Boxing Federation of India on Friday announced a 10-member team for the 2017 AIBA Youth Women’s World Boxing championship to be held in Guwahati between November 19-26.
Haryana finds the highest representation with six members in the squad including Neha Yadav (81+ kg), Anupama (81 kg), Shashi Chopra (57 kg), Sakshi (54 kg), Jyoti (51 kg) and Neetu (48 kg). Mizoram’s Vanlalhriatpuii (60 kg), Hyderabad’s Niharika Gonella (75 kg), Uttar Pradesh’s Astha Pahwa (69 kg) and local girl Ankushita Boro (64 kg).
Sakshi and Gonella walk into the tournament with lofty reputations, having won gold and silver medals respectively at the 2015 junior Worlds in Taipei. Yadav, Neetu, Sakshi and Anupama are also expected to come good, having picked up medals at the Bulgaria International youth tournament last month.
Despite missing out on the podium in Sofia, Boro clinched the silver medal at the Ahmet Comert Championships in September. Gonella and Chopra also landed silver at Istanbul. A total of 192 pugilists from 38 countries will be vying for top honours in the flyweight, featherweight, lightweight middleweight and heavyweight categories.