The Indian boxing team that returned from Jordan after participating in the Asian Olympic qualifiers has been asked to remain isolated at home given the threat of COVID-1. In spite of the fact that all members of the team have received necessary health-related clearances, the Boxing Federation of India told PTI on Thursday that Sports Authority of India(SAI) does not want to risk athletes training at their various centres and therefore have suggested the boxing team to not join the camps immediately. BFI also said that SAI officials had suggested them to take utmost precautions when the boxers land in New Delhi.
It is to be noted that 13 boxers and an equal number of coaching staff returned home on Thursday after clinching record 9 Olympic slots in the qualifiers that concluded on Wednesday in the capital of Jordan.
Indian boxers were preparing in Italy, one of the countries most affected by the Coronavirus, till February 26. They reached Amman from Assisi on February 27 and received approval to participate in the qualifiers only after a mandatory screening.
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) further informed that Indian boxers achieved a record nine Olympic quotas in the qualifier that ended on Wednesday in Amman, Jordan. This is the highest quota in boxing history in India so far.
Mary Kom (51 kg), Simranjit Kaur (60 kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69 kg), Pooja Rani (75 kg), Vikas Krishan(69kg), Amit Panghal(52 kg), Satish Kumar(+91 kg), Manish Kaushik(63 kg) and Ashish Kumar (75 kg) have all secured a quota each.
Among the nine boxers, Simranjit and Vikas went on to bag silver medals while MC Mary Kom, Amit Panghal, Lavlina Bohorgan, Pooja Rani, Ashish Kumar and Satish Kumar had to settle for bronze after facing defeat in their respective semi-final bouts. On the other hand, Manish Kaushik won the Olympic berth by defeating Australia’s Harrison Gassaid 4–1 in the Box of Bout match. Manish has qualified for the first time for the Olympics.
MC Mary Kom, Amit Panghal, Lavlina Bohorgan, Pooja Rani, Ashish Kumar and Satish Kumar had to settle for a bronze medal after losing in the semi-finals.
India had earlier achieved eight quotas at the 2012 London Olympics and six at the 2016 Rio Olympics. India had achieved three Olympic quotas in 1996, three in 2000, four in 2004 and five in 2008.
