Asiad medallists Indian boxers to get direct entry to World C’hips

New Delhi, Sep 16: Indian boxers finishing on the podium at the upcoming Asian Games will directly qualify for next year’s World Boxing Championships, which is the first Olympic qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, the BFI announced on Wednesday. The Boxing Federation of India has released an expansive selection policy focused on having the maximum number of boxers for the LA Games. The policy lays down a four-stage pathway based on the qualification system developed by World Boxing and approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the BFI said in a media release. According to the World Boxing criteria, the 2027 World Boxing Championships will be the first qualifying event, followed by the Asian Qualifier in China and two World Qualifying Tournaments in 2028. According to the policy, for weight categories in which India has not won a medal at the Asian Games as well as for LA 2028 weight categories that were not part of the Asian Games, the gold medallist of the 10th Elite National Championships shall be selected as the main entry. Boxers who reach the quota bout round but fail to win a quota place at the World Championships will receive direct entry to the Asian Qualifiers. The remaining slots will be filled through a ranking selection trial among the national campers, after the boxers have entered the national coaching camp through the dedicated pathways. (PTI)