Australia's pull-out has taken some sheen off the sixth Commonwealth Boxing Championship here but the March 10-18 event would still present a massive challenge for Indian pugilists as they brace up to square off against glovesmen from 13 nations. Close to 120 boxers are expected to participate in the event at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium,which is still undergoing renovation for the Commonwealth Games in October. "The stadium would be ready. Even if it is not ready completely,the part that we need,which is the arena and the lounge area for boxers and officials,would be ready," Indian Boxing Federation secretary general P K Muralidharan Raja told reporters here on Thursday. The championships were postponed last year due to the non-completion of the construction work at the venue. India,which won a gold,two silver and six bronze medals in the fifth edition,will host boxers from England,Wales,Scotland,Ireland,South Africa,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Malaysia,Bangladesh,Mauritius,kenya,Samoa and Singapore. The IBF is still awaiting confirmation from Canada while Australia has turned down the invitation citing previous commitments. "Australia regretted not being able to participate due to prior commitments and didn't specify anything else. We are awaiting confirmation from Canada and hopefully it will come soon," Raja said. "All the remaining top Commonwealth nations are coming. So,we expect a tough competition," he added.
