Rohtak:Five-time world champion MC Mary Kom will be missing the Elite Women’s National Boxing Championship starting tomorrow even as celebrated names like L Sarita Devi, Sarajubala Devi will be vying for the top honours and a berth in the Indian squad for this year’s Commonwealth and Asian Games.
The reigning Asian champion Mary Kom will be nursing a few injuries. Over 300 top boxers will be stepping into the ring during the second edition of the championship with Boxing Federation of India indicating that the week-long tournament will be seen as the selection trials for the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.
Most of the newly-crowned champions at the Youth World Championships from 36-member units have registered themselves for this competition. The Indian boxers have been on a roll in the year gone by and will be eager to make the New Year equally rewarding for the country.
“This will be my first shot at the senior level and I am positive about doing well against the best boxers in the country,” Shashi Chopra, gold medallist in the World Youth Championships in Guwahati said. “I will be a little nervous but I know I can make the cut at the elite level too,” she added.
High Performance Director for the women’s team, Raffael Bergamasco, will be present to keep a close watch on the women pugilists. Bergamasco had played a crucial role in helping India clinch four gold, one silver and two bronze medals at the AIBA World Youth Boxing Championship.
