Greater Noida: Rising temper, protests over refereeing, and many exciting bouts marked the fourth day of the Elite National Boxing Championships at the Gautam Buddha University here on Wednesday. Stars Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Minakshi Hooda (48kg), Preeti Sai Pawar (55kg), Amit Panghal and Jadumani Singh (55kg) progressed comfortably to the quarterfinals.
Two-time world champion Nikhat beat Ladakh’s Kulsooma Bano via a first round RSC, while Minakshi cruised to a 5-0 win against Annu of Jharkhand. Paris Olympian Preeti registered a dominant 5-0 win over Ruchika. World champion Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), however, pulled out due to a shoulder injury.
In men, Panghal edged past a combative and fearless Krissh Pal of Chandigarh 4-1 in a split decision, while Jadumani (55kg) defeated Manish Rathore 5-0. Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) got the better of Smarak Ranjan to move into the quarters.
However, refereeing again came under scrutiny, having already seen one over Tokyo Olympian Ashish Chaudhary’s disqualification on the opening day. The most controversial bout on Wednesday involved Services boxer Pawan Bartwal, silver medallist in the World Boxing Cup Finals, and All India Police (AIP) boxer Lalit, the 2023 national champion, in the 55kg category.
After two closely fought rounds, Pawan was declared winner by abandonment (ABD), triggering chaotic scenes on the ring. While Pawan had edged both rounds 3-2, the All India Police Sports Control Board (AIPSCB) questioned the scoring. According to technical officials, amid the protests the referee signalled ‘box’ for the third round, but Lalit was not ready. This led to the bout being declared ABD. The AIPSCB, however, claimed the referee never gave the signal.
Former international boxer Vikas Krishan and other AIPSCB coaches were seen in discussions with the organising committee. Police sports board officials said they have lodged a protest with the technical delegate of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) over the refereeing.
“The boxer from the police contingent was officially declared ‘abandoned’ in accordance with competition rules after he did not turn up for the third round,” BFI said in a statement. “The decision was taken following due process and in strict adherence to technical and competition regulations.”
BFI said the tournament committee had taken note of the developments and that the matter is under review.
“I was ready for the third round,” Lalit said. “I trained very hard for this championship. There are major events this year — now how will I get an opportunity?” said the boxer, who represented India in 2023. He had beaten Pawan in the 2023 nationals final.
With BFI granting direct entries to World Boxing Cup Finals participants, Services have more than one boxer in many weight categories. In men’s 55kg, three Services boxers — Pawan, Jadumani Singh and Amit Panghal — are in the draw, leading to resentment among rival teams.
A police team coach criticised the officiating. “The second round was completely in our favour. Team members will support their boxer, but does that mean the bout should be declared abandoned? The referee did not signal ‘box’. Also, allowing more than one Services boxer is unfair to other teams. Talent exists across teams,” the coach said.
Another controversial bout involved Railways’ Ishmeet and AIP’s Mohit in the middleweight category. Ishmeet repeatedly drew the referee’s attention that his opponent had bitten him on the neck, alleging fouls by his opponent. Tensions escalated in the second round, but Ishmeet, cheered loudly by the crowd, won the bout. Railways officials later questioned why the contest was not stopped. After the bout, Ishmeet was seen showing the bite marks to officials. A technical official said they will look into the incident.
