BFI Revises Asian Games Boxing Selections, Deepak Punia Takes 70kg Spot

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) has reopened its selection process for the Asian Games, leading to a significant change in the 70kg boxing category. This decision was made during fresh trials held at NIS Patiala on August 17, weeks after the initial squad announcement for the Aichi-Nagoya Games.

In the recent trials, boxers who were originally selected faced off against their reserves. Sumit Kundu, who was part of the announced squad, lost his bout to Deepak Punia, resulting in Punia taking the Games berth. The BFI had previously finalized its team during trials held from May 13-15, but recommendations from the high-performance unit prompted this reevaluation.

While Kundu was relegated to reserve status, the original selections in the 90kg and women’s 65kg categories remained unchanged. The BFI's decision was influenced by the performance of the boxers at the Commonwealth Games, where none of the three had secured medals. Kundu is expected to attend the pre-Games training camp as a reserve, although he may focus on recovery from a recent injury.