AIBA announces Indian women reserve boxers for Asian Games

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New Delhi Sep 23: Experienced pugilist L Sarita Devi, Neetu Chahal and RL Jenny will be the reserve boxers for India at the 2010 Asian Games to be held in Guangzhou , China in November.

Sarita Devi will be the back up to five-time world champion MC Mary Kom in the 51 kgs category.
Sarita Devi, the first Indian Woman Boxer to reach the final of the Asian Women`s Boxing tournament, clinched her fourth Asian title earlier this year. Preeti Beniwal is reserve boxer in 60 kgs category, while RL Jenny is in 75 kgs category.

This is for the first time that women`s boxing will feature in the Asian Games. Mary Kom, one of the most successful women boxer of all time, is expected to fetch a sure medal at this year`s edition of the Asian Games.

In the meantime, Arjuna awardee and former world champion and the current Asian champion L Sarita Devi has strongly alleged of favouritism in the Indian Boxing Federation.

The women boxer from Manipur who had brought laurels for the country at various international boxing competitions has demanded a retrial for selection of Indian women boxing for the upcoming Asian games saying the trial held on September 22 at New Delhi was unfair and without the presence of any media, supporters or well wishers.

In a statement, Sarita said she was earlier selected to represent India at the Asian Games to be held in China. The trial held earlier this year from August 20-21 at Bhopal. However, her name was deliberately obmitted from the selection lists by some officials of the federation, the statement said adding this was an injustice done to her.

Sarita has placed three demands, first amognst which is she should be allowed for a retrial in front of the media within a week. She also demanded that Indian Boxing Federation general secretary Col. Murlidharn Raja should apologize for indulging in favouritism in the selection process. The other demand is that Unions sports minister must intervene into the matter and solve the matter at the earliest.

Sarita also said until and unless the demands are fulfilled she will not play for India and return the Arjuna Award awarded to her in 2009.

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