India send powerhouse 33-member squad to BOXAM Elite 2026 as Hitesh, Sachin and Lovlina headline first overseas test

India will step onto the international boxing stage in 2026 with one of its strongest squads in recent memory as a 33-member contingent, led by World Boxing Cup Finals champions Hitesh Gulia and Sachin Siwach along with Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain, travels to Spain for the BOXAM Elite International in La Nucia, Alicante.

The tournament, one of Europe’s most competitive elite boxing events, will be India’s first major overseas assignment of the year and a crucial early checkpoint in a season that also includes the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games.

The selection of the squad reflects a clear performance-based pathway laid down by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI). Boxers who reached the finals at the recently concluded 9th Men’s and Women’s National Championships have been rewarded, with gold and silver medallists chosen in Olympic weight categories, and silver medallists in non-Olympic divisions. In effect, BOXAM Elite will serve as a live test of India’s current depth chart not only identifying medal contenders but also revealing which weight categories are shaping up strongly for the rest of the cycle.

For Indian boxing, the timing of this tournament is significant. The team enters 2026 on the back of a landmark 2025 season, headlined by an extraordinary performance at the World Boxing Cup Finals in Greater Noida, where India topped the medals table with a record 20 medals, including nine golds. That result was not a one-off it was backed up by consistent podium finishes across the World Boxing Cup circuit and other international meets, marking India’s emergence as one of the most competitive boxing nations outside the traditional powerhouses.

Now, the BOXAM Elite will provide the next layer of validation: how well India’s best perform against Europe’s toughest professionals and national squads on neutral territory.

At the centre of the men’s challenge are two of India’s brightest stars. Hitesh Gulia (70kg), one of the revelations of the past season, arrives in Spain as a World Boxing Cup Finals gold medallist and one of India’s most complete all-rounders — strong defensively, aggressive when needed, and tactically mature. Alongside him, Sachin Siwach (60kg) has established himself as a big-match boxer, equally capable of grinding out tight wins or overwhelming opponents with sustained pressure.

Also returning to international action is Mohammed Hussamuddin (60kg), the World Championships bronze medallist who missed long stretches of last season through injury. His presence adds another layer of experience and pedigree to a weight category that is already highly competitive within the Indian squad.

The men’s lineup also reflects impressive depth across the middle and heavyweight divisions, with multiple boxers selected in several weight classes a sign that India is deliberately creating internal competition rather than relying on a single name per category. This approach allows selectors to test different styles against world-class opposition before narrowing down their core group later in the year.

On the women’s side, all eyes will naturally be on Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), India’s most decorated active boxer and an Olympic medallist. After a turbulent couple of seasons disrupted by injuries and technical changes, Lovlina’s presence in Spain signals a renewed push towards consistency and dominance in her weight class. BOXAM Elite will offer her high-quality bouts that are far more revealing than domestic competition.

Supporting Lovlina is a strong group that blends experience and upward-moving talent. Nitu (51kg), a former world champion, brings explosiveness and big-fight temperament, while Preeti Pawar (54kg) and Arundhati Choudhary (70kg) have both shown they can compete with elite international opponents. In the lighter and middle divisions, India will field multiple boxers in each category, allowing coaches to assess not just medal potential, but adaptability under pressure.

The 2026 BOXAM Elite will also mark an important transition phase in Indian boxing’s coaching structure. Santiago Nieva will take charge of the women’s team in his first international assignment as Head Coach, while Kuttappa Chenanda Achaiah leads the men. For both, the Spanish tournament is not just about wins and losses it is about building combinations, refining tactics, and understanding how Indian boxers respond when faced with unfamiliar styles and elite refereeing.

BFI President Ajay Singh underlined the broader purpose of this tour when announcing the squad. After the highs of 2025, he emphasised continuity, progression, and form as the core pillars of selection. In simple terms, BOXAM Elite is not a standalone event; it is a bridge between India’s dominant domestic structure and the global stage that ultimately decides medals at the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

What makes this particular Indian squad especially compelling is its balance. There are established names who have already proven themselves on the world stage, alongside emerging boxers who are hungry to break through. There is depth across almost every weight category, meaning no one can afford to coast on reputation alone.

In La Nucia, India will not just be chasing medals it will be measuring itself against the standard required to succeed later in the year. For a programme that has set its sights firmly on global relevance, BOXAM Elite 2026 represents the first real examination of whether India’s remarkable rise in boxing can be sustained on the toughest international platforms.