tsuboi, and Sewonrets Okazawa from Japan, Loren Alfonso from Azerbaijan, Saken Bibossinov from Kazakhstan, Yoenlis Hernandez Martinez and Julio La Cruz from Cuba.

Indian boxers will have a golden opportunity to showcase their talent and make their country proud at the Men’s World Championships. With a balanced mix of experienced and young boxers, they will aim for an improved show and prepare themselves for the upcoming Asian Games, which is a qualifying event for the Paris Olympics. The absence of some countries due to the Russian and Belarusian boxers’ participation under their own flag may have an impact, but India’s boxers will aim to show their perplexity and burstiness in the ring to emerge victorious.

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