Boxer Brijesh Yadav will return to India after suffering facial injury at Italy training camp
India's hopes of qualifying in the 81kg category of men's boxing at the Tokyo Olympics took a hit as Brijesh Yadav suffered an injury to his face. The India Open silver medallist has sustained the injury while sparring with a partner at the ongoing training camp in Italy. Yadav will need medical treatment for which he will be returning to India soon.
According to The Times of India, Brijesh Yadav suffered a fracture during a training session on November 10. The injury just missed his left eye but has impacted his jawline. While an immediate CT scan showed no damage to his eyesight, the pain was apparently unbearable for Brijesh Yadav. The Thailand Open silver medallist was taken off the roster for the remainder of his training sessions and was asked to rest.
On the evaluation of his condition four days ago, the medical staff present at the camp decided to send Brijesh Yadav back for a complete recovery. He will be back in the country as soon as his Covid-19 test report is available.
Brijesh Yadav might have to undergo a maxillofacial surgery upon his arrival.
Brijesh Yadav to return from India's training camp in Assisi, Italy
India has sent a 27-member contingent for a 52-day training-cum-competition tour of Italy. The boxers had been training in Assisi all this while, but have recently been asked to shift to Milan to make way for a regional tournament to be held at Assisi's National Boxing Centre.
The contingent had to take mandatory Covid-19 tests in Assisi before their departure, and on arrival in Milan. Indian boxers had also participated at the Alexis Vastine International Boxing Tournament in Nantes, France at end of last month, where they won 7 medals including 3 golds.
BFI unsure about sending a team to Chemistry Cup
Meanwhile, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) is still uncertain about sending Indian boxers to the Chemistry Cup. The tournament is scheduled to be held in Germany from December 15, with the Indian team supposed to leave for it on November 30. The Indian boxing team had planned to train in Cologne for a couple of weeks before the start of the tournament. However, with the spike in the Covid-19 cases in Germany, the BFI is reconsidering its plans.
India has already secured a record nine Olympic quota places in boxing from a single qualifier held right before the lockdown. They are looking to add more to it when the pandemic eases and the World Qualifiers are held.