Hyderabad sisters eye Worlds high

Hyderabad: Two sisters from Hyderabad will look to punch their way to the top in Taiwan. G. Niharika and Naganika, both budding boxers, are representing India at the Women’s World Junior Boxing Championships, being held in Taipei till May 24. Niharika, 14, will participate in the 70 kg category while 15-year-old Naganika will be vying for top honours in the 80kg+ category. Both sisters had won gold in their respective weight divisions at the recent Women’s Junior National Boxing Championships.

Niharika and Naganika first donned the gloves two years ago and presently learn their craft at the Sports Authority of India training facility in Visakhapatnam, under the guidance of Dronacharya awardee I. Venkateshwar Rao. The sisters shifted base to Visakhapatnam a year ago as there is no boxing academy in the state. Niharika has also represented Telangana in the handball and volleyball at the national level. She was the captain of the Telangana youth volleyball women’s team which participated in the nationals.

A total of 441 boxers from across the world will be competing for the top prize at the tournament. Madhya Pradesh’s Anjali Sharma (46kg), Soniya of Haryana (48kg), Savita (50kg), Punjab’s Manjeet Kaur Sandhu (52kg), Sakshi (54kg), Harpreet Kaur Sidhu (54kg), Ani Lama (57kg), Haryana’s Muskan (60kg), Jony (63kg), Bhopal’s Sruti Yadav (66kg) and Nandani Thakur (75kg) are the other boxers in the Indian contingent.

The general weigh in for the boxers will be held on Saturday, followed by the draw. The tournament will  be played in two sessions everyday followed by the semifinals on May 22nd the finals the next day.