Xinjiang, Aug 28: India’s junior boys and girls stole the spotlight with a string of strong wins at the 'Belt and Road' International Youth Boxing Gala – U17/U19/U23 International Training Camp & Tournament. With 26 semifinalists, India has ensured a tally of 26 confirmed medals.

India has sent a 58-member contingent comprising 20 boys and 20 girls, supported by 12 coaches, 6 support staff and 1 referee & judge. Only U-17 boys and girls are representing India at this edition.

The team was selected from the 6th U-17 Junior Boys & Girls National Boxing Championships 2025, with medallists across Asian Youth Games and Non-Asian Youth Games weight categories earning a place.

The semifinalists include Dhruv Kharb (46kg), Uday Singh (46kg), Falak (48kg), Piyush (50kg), Aditya (52kg), Udham Singh Raghav (54kg), Ashish (54kg), Devendra Chaudhary (75kg), Jaideep Singh Hanjra (80kg), and Loven Gulia (+80kg) who defeated tough opponents from China, Korea, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to reach the last four.

On August 27, the Indian junior girls dominated the ring with emphatic victories. Khushi (46kg), Bhakti (50kg), Radhamani (60kg), Harsika (60kg), Diya (66kg), Priya (66kg), Laxmi (46kg), Chahat (60kg), Himanshi (66kg), Harnoor (66kg), and Prachi Khatri (+80kg) all secured impressive wins against tough opponents from China and Korea.

The junior boys also displayed grit, with standout performances from Falak, Piyush, Udham Singh Raghav, Devendra Chaudhary and Loven Gulia, ensuring India’s strong presence in the latter stages.

The competition phase of the tournament continues till August 29 in Urumqi and Yili, where India’s junior boxers will look to build on this momentum and showcase their rising talent on the international stage.

Meanwhile, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has sent a strong 27-member Indian senior boxing contingent to Sheffield, United Kingdom, for a high-intensity combined training camp in the lead-up to the World Boxing Championships. The move is part of BFI’s continued efforts to give Indian boxers international exposure and the best possible preparation by ensuring they acclimatise to conditions well before the tournament.

(IANS)

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