Indian boxers step up Asian Games preparations with multinational camp in Patiala

Indian boxers are undergoing a multinational training camp in Patiala ahead of the Asian Games, with athletes from Iran and the Dominican Republic participating. The squad will train in Nagoya from September 9 before facing strong contenders Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan

Patiala: Indian boxers are sharpening their skills at a multinational camp at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports here ahead of this month’s Asian Games, before leaving for a preparatory stint in Nagoya, Japan, on September 8.

The camp features boxers from Iran and the Dominican Republic, including Paris Olympics bronze medallists Junior Alcantara (51kg) and Cristian Pinales (80kg). The national campers, that also include the second-ranked boxers, will then leave for a training camp in Nagoya Japan, starting September 9. Following the stint, the Asian Games-bound squad will move directly to the team hotel for continental event, while the remaining boxers will return to India.

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“We are training hard for the Asian Games. The competition will be quite hard there. But the preparation is going well,” Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sachin Siwach told PTI. The Asian Games begin on September 19. The Indian boxing team enters the final stretch of preparation on the back of an exceptional campaign at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games last month, when they returned with a record-breaking haul of 10 medals, including seven golds.

However, the field at the Asian Games promises a much stiffer challenge, with Indian pugilists set to go toe-to-toe with traditional powerhouse countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. “Asian Games will be tough. At the Paris Olympics Kazakhs took home five gold medals, while Kazakhstan boxers won 3,” a coach in the camp said. To put things into context, boxers from Uzbekistan dominated the Paris Olympics with five gold medals, while Kazakhstan claimed three medals.

A realistic marker for the team’s prospects remains the recent Asian Championships, which featured a similar competitive field. The Indian contingent delivered a strong performance there, finishing second overall on the medal table with 16 medals, comprising five gold, three silver, and eight bronze.