Nikhat, Lovlina to headline elite women’s Boxing event in Telangana

TELANGANA: Two-time World Champion Nikhat Zareen, Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain, and former World Youth Champion Ankushita Boro will headline the Elite Women’s Boxing Tournament set to begin on 27 June at the Saroornagar Indoor Stadium in Telangana.

The five-day event, which runs until 1 July, will see India’s top female boxers vying for national glory and selection into the elite national camp in Patiala. The tournament is organised by the Telangana Boxing Federation under the aegis of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) and the Sports Authority of Telangana.

Boxers from 15 units will compete, including the top 12 teams from the 8th Elite Women’s Nationals—Railways, Haryana, All India Police, Services, Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Sikkim—alongside host Telangana, the Combined SAI National Centre of Excellence team, and the TOPS Core & Development squad.

The field includes World Championships bronze medallist Manisha Moun, Olympian Preeti, and World Youth Champion Arundhati Chaudhary, among more than 100 contenders. They will compete across ten weight categories, with gold and silver medallists in each earning a place in the elite national camp.

According to the BFI, the tournament serves not only as a selection pathway but also as a platform for younger athletes to test themselves against experienced names and gain exposure to high-performance standards. The championships will be held under World Boxing Technical & Competitions Rules, with each bout comprising three rounds of three minutes and a minute’s rest between rounds. The ten-point scoring system will be used, while the review system will not be in operation.

Following a commendable showing at the 2025 Thailand Open - where Indian women secured one silver and five bronze medals—this tournament marks the next phase in India’s preparations for the World Boxing Cup finale later this year.