GUWAHATI: The eighth Men's and Women's National Youth Boxing Championship is set to be held in Guwahati from April 13 to 19, bringing together nearly 800 participants from across the country.
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Announcing this at a press conference on Saturday, April 11, Assam Amateur Boxing Association secretary Hemanta Kumar Kalita said that players, coaches, and technical officials from 33 states will take part in the tournament. The official logo of the championship was also unveiled during the event by association president Siddhartha Bhattacharya.
The championship is being organised by the Assam Amateur Boxing Association with the support of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI). Importantly, the tournament will serve as a selection platform for the Indian men’s and women’s boxing teams for upcoming international events, including the Youth Olympic Games and the World Championships.
Kalita, who is also an advisor to the BFI, highlighted the significance of the event for local athletes. He said that the championship will provide a major opportunity for young boxers from Assam to perform on home ground and secure a place in the national team. He added that the competition is also part of a broader process to groom future boxers for the 2028 Olympic Games.
The matches will be held at the hall of Assam Don Bosco University in Sonapur. Competitions will take place across ten weight categories in both men’s and women’s sections. So far, 274 male and 240 female boxers have registered for the event.
In addition, 112 male coaches and 38 female coaches, along with around 150 technical officials, are expected to be present during the championship. Accommodation and other arrangements for participants have been made within the university campus.
Speaking at the press meet, newly elected president Siddhartha Bhattacharya said that Assam has consistently contributed to Indian boxing, with the state being represented in the last four Olympic Games by boxers like Shiva Thapa and Lovlina Borgohain. He emphasised that the focus is now on identifying and nurturing new talent from the grassroots level.
He added that the association has already initiated talent development programmes at the district level and decided to host the national youth championship to provide exposure to emerging boxers at a higher level.
The upcoming championship is expected to play a key role in shaping the future of Indian boxing while also putting Guwahati on the national sporting map once again.