Boxing at Tokyo Olympics: Mary Kom, Amit Panghal to lead Indian charge - watch them live

MC Mary Kom will lead India’s medal charge in boxing at the Tokyo Olympics when the nation’s nine-member contingent takes to the ring at the Kokugikan Arena starting Saturday (July 24).

Now 38, Mary Kom is set to compete in her last Olympics. The London 2012 bronze medallist was unable to make the cut at Rio 2016, where India had a disappointing outing.

India fielded only three boxers at the Rio Games and it was only Vikas Krishan who reached the quarter-finals in the welterweight (69kg) category.

For Tokyo 2020, all nine Indian boxers made the cut for the Games at the Asian Olympic qualifiers in Amman, Jordan last year before the COVID-19 pandemic halted global sporting events.

A rusty Mary Kom returned to the ring after a year at the Boxam tournament in Spain earlier this year where the Indian settled for a bronze medal. She then won a silver at the Asian championships in Dubai in May.

Mary Kom will go all out to claim the yellow metal that evaded her in 2012. The six-time world champion’s experience will come handy when she faces Turkey’s Busenaz Cakiroglu and defending world champion Liliya Aetbaeva of Russia.

Pooja Rani (middleweight, 75kg), meanwhile, will take the ring in Tokyo as a two-time Asian champion, her latest title coming in Dubai in May. The Indian had won a silver medal at Boxam in March.

Meanwhile, flyweight (52 kg) and world No. 1 Amit Panghal is India’s biggest hope in the men’s category. His biggest opponent will be world No. 2 Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan whom the Indian has lost to twice, the last time in a close 3:2 split verdict at the Asian meet in Dubai.

In men’s lightweight (63kg), Bhiwani’s Manish Kaushik is returning from a bicep injury and will face a stiff challenge from defending world champion Andy Cruz of Cuba and world No. 3 Keyshawn Davis of the USA.

In the men’s welterweight category (69kg), two-time Olympian and 2011 world championship bronze medallist Vikas Krishan will be a boxer to watch. But Vikas will have to sweat it out as the welterweight category is very competitive with boxers from Great Britain, Russia, Cuba and Uzbekistan set to pose a challenge.

Ashish Kumar, ranked 13th in the men’s middleweight (75kg) category, and Satish Kumar in men’s super heavyweight (+91kg) will try their best to get noticed in Tokyo.

World No. 6 Simranjit Kaur (lightweight, 60kg), world No. 3 Lovlina Borgohain (welterweight 69kg) and are other Indian boxers to watch out for.

Indian boxing contingent for Tokyo Olympics

Men

Amit Panghal – Flyweight (52kg)

Manish Kaushik – Lightweight (63kg)

Vikas Krishan Yadav – Welterweight (69kg)

Ashish Kumar – Middleweight (75kg)

Satish Kumar – Super heavyweight (+91kg)

Women

Mary Kom – Flyweight (51kg)

Simranjit Kaur – Lightweight (60kg)

Lovlina Borgohain – Welterweight (69kg)

Pooja Rani – Middleweight (75kg)

Tokyo Olympics Indian boxing schedule, fixtures and live match start times in India

All times are in Indian Standard Time (IST)

Saturday, July 24

Men’s welterweight (69kg) - Round of 32

Men’s super heavyweight (+91kg) - Round of 32

Women’s welterweight (69kg) - Round of 32

Sunday, July 25

Women’s flyweight (51kg) - Round of 32 - 7:30 AM IST onwards

Women’s middleweight (75kg) - Round of 32 - 8:48 AM IST onwards

Men’s lightweight (63kg) - Round of 32 - 9:06 AM IST onwards

Monday, July 26

Men’s flyweight (52kg) - Round of 32 - 7:30 AM IST onwards

Men’s middleweight (75kg) - Round of 32 - 9:06 AM IST onwards

Tuesday, July 27

Men’s welterweight (69kg) - Round of 16 - 7:30 AM IST onwards

Women’s lightweight (60kg) - Round of 32 - 9:36 AM IST onwards

Women’s welterweight (69kg) - Round of 16 - 10:24 AM IST onwards

Wednesday, July 28

Women’s middleweight (75kg) - Round of 16 - 8:00 AM IST onwards

Thursday, July 29

Men’s middleweight (75kg) - Round of 16 - 7:30 AM IST onwards

Men’s super heavyweight (+91kg) - Round of 16 - 8:33 AM IST onwards

Women’s flyweight (51kg) - Round of 16 - 9:36 AM IST onwards

Friday, July 30

Women’s lightweight (60kg) - Round of 16 - 7:30 AM IST onwards

Women’s welterweight (69kg) - quarter-final - 8:33 AM IST onwards

Men’s welterweight (69kg) - quarter-final - 9:06 AM IST onwards

Saturday, July 31

Men’s flyweight (52kg) - Round of 16 - 7:30 AM IST onwards

Men’s lightweight (63kg) - Round of 16 - 8:33 AM IST onwards

Women’s middleweight (75kg) - quarter-final - 9:36 AM IST onwards

Sunday, August 1

Women’s flyweight (51kg) - quarter-final - 7:30 AM IST onwards

Men’s welterweight (69kg) - semi-final - 8:33 AM IST onwards

Men’s middleweight (75kg) - quarter-final - 8:48 AM IST onwards

Men’s super heavyweight (+91kg) - quarter-final - 9:36 AM IST onwards

Tuesday, August 3

Men’s flyweight (52kg) - quarter-final - 7:30 AM IST onwards

Men’s lightweight (63kg) - quarter-final - 8:18 AM IST onwards

Women’s lightweight (60kg) - quarter-final - 9:05 AM IST onwards

Men’s welterweight (69kg) - final - 3:35 PM IST

Wednesday, August 4

Women’s flyweight (51kg) - semi-final - 10:30 AM IST onwards

Women’s welterweight (69kg) - semi-final - 11:00 AM IST onwards

Men’s super heavyweight (+91kg) - semi-final - 11:33 AM IST onwards

Thursday, August 5

Women’s lightweight (60kg) - semi-final - 10:30 AM IST onwards

Men’s flyweight (52kg) - semi-final - 11:00 AM IST onwards

Men’s middleweight (75kg) - semi-final - 11:33 AM IST onwards

Friday, August 6

Women’s middleweight (75kg) - semi-final - 10:30 AM IST onwards

Men’s lightweight (63kg) - semi-final - 11:02 AM IST onwards

Saturday, August 7

Men’s flyweight (52kg) - final - 10:30 AM IST

Women’s flyweight (51kg) - final - 10:45 AM IST

Men’s middleweight (75kg) - final - 11:15 AM IST

Women’s welterweight (69kg) - final - 11:45 AM IST

Sunday, August 8

Women’s lightweight (60kg) - final - 10:30 AM IST

Men’s lightweight (63kg) - final - 10:45 AM IST

Women’s middleweight (75kg) - final - 11:15 AM IST

Men’s super heavyweight (+91kg) - final - 11:45 AM IST

Where to watch Tokyo Olympics boxing live in India?

Fans can watch the live telecast of boxing at the Tokyo Olympics on the Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 2 HD, Sony Six and Sony SIX HD TV channels in India. Sony TEN 3, Sony TEN 3 HD, Sony TEN 4 and Sony TEN 4 HD will broadcast Tokyo 2020 in regional languages.

Live streaming of the Tokyo Olympics will be available on Sony Liv.

Live broadcast subject to Sony Sports Network.