Olympics: Decoding India's medal haul in boxing
The 2024 Paris Olympics will be underway on July 26 with a total of 184 countries participating in the tourney. Athletes from different corners of the globe will compete across 32 sports for 329 gold medals. Several Indians are also among the athletes to watch out for. Expectations are high from the nation's boxers as well. Let's decode India's Olympic medal tally in boxing.
Three medals in boxing
India didn't have a single Olympic medal in boxing prior to this century. In 2008, Vijender Singh opened India's account by becoming the first Indian boxer to win an Olympic medal. He brought home a bronze. This started a streak as two more Indian boxers went on to secure podium finishes in the Olympics. The nation currently boasts three Olympic medals in boxing.
When Vijender clinched bronze
Vijender participated in the men's 75kg category in the 2008 Beijing Games. He put up a brilliant show in the group stages and advanced to the semi-final, where he was knocked out by Cuba's Emilio Correa. Notably, two bronze medals are awarded in boxing. Hence, athletes in this discipline secure a podium finish after clearing the quarter-final stage.
Mary Kom's glory in 2012
MC Mary Kom's bronze at in the 2012 London Games earned her applauds all across the globe. Notably, women's boxing was first introduced in the Olympics in 2012 and Kom participated in the 51kg category. The athlete dominated the league stage before losing to eventual gold medalist Nicola Adams of England in the semi-finals. Kom hence headed home with a bronze.
Lovlina Borgohain's success in 2020
Lovlina Borgohain made her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Games and made an instant impact. The welterweight boxer from Assam, who took part in the women's 69kg category, overcame the hurdles and qualified for the semis. As Borgohain lost to world champion Busenaz Surmeneli of Turkey in the knock-out match, she had to settle for a bronze.
