Simranjit Kaur (60kg) and Pooja Rani (81kg) are among the athletes competing in the National Women's Boxing Championship, which begins on Thursday in Hisar and will serve as a qualifying event for the international championships.
More than 320 boxers from 36 states/UTs/Boards from around the country will compete in the competition, which is being held in collaboration with Haryana Boxing Sangh.
Apart from the incumbent Asian champions Simranjit (60kg) and Pooja (81kg), 2019 World Championships bronze medalist Jamuna Boro (54kg), defending champion Pwilao Basumatary (60kg), and Asian Championships bronze medallist Jaismine (60kg) will all be in action.
Except for Olympic bronze medalist Lovlina Borgohain, who has been offered a direct entry in the squad based on her Tokyo performance, the federation has stated that gold winners from the event will be selected for the world championships.
M C Mary Kom, a veteran boxer, has chosen not to compete.
In addition, reigning young world champions Babyrojisana Naorem (54kg), Sanamacha Thokchom (75kg), and Rajasthan's Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) will compete in the competition, which plays until October 27.
On Thursday, the inaugural ceremony will be attended by Deputy Commissioner of Hisar, Dr. Priyanka Soni, as well as BFI General Secretary Hemanta Kumar Kalita and Treasurer Digvijay Singh.
The championships will be held in 12 weight divisions as defined by the AIBA: 48kg, 50kg, 52kg, 54kg, 57kg, 60kg, 63kg, 66kg, 70kg, 75kg, 81kg, and +81kg.
The gold and silver medalists in the championships will be invited to the national coaching camp as well.
The remaining two names for each category's camp will be chosen based on their results in selection trials, which will take place immediately following the nationals.
Railways won the team championship with six gold medals at the previous edition of the championships in Kannur, Kerala, in 2019, while Haryana finished second.
