NEW DELHI, Sept 12 - Guwahati�s home-grown boxer, Ankushita Boro along with nine other compatriots begin their preparation for the AIBA World Youth Boxing Championship in Guwahati later this year by taking part in the prestigious Ahmed Comert International Boxing Championship this week.
�After our sparring session in Kazakhstan organised by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), my confidence level has been boosted with the chance to play against the best in the world. I am looking forward to compete at such a huge tournament in Istanbul and will try and do my best,� the Guwahati born girl said.
Ten feisty Indian ladies including Boro took off for Istanbul on Monday in the hope of getting valuable match experience against some of the world�s best boxers.
Soniya and Jyoti (48 kg), Deepa and Parveen (54kg), Shashi Chopra (57kg), Ankushita Boro (60kg), Lalita (64kg), Tilotima Chanu (60 kg), Manisha (64 kg) and Niharika Gonella (75 kg) will participate in the week-long tournament starting tomorrow.
The Ahmed Comert championship is an invitational event organised by the Turkish Boxing Federation every year which attracts all the top boxing nations.
�We have been training very hard for the last three months and the boxers are all set for the task at hand. Our aim is to clinch at least six to seven medals,� Bergemesco Raffael, the Italian coach of the team, said.
�We have brought in some major changes and the boxers are using new tactics and styles. Everyone is performing better now. Although we will be looking more at gaining experience in this championship, we would still like to not lose sight of the medals either,� the optimistic Italian added.
After their recent stint in Kazakhstan, the BFI has brought in massive changes to improve the standards of the boxers. The entire aim is to prepare the women for the World Youth Championship in India.
�We want our boxers to get the right experience before the biggest championship in our country. We will leave no stone unturned to give them the best facilities and help them perform to the best of their abilities,� the President of the BFI, Ajay Singh, said on the eve of the tournament.
