BHIM-UPI TOISA 2019 Nominees: Boxing

NEW DELHI: The fourth edition of the Times of India Sports Awards (TOISA), powered by BHIM-UPI, is India's first of its kind and largest multi-discipline people's choice sports awards. TOISA is a platform created by the Times Group to recognise and reward Indian sporting talent and achievements on a global scale and will be held soon to honour the lionhearts who have given their blood, sweat and tears to make the country proud.
Ahead of the TOISA to be held on March 5, here's a recap of the how these Indian boxers fared in the year 2019.
Amit Panghal
Rising Indian star Amit Panghal defied all odds - from not being able to afford boxing gloves and struggling to maintain a healthy diet, to make a mark in the crowded world of sports. The diminutive boxer started off the year 2019 by successfully defending his gold medal at the 70th Strandja Memorial Boxing tournament. Two months later in April, Panghal added another gold to his kitty, winning the title at the Asian Boxing Championships. This was Panghal's continental competitive debut in the 52kg category. Amit Panghal won his third gold medal of the year at the India Open. In September 2019, Panghal made history, becoming the first Indian male boxer to win a silver medal at the World Championships. He went down 0-5 to Uzbekistan's reigning Olympic gold medallist Shakhobidin Zoirov in the final in Russia.
Manish Kaushik
After boxing ace Vijender Singh and Vikas Krishan, Bhiwani has produced another star - Manish Kaushik. Kaushik, who is a Subedar in the Indian Army, won a bronze medal in the 63kg category at the World Championships in Russia. He lost 0-5 to Cuba's Andy Gomez Cruz in the semi-finals.
MC Mary Kom
Fighter, mother, legend - MC Mary Kom is the undisputed boxing queen of India. The 36-year-old Mary became the most successful boxer (8 medals - six gold, one sliver and one bronze) in the history of the World Championships - both men and women - after adding bronze in this year's (2019) championship. Mary went down fighting against Thailand's Chuthamat Raksat 1-4 in her semifinal bout. Earlier, both Mary Kom and Cuba's Felix Savon in the men's event were tied as the most successful boxers at the Worlds with seven medals - six gold and a silver. Mary headed to the World Championships after winning gold medals at the India Open and President's Cup this year. She made her competitive debut in the 51kg category at the India Open.

Jamuna Boro
Jamuna Boro was 10 when she lost her father and it was her mother who did everything to make Jamuna a known name in the boxing circuit. Jamuna, who started as a Wushu player, hogged the limelight when the then 21-year-old won a gold medal in the Bantamweight category at the India Open in Guwahati in 2018. In 2019, she won a gold medal at the 23rd President's Cup Boxing International Open Tournament and then bagged the biggest medal of her career so far - a bronze medal at 2019 World Championships at Ulan-Ude.
Manju Rani
India's young boxing sensation Manju Rani made headlines when the 20-year-old from Rohtak in Haryana won a silver medal at the Strandja Memorial tournament in Bulgaria in February 2019. Manju, who lost her father, a Border Security Force officer, to cancer in 2010, is one of the rising stars of Indian boxing. Due to her superb show in the Strandja Memorial tournament, Manju was given a shot at the Women's Boxing Championships in October and the youngster didn't disappoint there as well. In her debut World Championships appearance, Manju won a silver medal after losing the light flyweight (48kg) final to Russia's Ekaterina Paltceva.
Lovlina Borgohain
Whenever Lovlina Borgohain has got an opportunity, the youngster has grabbed it with both hands. Lovlina has participated in two Women's World Boxing Championships - in 2018 and 2019 - and the 22-year-old returned with medals on both occasions. Lovlina, who won a bronze at the 2018 World Championships, won another bronze in the 2019 edition at Ulan-Ude, Russia. Coaches and experts feel she is one to watch out for as far as the future of Indian women's boxing is concerned. Apart from World Championship medal in 2019, Lovlina struck gold at the Magomed Salam Umakhanov Memorial International Boxing Tournament in Kaspiysk, Russia and bronze at the Strandja Memorial Boxing tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.