Jaismine Lamboria to Compete in Olympic Boxing Qualifiers After Parveen Hooda's Suspension

Jaismine Lamboria to Represent India in Olympic Boxing Qualifiers After Parveen Hooda's Suspension

India's hopes of fielding a full contingent of boxers at the Paris Olympics have suffered a setback with the suspension of Parveen Hooda, the quota holder in the women's 57kg category. As a result, Jaismine Lamboria will now compete in the second Olympic boxing qualifiers in Thailand, which begin on May 24.

Hooda's suspension stems from three whereabouts failures in a 12-month period, a violation of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules. The International Testing Agency (ITA) has imposed a 22-month suspension on the boxer, which has been backdated to Friday. This means Hooda will serve a 14-month suspension, effectively ending her Olympic hopes.

Lamboria, who previously competed in the 60kg category, will now represent India in the 57kg division at the qualifiers. She has a strong track record, having won a bronze medal at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games and competing in the first Olympic qualifiers and the Hangzhou Asian Games last year.

The loss of the 57kg quota is a significant blow to Indian boxing, which has already secured three Olympic quotas through Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti (54kg), and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg). The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) expressed disappointment over Hooda's suspension, calling it an "unprecedented embarrassment."

In boxing, Olympic quotas are awarded to countries, not individual athletes. Therefore, India has lost the quota in the 57kg category, and Lamboria will be competing for a new quota in Thailand.

Lamboria's performance at the qualifiers will be crucial for India's hopes of fielding a strong boxing contingent at the Paris Olympics. The qualifiers will feature boxers from around the world, and only the top finishers in each weight category will earn Olympic berths.

Tags: #Boxing, #OlympicQualifiers, #ParveenHooda, #JaismineLamboria, #WADA