Asian Games medallist Narender to lead Indian team at World Boxing Cup in Brazil

New Delhi: Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal will headline a 10-member Indian men's boxing team at the inaugural World Boxing Cup in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil, starting Monday.

This tournament marks the first event hosted by World Boxing since receiving provisional recognition from the International Olympic Committee in February and the inclusion of boxing in the 2028 LA Olympics.

Competitions will be held for both men and women, but India has sent only male boxers, as the women's National Championships concluded only on Thursday. It will be the first time Indian boxers compete internationally in the new weight categories introduced by World Boxing.

Boxers who finished first and second in each weight category at the National Championships in January travelled to Brazil for a week long camp.

The reigning National Champions, barring Sumit (85kg) who is unfit, will compete in the tournament.

The team does not include the likes of Nishant Dev and Amit Panghal, both of whom have turned professional, or veteran boxer Shiva Thapa and 2023 World Championship bronze medallist Deepak Bhoria, who had competed in the Paris Olympic qualifiers.

It will be the first time that elite Indian boxers will compete on the international circuit since the Paris Olympics.

The six-day tournament will feature over 130 boxers, including Olympians, from 19 countries, including Australia, France, England, Germany, Kazakhstan, the USA, and Uzbekistan.

Lakshya Chahar will be the only Indian in action on the opening day. He will take on 2023 World Championship middleweight silver medallist Wanderley Pereira of Brazil in the 80kg pre-quarterfinals.

India Team: Jadumani S Mandengbam (50kg), Manish Rathore (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), Hitesh (70kg), Nikhil Dubey (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Jugnoo (85kg), Vishal (90kg), Narender Berwal (90+kg).