Olympic medallist Lovlina, Asian champion Preeti Pawar to lead Indian challenge at Usti nad Labem GP
New Delhi, June 15
The Boxing Federation of India has named a 12-member squad for the prestigious Grand Prix Usti nad Labem in Czechia, scheduled from June 17 to 21, with Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain and reigning Asian Championships gold medallist Preeti Pawar among the leading names as India's build-up towards the Commonwealth Games, Glasgow 2026 gathers momentum.
The Indian contingent features several of the country's leading boxers, including top-ranked athletes across a majority of the Commonwealth Games weight categories. With major international events on the horizon, the tournament offers an important opportunity to fine-tune preparations, assess combinations, and gain valuable exposure against strong international opposition in a competitive European setting.
One of Europe's longest-running boxing events, the Grand Prix Usti nad Labem has been a fixture on the global calendar for more than five decades and will be conducted as a European Boxing Gold Tournament under World Boxing regulations. Featuring competition across 10 men's and 10 women's weight categories, the event will serve as a key benchmark for Indian boxers as preparations continue for a packed international calendar ahead.
BFI president Ajay Singh said, "The Grand Prix Usti nad Labem is one of the most respected international boxing tournaments and offers an excellent platform for our athletes to compete against strong opposition from around the world. The squad includes many of our leading boxers, and such opportunities are important as they continue to gain experience, build confidence and test themselves in different competitive environments. We remain committed to providing our athletes with quality international exposure, and I wish the entire team success in Czech Republic."
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and Asian Championships gold medallist Preeti Pawar (54kg) headline the women's squad, which also includes Sakshi (51kg), Priya (60kg) and Parveen (65kg). World No. 1 Jaismine Lamboria and Arundhati Choudhary will not travel with the team as they continue their recovery from injuries.
The men's team comprises Jadumani Singh (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Aditya Pratap (65kg), Sumit (70kg), Ankush (80kg), Kapil Pokhariya (90kg), and Narender (+90kg).
The tournament forms part of BFI's continued effort to provide Indian boxers with regular international exposure and access to varied competitive environments as preparations intensify for major events in the months ahead.
Indian squad:
Women: Sakshi (51kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Priya (60kg), Parveen (65kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg)
Men: Jadumani Singh (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Aditya Pratap (65kg), Sumit (70kg), Ankush (80kg), Kapil Pokhariya (90kg), Narender (+90kg)
— IANS
Reader Comments
Finally some real international competition for our boxers! The BFI is doing a good job sending them to Europe. Lovlina's experience will be invaluable for the younger girls like Parveen and Sakshi. But I hope the men's team also gets similar exposure—they need to step up too.
Good squad selection, but I have a small concern: why are we sending only 12 boxers when there are 20 weight categories? Are we not competing in all divisions? Also, the men's team seems a bit lightweight—hope they prove me wrong. Nonetheless, best wishes to the entire contingent!
This is the kind of consistent international exposure that builds champions. Remember how Mary Kom and Lovlina became medalists? Through tournaments like these. Preeti Pawar is in great form after her Asian gold. Usti nad Labem is no joke—tough European competition will test our boxers properly. Chalo India! 💪🥊
Nice to see Indian boxing getting this kind of regular international exposure. The Grand Prix has a 50-year history, so it's great experience. I'm particularly interested to see how Priya and Parveen perform—they've been improving a lot. Also glad that the BFI isn't rushing Jaismine and Arundhati back from injury. Smart move.
As someone who follows Indian boxing closely, I'm happy to see Kapil Pokhariya (90kg) and Narender (+90kg) getting chances in the heavier categories. These are traditionally weak areas for us. The European boxers
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