Boxing in Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Verified profileAchievements, tournaments, coaches and scholarships on this page are compiled from federation and government sources (BFI, World Boxing, IOA).

Overview

Governing body: BFI
Origin: Ancient
Olympic discipline: Yes
Category: Combat
Total players listed: …

Boxing is one of India's most-followed disciplines. The BFI oversees national federation activity, talent identification and Olympic qualification pathways. Major support flows in through TOPS and Khelo India for athletes who clear federation benchmarks.

Boxing is a recognised Olympic discipline, which shapes the entire high-performance pipeline in India. Athletes who break into the senior national camp become eligible for the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), which funds international training stints, foreign coaches, sports science support, equipment and travel for ranking events. Below the senior tier, the Khelo India Youth Games, University Games and Winter Games act as the country's largest scouting net, feeding talent into the Khelo India Talent Development scheme where annual stipends, boarding and dedicated coaching are provided at SAI National Centres of Excellence and accredited academies. The Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports tracks every selected athlete's progress against published benchmarks, and underperformance can mean a drop from the scheme — the pathway is rigorous by design.

Combat sport pathways in India are unusually deep because of the country's traditional akhara and dojo culture sitting alongside the modern federation structure. The BFI runs sub-junior, junior, youth and senior nationals every year, and weight-category selection trials decide who represents India at continental and world events. Sports science, weight management and injury rehabilitation have become major focus areas since multiple Indian combat athletes have reached the Olympic and World Championship podium. SAI's combat-sport centres at Patiala, Lucknow, Bhopal, Sonepat and the IIS in Vijayanagar form the backbone of the elite training network.

At the grassroots, the route into Boxing typically starts at school under the School Games Federation of India (SGFI), at the inter-university level under the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), or through a private academy registered with the state association. The Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games are the largest single discovery platforms — athletes who reach the podium at these events become eligible for the Khelo India Talent Development scheme, which funds boarding, coaching, kit, education and a monthly stipend at accredited centres. State sports awards and central government jobs under the sports quota remain a powerful incentive for athletes from smaller towns.

Boxing originated in Ancient, and in India it has developed a distinct character shaped by the country's geography, demographics and sporting culture. Whether you want to compete, coach, sponsor, write about or simply follow Boxing, the practical starting point is the same: connect with your state association under the BFI, identify the nearest SAI centre or accredited academy, and track the Khelo India and federation calendars for the events that decide selection at every level. Olympic medals from Mary Kom, Vijender Singh, Lovlina Borgohain.

History

How boxing evolved globally and took root in India.

Boxing traces its modern origins to Ancient. Codified rules, standard equipment and international competition took shape as the sport spread beyond its birthplace, and BFI is the body that carried it into organised Indian competition.

In India, boxing grew through princely-state patronage, defence-service teams, universities and state associations. Post-independence, the discipline was formalised under BFI, national championships were instituted, and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) later brought it into the centralised high-performance system with dedicated centres, coaching cadres and sports-science support.

Boxing being on the Olympic programme reshaped its Indian pathway: Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) selection, Khelo India Talent Development stipends and international training stints became the norm for the country's leading athletes.

Indian Achievements

Verified Olympic, World, Asian and Commonwealth milestones for India in boxing.

Mary Kom — 6-time AIBA World Amateur Boxing Champion (only boxer, male or female); Olympic Bronze London 2012.
Vijender Singh — Olympic Bronze Beijing 2008 (first Indian boxing Olympic medal); World Championships bronze 2009.
Lovlina Borgohain — Olympic Bronze Tokyo 2020; World Championship gold 2023.
Nikhat Zareen — World Boxing Champion 2022 & 2023; CWG gold 2022.
India Women's Team — 4 gold medals at 2022 IBA Women's World Championships, Istanbul.

Famous Indian Players

Landmark boxing names from India, past and present.

Mary Kom
6-time World Champion; Olympic bronze 2012; Padma Vibhushan.
Vijender Singh
First Indian Olympic boxing medallist (Beijing 2008 bronze).
Nikhat Zareen
Back-to-back World Champion 2022, 2023.
Lovlina Borgohain
Olympic bronze Tokyo 2020; World gold 2023.
Amit Panghal
World Championships silver 2019; Asian Games gold 2018.
Shiva Thapa
Six-time Asian Championship medallist (three golds).

