The ninth edition of the National Boxing Championship has been rescheduled amid pollution-related measures announced by the Delhi Government. The tournament was originally set to take place from December 31, 2025, to January 6, 2026, at Gautam Buddha University in Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh. But this plan has now been delayed by four days.
As per the revised schedule and the organisers’ request, the Championship will now take place from January 4 to 10, 2026. The venue and the arrangements, however, won’t be altered. The government is planning to undertake some measures and resolve the issue by December 31.
The Boxing Federation has also confirmed that the stay of the participants, the facilities provided in the event, as well as the technical operations will remain the same as per plan. However, the participants and the teams have been told to reschedule their travel and preparations.
The decision to make the changes came into effect due to the poor and severely low air quality in Delhi in December. This forced the government to initiate some precautionary measures. The Delhi authority, however, believes that the improvements and measures taken will be reflected in January, which will give time for the Championship to run smoothly and in effect without any further restrictions caused.
The ninth edition of the National Boxing Championship will be hosted by the Boxing Federation of India (BFI). This is the first time that BFI is hosting this event, where we will see India’s best senior boxers competing under one roof.
Following the announcement, BFI President Ajay Singh, during a media release, said that the initiative will provide a fair chance for boxing talents to make their entry into the nationals and carry the lead further ahead in other tournaments. BFI recently achieved success at the Boxing World Cup Finals held in New Delhi, which saw India finish with the best-ever results of 20 medals, including nine golds.
Ajay said, “Strong systems are the backbone of long-term success, and the National Championships are where that system truly begins. This stage creates opportunity, reveals talent, and gives every boxer a fair pathway into the national camp. Our recent success at the World Boxing Cup Finals proved how powerful this can be. As we prepare for the challenges ahead, these championships will be crucial in identifying and preparing the athletes who can carry our hopes forward.”
(Inputs sourced from The Bridge)
