Their performance at the last Asian Championships was historic in every sense of the word but emulating that would be a herculean task for the Indian boxers when they step into the ring in the upcoming edition of the continental event in Amman, Jordan.
Last time around, India ended with a gold, two silver and four bronze medals to mark the best ever show in 27 years but to repeat or do better than that would be easier said than done.
For once, the 10-member team, which left today for the Competition, will fight it out under the International Boxing Association's (AIBA) flag due to the country's international suspension last year.
This effectively means not being accompanied by any doctor or technical staff like referees as officials are barred from accompanying suspended teams, something which can be a major impediment in a competition of such a huge magnitude.
"Let's hope for a good result. All the boys who are going are relatively new and I just want them to perform well, the medals will be taken care of. They just have to focus on their performance," national coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu told PTI.
"The competition would be expectedly tough but our boys have nothing to lose, so they should perform without any inhibition and not get overawed by the big stage," he added.
Four years back, when the event was held in China, Suranjoy Singh gave India its first Asian Championship gold in 15 years. Thokchom Nanao Singh and Jai Bhagwan bagged silver medals as the country's boxers rounded off a 27-year-best performance in the elite event.