Notable Coaches

Head coaches and mentors behind India's leading boxing results.

Dmitry Dmitruk
Recent India men's high-performance director.
Bhaskar Bhatt
India women's team head coach; multiple World Championship medals under his charge.
Santiago Nieva
Former India men's high-performance director (Argentina).
Blas Iglesias Fernandez
Cuban coach who worked with several TOPS boxers including Amit Panghal.

All coaches directory →

Scholarships & Funding

Central, state and private scholarships available for boxing athletes in India.

Inspire Institute of Sport — Boxing High Performance
Full-scholarship residential high-performance centre for elite boxers at Vijayanagar.
SAI NCoE Boxing (Patiala, Rohtak, Bhopal, Aizawl)
SAI National Centres of Excellence for boxing with stipend and boarding.
Khelo India Talent Development Scheme (KISCE)
Monthly stipend (₹10,000 for Khelo India athletes), boarding, coaching and kit at accredited centres for identified boxing talent (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports).
Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)
Central government scheme covering training, foreign exposure, equipment and out-of-pocket allowance (up to ₹50,000/month) for medal-prospect boxing athletes; administered by the Mission Olympic Cell.
National Sports Development Fund (NSDF)
Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports fund used to sponsor elite boxing athletes' training, foreign coaches and equipment.

Explore all government schemes →

Indian Players

Loading…

Browse the full athlete directory →

Rules

Two boxers in a ring exchange punches using only gloved fists above the belt, aiming to score more punches than the opponent or win by knockout/technical knockout. Amateur bouts run 3 rounds of 3 minutes; scoring is by judges awarding rounds or points per landed punch.

Authoritative rulebook: BFI. Age-group and school-level variations are published by SGFI and the state associations each season.

Positions

Key roles, events or positions inside a boxing squad or competition.

Fighter / competitor
Contests bouts inside the ring, mat or cage in a set weight category.
Corner / second
Coach in the corner during the bout — allowed to instruct between rounds.
Referee & judges
Officiate the bout, score rounds and enforce safety rules.
Cutman / medical
Manages cuts, swelling and immediate medical needs between rounds.

Equipment

Standard kit and infrastructure required to train and compete in boxing at a federation-recognised event.

Boxing gloves (weight-class regulated)
Hand wraps
Mouthguard and headgear (amateur)
Boxing ring (roped square platform)

Governing body

National federation

BFI

BFI is the recognised national body for Boxing in India. It sets the domestic calendar, selection norms, coaching curriculum and anti-doping compliance, and is affiliated to the international federation for boxing. State associations under BFI run age-group competition and feed the national talent pipeline.

Origin: Ancient
Olympic: Yes
Category: Combat

All federations →

Major Indian Events

Domestic championships, Khelo India events, National Games and franchise leagues that shape the boxing calendar in India.

Elite Men's / Women's National Boxing Championships
BFI's flagship senior national — main selection trial.
Youth Men's / Women's National Championships
U-19 national feeding Youth World Championships.
Junior National Boxing Championships
U-17 national under BFI.
All India Inter-University Boxing Championships
AIU's senior university national.
Services / State-Board tournaments
Indian Army, Air Force, Navy, and Railways meets that supply many national boxers.

International Events

Continental and world-level competitions where India competes in boxing.

Olympic Games (Boxing)
Men's and women's weight categories; qualification via continental and World tournaments.
IBA / World Boxing World Championships
Senior world championship (men's and women's separately).
Asian Games / Asian Boxing Championships
Continental championships — India regularly wins multiple medals.
Commonwealth Games
Men's and women's boxing.
Strandja Memorial, Bocskai, Ahmet Cömert
European qualifiers and ranking events on the amateur circuit.

Leagues

No dedicated professional league is currently catalogued for boxing. The national championship under BFI remains the top domestic competition.

All leagues →

International Players

Globally recognised boxing athletes to know outside India.

