The 2014 Incheon Asian Games bronze medallist Sarita Devi, World championship bronze medallists Shiva Thapa (56 kg, bantam) and Vikash Krishan Yadav (75 kg, middleweight) will be the other favourites in their respective categories.
India’s head coach G.S. Sandhu preferred to play it safe when asked about India’s chances. “We cannot say for sure, as it depends on the form of the boxers on the day. Moreover, there are some good boxers from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka,” he said.
Addressing the media on Friday, Mary Kom said, “I am extremely happy that SAG is being hosted in the north-east. We will try our best to win gold medals.”
Mary Kom said she was yet to regain full fitness. “After the delivery of a baby (her third son was born on May 13), it is not easy. I am not 100 per cent fit,” she said.
Mary Kom said this time qualifying for Rio Olympics would be tougher, but she would make the grade nevertheless. “There is the world qualification tournament, which happens to be the World championship in Astana, Kazakhstan from May 19 to 27, which is tough. The Asia-Oceania Olympic qualifying tournament in Qian’an, China (from March 23 to April 3), will be easy,” she said.
Sarita’s comeback
For Sarita Devi, SAG will be her first international tournament after the one-year ban imposed on her by the AIBA (International Boxing Federation). Sarita, competing in the lightweight (60 kg) category, said SAG would be a great way to train for the Olympics, especially after the ban on the National Federation.
“The SAG will be a good motivating tool for us. After the ban, opportunities have become fewer, so SAG is good for us,” she said. Sarita competed in Qian’an in a training-cum-tournament last year, and is fully prepared for the major events in the run-up to Olympics.
Sandhu said it would be difficult to expect many boxers to qualify after the international body changed its Olympic qualification rules.
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