Indian boxers set to compete for Rio Olympics berth in Pro Boxing. File Pic[/caption]Internet Desk: Vargas will decide the fate of three professional boxers from India to reach the Rio Olympics. The Olympic qualifying tournament starting from Sunday at the city of Venezuela will decide the final qualifiers for 26 Olympic quotas.
WBC Asian title-holder Neeraj Goyat, Gaurav Bidhuri and Dilbag Singh will start competing in their respective fights on Monday. All of them are the first professional boxers from India. This is the first time at the Olympic history the professional boxers can compete in men’s boxing.
The Jose Maria Vargas Dome in Vargas is all set to welcome 79 boxers from 40 countries for the mega event before the Olympics. This tournament is starting just nearly one month ahead of the Rio, 2016 Olympics. For that the APB and WSR are expecting a good show from all the participants.
Dilbag and the WBC Asian title holder Goyat are regular on the circuit of World Boxing Championship. But Bidhuri got a wildcard entry by virtue of his three stints in the WSB. They will represent India in three different categories, Bidhuri in 49 kg, Goyat in 69 kg and Dilbag in 81 kg category.
There will be selection for Rio, 2016 of first three players from all three categories. So, all the three Indians have to be the finalists or the winners of the box-off between the two other semi-finalists.
"All of us are very confident and we will definitely make the country proud by becoming the first Indian pro boxers to qualify for the Olympic Games. It is a historic opportunity for us and we will surely make it count," said Goyat before the tournament.
Three boxers from India have already secured their place in the Rio Olympics. Shiva Thapa in 56 kg, Manoj Kumar in 64 kg and Vikas Krishan Yadav in 75 kg are the other attraction for the Indian boxing lovers. Now it is the expectation over the three other category boxers.
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