Indian boxing is set to undergo a radical change with the upcoming twin tour of Russia and Cyprus. For the first time in two decades, the boxers will spar without the protective headgear and under a new scoring pattern. With the Asian Championships and the all-important World Championships scheduled later this year, the two tours will give an indication about the mental and technical adjustments made by the boxers.
The international tours —the first major tournament post the Olympics — will serve as platform to gain experience. “We are not looking for medals from these tours but the objective is to gain experience ahead of the big tournaments,” national coach Jaidev Bisht, who will travel with head coach G.S. Sandhu to Cyprus told this newspaper on Tuesday. Bisht added that the tam have practiced as per the new scoring system where the boxers will be awarded as per the dominance in each round as against the points.
While a 10-member squad left for Russia on Monday for the Khabarovsk International boxing tournament, another 10-member team for the Invitational FXTM International Limassol Boxing Cup in Cyprus will leave in the wee hours of Wednesday.
This will be the first time that India will send a team for the tournament in Cyprus where close to 100 boxers from 15 countries will participate.
Meanwhile, the suspended the IABF informed that a training-cum-competition program at Havana, Cuba from May 27 to June 17 was scrapped after Aiba refused to sanction the tour.