Dunne confirms that Nikhat will represent India at the 2023 Asian Games.

The top four finishers in the women’s 50kg category at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which will be held in September, will qualify for the Paris Olympics, according to the International Olympic Committee’s qualification criteria for boxing at the 2024 Olympics.
The Boxing Federation of India’s selection policy states that …the athlete who medals (Gold/Silver) at the World Championship 2023 will have an automatic selection for the Asian Games 2023 (first Olympic qualifier) in that particular weight category.
Those who have won gold or silver in an Olympic weight category here (at the world championships) are automatically selected for the Asian Games. Right now, we have no plans to change the selection policy, Dunne said on Saturday. Dunne’s announcement also meant that India’s representative at the Asian Games will be Lovlina Borgohain, who reached the final of the 75kg middleweight category.
Dunne made the statement in response to a question about whether selection trials for the women’s 50kg weight category would be held ahead of the Asian Games. While Nikhat appeared to have clinched a spot on the Indian roster in the marquee light flyweight Olympic category, having won gold in the 52kg category at the 2022 World Championships and the 50kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the possibility of selection trials had arisen due to Nitu Ghanghas’ meteoric rise over the last year.
Nitu, a two-time world youth champion, won gold in the minimum-weight category (48kg) at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 22-year-old had also advanced to the finals of the 2023 World Championships after defeating three opponents and defeating 2022 World silver medalist Alua Balkibekova in the semifinals.
Dunne stated that while Nikhat was the automatic selection for the Asian Games, Nitu was still a possibility. Anything is possible. God forbid that someone sustains an injury or breaks a hand or leg. Our number 2 and 3 boxers must be ready at that time. If you are called upon, you must be prepared. Nikhat is the first pick, but Nitu could be a contender for No. 2, Dunne said.
Nitu, on the other hand, would have to gain weight. She’s not sure if that’s something she’d do right now. Some boxers will change after the World Championships, while others will not. We’ve already discussed it with the boxers, Dunne said.
source: 3 AM SPORTSDunne also stated that team selection would not be based on selection trials, but rather on continuous evaluation of performance within the national camp. Since assuming command of the Indian boxing team, he has implemented a policy that has sparked controversy, with four boxers taking to the courts after being denied selection for the World Championships.
When we hold selection trials, we let judges decide who the best boxer is after three three-minute rounds. God forbid an athlete gets sick before the trials. The current system empowers the coaches who work with the boxers on a daily basis. It allows those who know the athletes best to make selection decisions, he explained.