Greater Noida: Simranjit Kaur, an Olympian from Tokyo, made her return to the boxing ring at the recent National Games held in Dehradun. The 29-year-old, recognized as one of India's top lightweight boxers, revealed that she nearly abandoned the sport due to a lack of competitive opportunities. She also expressed feeling overlooked because of the Boxing Federation of India's previous selection policy, which favored younger athletes.

Although Simranjit was part of the national training camp, it was the young Jaismine Lamoboria, a Commonwealth Games medalist, who was chosen to compete in the Asian Games, which serves as a qualifier for the Paris Olympics. Jaismine ultimately secured her spot in the 57kg category at the world qualification tournament. The selection process during the tenure of former high-performance director Bernard Dunne relied on evaluations of boxers at the camp.

In the final of the 2023 National Championships, Simranjit put up a strong challenge against Jaismine and anticipated being named for at least one of the Olympic qualifiers.

“I expected to be sent to at least one qualifier, but that did not happen. How can selections be predetermined?” she remarked.

“In India, once you reach the age of 26, you are often overlooked, and the focus shifts to younger talent. What about the valuable experience we bring? If you observed the recent world championships, boxers over 28 were on the podium. So why exclude us? If a younger boxer can outperform us, then they should certainly be given the chance.”

The evaluation-based selection system for the national team has faced criticism from several prominent boxers. India has a wealth of talented boxers. There is fierce competition in every weight class, as demonstrated in this National Championship, so selections should be made through trials rather than evaluations. With trials, you know you fought and lost,” stated the 2018 world championship medalist.

The boxer from Punjab expressed her deep disappointment, stating that she contemplated quitting the sport. "Since the 2023 Strandja Cup, I have not participated in any international competitions, even though I have been in training camp. My last fight in India was at the 2023 Nationals in December, followed by a significant hiatus. The only tournament I competed in afterward was the National Games last month. We need more domestic competitions, similar to what we had before 2020. I am hopeful that conditions will improve."

After failing to qualify for the Olympic qualification tournament, the two-time Asian Championships medallist opted for a break. She is currently training in Mohali under the guidance of coach Surinder Kaur.

"I took a break lasting 8 to 9 months. The idea of leaving the sport has crossed my mind, but I find it difficult to stay away from boxing. With boxing returning for the LA Games, I am eager to make another attempt at the Olympics."

Simranjit feels that she has returned with renewed strength. On Tuesday, she advanced to the semi-finals with a decisive win over Prachi from the Railways.

The time off allowed her to reflect. "In the camp, there was a lack of variety in sparring partners. We need 4 to 5 boxers to train with. Additionally, there were limitations on individual training, which left me confused. Now, I am committed to concentrating solely on my boxing. While stress is inevitable, my focus should remain on my performance," Simranjit remarked.

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