Now Reading: BFI reopens Asiad selection, Sumit Kundu loses 70kg spot
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BFI reopens Asiad selection, Sumit Kundu loses 70kg spot
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) conducted fresh selection trials on August 17 at NIS Patiala, overturning its earlier squad for the 2026 Asian Games in three categories. The move, weeks after…
The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) conducted fresh selection trials on August 17 at NIS Patiala, overturning its earlier squad for the 2026 Asian Games in three categories. The move, weeks after the original team was announced, saw Sumit Kundu lose his men's 70kg berth to reserve Deepak Punia, who won the bout and secured the Games spot.
In the other two categories, the original selections were retained: Kapil Pokhariya beat reserve Harsh Choudhary in the 90kg category, and Parveen Hooda defeated Saneh in women's 65kg. BFI sources said the reassessment followed the three boxers' failure to win medals at the Commonwealth Games, where Sumit lost in the pre-quarters and the others in the quarterfinals.
The trials' minutes note that if the sports ministry and IOA do not accept the revised entries, the boxers who competed at the CWG will keep their Asian Games places. Sumit is expected to travel as a reserve for the pre-Games camp and is considering moving to the 80kg category for the Olympic qualification cycle.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The BFI's unusual step of reopening selection after announcing a squad reflects pressure to improve India's boxing medal count at the Asian Games, where the country has historically won 13 medals including 2 golds. The federation's risk is reputational: overturning a selection can demoralise athletes and invite legal challenges. Sumit Kundu's potential shift to 80kg signals the squeeze at 70kg, where Olympic weight classes differ from Asian Games ones. The ministry and IOA's decision on accepting revised entries will determine finality. Watch for an official notification by end of August.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
