Boxing
Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships set for joint staging in Greater Noida
Top Indian boxers, including world and Olympic medallists, will compete at the Nationals from January 4, with national team selection at stake.
Nikhat Zareen has been elected to the newly formed World Boxing Athletes Committee. (Photo credit: Paris 2024)
India’s leading boxers will be in action at the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships, scheduled to be held at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida from January 4 to 10, 2026. The event marks a first in Indian boxing, with the men’s and women’s national championships being staged simultaneously at the same venue.
Organised by the Boxing Federation of India, the championships are expected to feature close to 600 boxers from across the country, competing across 10 weight categories each for men and women. Several established names and emerging challengers will be vying for top honours, with national team selection firmly in focus.
The women’s field will include world champion Meenakshi, two-time former world champion Nikhat Zareen, reigning world champion Jaismine, and Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain. Also in contention are world championships bronze medallists Pooja Rani and Parveen, former world champion Nitu Ghanghas, and Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti Pawar.
The men’s competition will see world boxing cup finals gold medallists Hitesh and Sachin, silver medallist Abhinash Jamwal, Asian Games bronze medallist Narender Berwal, and former world championships silver medallist and Asian Games gold medallist Amit Panghal in action.
BFI president Ajay Singh said the Nationals come at a crucial time, with Indian boxing showing strong results internationally. He noted that the event will provide a platform for both established boxers and challengers to stake their claim for selection ahead of the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
Each state unit can field up to 10 men and 10 women boxers. Athletes who competed at the World Boxing Cup Finals in Noida in November 2025 have been granted direct entry. Eligibility is restricted to boxers born between January 1, 1985, and December 31, 2006. Medallists in Olympic weight categories will be called to the national camp, along with gold and silver winners from non-Olympic categories.