Cuba (Team)
Historically dominant in Olympic and World amateur boxing.
Kazakhstan
Multiple World and Olympic medallists across weight categories.
Uzbekistan
Men's team topped the medal table at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.
Katie Taylor (Ireland)
Olympic gold London 2012; undisputed professional world champion at multiple weights.

Records

Where to find India's official boxing record book.

Olympic medalsTracked
Individual and team Olympic medals for India in boxing are logged on the official IOC and IOA archives.
Asian Games medalsTracked
India's Asian Games results in boxing are compiled by the Indian Olympic Association and the BFI.
Commonwealth medalsTracked
Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championship medals in boxing are maintained by the BFI.
World Championship medalsTracked
Senior, junior and youth World Championship medal records are held by the international federation for boxing and mirrored by BFI.
National record holdersFederation register
BFI publishes the current senior, junior and sub-junior national records and updates them after every ratified event.

Career Options

Ways to build a career in boxing — on the field, on the sidelines and behind the scenes.

Amateur international via BFI + TOPS support
Professional boxer under WBC/WBA/IBF/WBO sanctioning
BFI / AIBA-certified coach
Referee, judge and cutman at national and international level
Sports quota jobs in Indian Army (ASI), Air Force, Navy, Railways, ITBP
Sports medicine and combat-specific physiotherapy

Explore sports careers →Coaches directory →

Related academies

18 listed

Inspire Institute of SportElite
Vijayanagar, Karnataka · Since 2018
JSW-backed high-performance centre training Olympic medal hopefuls.
Mary Kom Regional Boxing FoundationNational
Imphal, Manipur · Since 2007
Founded by the six-time world champion to nurture northeast boxing talent.
Khelo India State Centre, ShillongState
Shillong, Meghalaya · Since 2021
Northeast hub developing footballers, archers and boxers.
Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, PatialaElite
Patiala, Punjab · Since 1961
Asia's largest sports institute and SAI's flagship coach-education and training campus.
SAI North-East Regional Centre, ImphalNational
Imphal, Manipur · Since 1985
Northeast's premier residential centre for combat sports and weightlifting.
Anglian Medal Hunt Sports AcademyElite
Bengaluru, Karnataka · Since 2010
Private high-performance management group that mentored Olympic medallists.
Motilal Nehru School of SportsNational
Sonipat, Haryana · Since 1973
Haryana's residential sports school — a feeder for the state's medal factory.
Tau Devi Lal Sports ComplexState
Panchkula, Haryana · Since 2003
Haryana's largest integrated training complex with multi-sport residential wing.
Army Sports InstituteElite
Pune, Maharashtra · Since 2001
Indian Army's elite multi-sport institute producing Olympians and Asian Games medallists.
Petroleum Sports Promotion BoardElite
New Delhi, Delhi · Since 1996
PSU-backed multi-sport body with national-team contracts across disciplines.
Sashastra Seema Bal Sports AcademyNational
Tigri, Delhi · Since 1965
Paramilitary sports academy producing armed-forces national champions.
ITBP Sports AcademyNational
New Delhi, Delhi · Since 1962
Indo-Tibetan Border Police's elite winter and combat sports academy.

All academies →List your academy →

Government Schemes

…

Central and state schemes that fund training, stipends and awards for boxing athletes and academies.

Loading schemes…

All government schemes →

FAQs

Common questions about boxing in India.

Who governs boxing in India?▾

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI), currently affiliated to World Boxing (which replaced IBA for Olympic pathway).

Who is India's most successful boxer?▾

Mary Kom — 6-time World Amateur Champion, Olympic bronze medallist and Padma Vibhushan.

Where do India's top boxers train?▾

SAI NCoE Patiala and Rohtak, the Inspire Institute of Sport (Vijayanagar), and various services (Army, Air Force, Navy) boxing units.

Which weight categories are Olympic?▾

Paris 2024 featured 7 men's and 6 women's weight categories; the exact list is refreshed by the IOC every Olympic cycle.

Boxing in every state & UT

Dedicated pages for Boxing in each Indian state and Union Territory — academies, schemes, athletes and how to start.

Boxing