Meenakshi and Nikhat Zareen to headline National Boxing Championships in Greater Noida

World champion Meenakshi, Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain and Amit Panghal are among 600 boxers competing at the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships in Greater Noida from January 4-10, 2026, the first joint event for men and women

Hyderabad: World champion Meenakshi, two-time former world champion Nikhat Zareen and multiple medallists of the World Boxing Cup will be vying for top honours at the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships to be played at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida from January 4-10, 2026.

This will be the first time the Men’s and Women’s National Championships will be held simultaneously at the same venue, with approximately 600 male and female boxers from across India set to participate across 10 weight categories each.

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“Indian boxing is on an upward trajectory with our boxers dominating the World Boxing Cup Finals and winning numerous medals in international competitions. The upcoming Nationals provide the established boxers and their challengers a platform to showcase their skills and stake claim for National team selection ahead of the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games,” said Boxing Federation of India president Ajay Singh.

Other prominent names in action at the Nationals include reigning world champion Jaismine, Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain, world championships bronze medallists Pooja Rani and Parveen, former world champion Nitu Ghanghas, Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti Pawar among women, and World Boxing Cup Finals gold medallists Hitesh and Sachin, silver medallist Abhinash Jamwal, Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal, and world championships silver medallist and Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal in the men’s section.

Each member association can send a maximum of 10 men and 10 women boxers, while athletes who participated in the World Boxing Cup Finals in Noida in November 2025 have received direct entry into the Nationals. Only boxers born between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 2006, will be eligible to compete.

All the medallists in Olympic weight categories will be called for the national camp, while only the gold and silver medallists from the non-Olympic weight categories will be part of the camp following the Nationals.