Others

Reigning national champion Lakshya Chahar's Olympic dream suffered a setback as he became the fourth Indian boxer to bow out in the opening round of the first World Olympic Boxing Qualifier in Busto Arsizio, Italy.Chahar, competing in the men's 80kg event, faced a formidable opponent in 2021 Asian Championships silver medallist Gheshlaghi Meysam of Iran. Despite a valiant effort, Chahar was knocked out in the third round, ending his hopes of securing an Olympic quota.The Indian contingent has faced a disappointing start to the qualifier, with all four boxers who have taken the ring failing to advance to the second round. World Championships bronze medallist Deepak Bhoria (51kg), Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal (92kg), and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jaismine Lamboria (60kg) all suffered first-round defeats.However, five Indian boxers remain in contention for Paris Olympic quotas: world championships bronze medallist Mohammed Hussamudin and six-time Asian Championships medal winner Shiva Thapa. A semifinal finish will guarantee them a quota.India has already secured four 2024 Olympic quotas through Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Parveen Hooda (57kg), and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), who clinched their entry at the Asian Games last year.Boxers who fail to earn quotas in Italy will have a final chance to qualify for the Paris Games at the second World Olympic Boxing Qualifier, scheduled for May 23 to June 3 in Bangkok.

India's Olympic boxing aspirations suffered a setback at the World Olympic Boxing Qualifier in Busto Arsizio, Italy, as Deepak Bhoria (51kg) succumbed to a 2-3 split verdict against Azerbaijan's Huseynov Nijat on the opening day.Bhoria, who had edged out 2019 World Championships silver medalist Amit Panghal for a spot in the Indian squad, faced a formidable opponent in Nijat. The Azerbaijani boxer's pace and agility proved too much for Bhoria in the first two rounds, which he lost by identical 2-3 scorelines.Undeterred, Bhoria rallied in the final round, delivering some impressive blows to secure a 4-1 victory. However, it was not enough to overcome the deficit from the earlier rounds.Despite Bhoria's defeat, India still has hopes of securing Olympic quotas through Asian Games bronze medalist Narender (92kg) and Commonwealth Games 2022 bronze medalist Jaismine (60kg), who will face Germany's Nelvie Tiafack and Japan's Ayaka Taguchi respectively later on Sunday.The World Olympic Boxing Qualifier offers 49 quotas for the Paris Olympics, including 28 for men and 21 for women. India has already secured four quotas for the Games.