Vinod Tanwar tests COVID positive, to miss Asian Boxing Championships

The remaining 19 boxers, including MC Mary Kom and Amit Panghal, have landed in Dubai for the meet.

2 minBy Utathya Nag
Boxing.
(Getty Images)

Indian boxer Vinod Tanwar has been withdrawn from the Indian contingent for the Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai after he tested positive for COVID-19.

Vinod Tanwar, a former South Asian Games gold-medallist, was due to represent India in the men’s 49kg division but has now been dropped from the squad.

The 23-year-old Vinod was part of the Indian squad which travelled to St. Petersburg, Russia, for the Governor’s Cup tournament. Upon return to India, Vinod Tanwar went home to Haryana.

Vinod Tanwar was asked to test for the COVID-19 virus before joining the camp at National Institute of Sports in Patiala. Once he tested positive at home, he was asked to isolate and remain at his residence. India did not name a replacement for Vinod Tanwar.

The Indian contingent, already scarred by cases of positive COVID results, had been training in different biosecure bubbles in Patiala, Bengaluru and Pune. 

The boxers left India with negative RT-PCR reports and 19 of them and the support staff landed in Dubai on Saturday. The Asian championships will be held between May 24 and June 1.

India’s contingent to Dubai also features seven Tokyo-bound pugilists - Vikas Krishan (69kg), Ashish Kumar (75kg), Amit Panghal (52kg) in the men’s and Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), Pooja Rani (75kg), MC Mary Kom (51kg) and Simranjit Kaur (60kg) in the women’s category.

Manish Kaushik (63kg) and Satish Kumar (91kg) are the only two Tokyo-bound boxers who won’t be in Dubai. Both are recovering from COVID-19.