Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen suffered a shock exit from the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games trials in Patiala on Thursday, even as a majority of the boxers welcomed the return of the trial-based selection system. Nikhat, the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games champion and 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games bronze medallist, went down 1-4 via split decision to Sakshi Chaudhary in the 51kg semifinals in the opening bout of the day. The Boxing Federation of India was forced to revert to the trial-based selection process after the Sports Authority of India (SAI) suspended its earlier assessment-based evaluation system on Sunday, calling it “opaque”.

The assessment-based selection process, introduced by the previous High Performance Director, has remained under scrutiny since its inception in 2023, with several boxers raising concerns over alleged bias and lack of transparency.

“The trial system is much better. We don’t have to keep stressing about whether we are selected or not as we would keep waiting for the list a week after the assessment,” a boxer with multiple international medals told PTI.

“Trials are fair and square. If I have lost the bout, I have lost, and I know what I have to work on. Earlier, we were left wondering where we lacked,” another boxer said.

The trials were held in the presence of an SAI observer.

Services boxer Sakshi, who has moved down from 54kg, will now face reigning 48kg world champion Minakshi in the final after the latter outclassed former Worlds gold medallist Nitu Ghanghas by unanimous decision.

Another major upset saw three-time World Cup medallist Hitesh Gulia lose to Sumit in the 70kg semifinals. Sumit has also dropped down from 75kg for the trials.

In the 65kg women’s semifinals, Asian Games bronze medallist Parveen Hooda defeated Ankushita Boro, while Pooja Rani lost to Naina in the 80kg.

So far, Sachin Siwach (60kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), and Priya Ghanghas (60kg) have qualified for both the CWG and the Asian Games after reaching the finals of last month’s Asian Championships in Mongolia.

Reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Arundhati Chaudhary (70kg) have secured CWG berths only, as their weight divisions are not included in the Asian Games.

While the boxers who win the trials will go to Czechia for an exposure camp ahead of the Commonwealth Games, the second-rank boxers will compete in the World Boxing Cup in Guiyang City, China, from June 15 to 20.

The 2026 Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow in July-August, followed by the 2026 Asian Games in Japan during September-October.

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