Asian Games medallists to qualify directly for 2027 World Boxing Championships

Indian boxers who win medals at the upcoming Asian Games will directly qualify for next year’s World Boxing Championships, the first Olympic qualifying event for the 2028 Los Angeles Games, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) said on Wednesday.

The BFI has announced a four-stage selection policy aimed at maximising India’s number of boxing quotas for the 2028 Olympics. The pathway follows the qualification system developed by World Boxing and approved by the International Olympic Committee.

The 2027 World Boxing Championships will be followed by the Asian Qualifier in China and two World Qualifying Tournaments in 2028, which will be held in Italy and Hungary.

Under the BFI policy, Asian Games 2026 medallists will be selected as the main entries in their respective weight categories. The gold medallists from the 10th Elite National Championships will serve as reserves.

For weight categories in which India does not win an Asian Games medal, as well as Olympic weight categories that are not part of the Asian Games, the gold medallist from the 10th Elite National Championships will be the main entry.

Boxers who reach the quota bout round at the 2027 World Championships but fail to secure an Olympic quota will receive direct entry to the Asian Qualifiers. Remaining places will be decided through ranking-based selection trials among national campers.

A similar process will be followed for the two World Qualifying Tournaments in 2028.

BFI president Ajay Singh said the policy was designed to provide boxers with a structured route to the Los Angeles Olympics, based on performances at the national coaching camp and World Boxing qualification events.

The national coaching camp will initially include medallists from the 10th Elite National Championships, Asian Games medallists and wild-card selections made by the BFI selection committee.

For non-Olympic weight categories, the gold medallist at the National Championships will be the main entry for the 2027 World Championships, while the silver medallist will serve as the reserve.