Boxer Parveen’s suspension forces India to lose Oly quota

Parveen Hooda

In an unprecedented embarrassment for Indian boxing, the country will fight afresh for qualification in the women's 57kg category after being forced to surrender the quota owing to holder Parveen Hooda's international suspension for three whereabout failures in 12 months.

Hooda was handed a 22-month suspension by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The 2022 world championship bronze medallist boxer, who fetched the Olympic quota with an Asian Games bronze last year, failed to file her whereabouts in the period from April 2022 to March 2023 as per WADA rules.

"Parveen Hooda has been suspended for 22 months by the International Testing Agency [ITA] for Whereabouts Failures," the Boxing Federation of India said in a media release.

However, after discussion with the concerned agencies, Hooda's sanction has been back-dated and she has to now serve a 14-month suspension starting Friday.

This means Hooda will not be able to compete at the Paris Games in July-August this year. In boxing, a quota is awarded to the athlete not the country. This leaves only three Indian boxers - Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Preeti (54kg) and Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) - in the Olympic-bound group.

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