Women's World Boxing Championships 2019: All you need to know about the mega event that begins in Russia on 3 October

The 11th edition of AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships starts in Russia’s Ulan-Ude on 3 October. The event, a premier fixture in the boxing calendar, will draw participation from the best women boxers across the globe. Besides the pedigree, what lends added significance to the event is the fact that it will serve as a qualification tournament for next year’s Asia/Oceania Olympic Qualifiers to be held in Wuhan, China from 3-14 February, 2020.

India’s challenge, as expected, will be led by the redoubtable MC Mary Kom, who will box in the 51kg category. Mary, who claimed a historic sixth World Championships gold last year in Delhi (48kg), moved up a weight class after AIBA revised Olympic weight categories earlier this year.

Here’s all you need to know about the Women’s World Boxing Championships 2019:

When and where will the Women’s World Boxing Championships 2019 be played?

The 11th edition of AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships will be played in Ulan-Ude, Russia from 3-13 October, 2019.

What are the weight categories in the competition? 

The event will be held across 10 weight categories, though only five of them are Olympic classes.

World Championships weight categories: Light Fly (48kg), Fly (51kg), Bantam (54kg), Feather (57kg), Light (60kg), Light Welter (64kg), Welter (69kg), Middle (75kg), Light Heavt (81kg), Heavy (81+)

Olympics weight categories: Fly (51kg), Light (60kg), Light Welter (64kg), Welter (69kg), Middle (75kg).

How many boxers are going to represent India?

India have sent a full-fledged squad of 10 boxers — one in each category, as is the norm. Five out of 10 boxers will be making their World Championships debut this year.

Here’s the complete Indian squad: Manju Rani (48kg), MC Mary Kom (51kg), Jamuna Boro (54kg), Neeraj (57kg), Sarita Devi (60kg), Manju Bomboriya (64kg), Lovlina Borgohain (69kg), Saweety Boora (75kg), Nandini (81kg), Kavita Chahal (+81kg).

Does winning a medal ensure Tokyo Olympics qualification?

No, it doesn’t. A medal, however, will ensure automatic qualification for next year’s Olympic qualifiers. Indian boxers will compete in Asia/Oceania Olympic Qualifiers to be held in Wuhan, China from 3-14 February, 2020. It was the same story with men’s World Boxing Championships held last month. Indian medallists Amit Panghal and Manish Kaushik have earned their ticket to Olympic qualifiers in Wuhan.

Why is Mary Kom competing in 51kg, and not 48kg category?

Six-time gold medallist and one-time silver-medallist MC Mary Kom is the most successful boxer in the history of Women’s World Championships. In fact, her last Worlds gold came in the 48kg category. However, she is competing in the 51kg division since 48kg is no longer an Olympic weight. This means even if she would have won a gold in the 48kg category, it would have done her Olympics qualification chances no good. That said, Mary is no stranger to the 51kg. Some of the most important medals in her career — including the Olympics bronze in London, 2012 — have come in 51kg category.

Where can I watch Women’s World Boxing Championships 2019?

The event will be livestreamed on AIBA’s YouTube channel . You can also find all the news, interviews and analysis related to the event on Firstpost.com.