Boxers Rohit Mor and Akash will kick-start India's challenge on the opening day as the AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships begins in Belgrade, Serbia later on Monday.
Rohit, who had stunned Mohammad Hussamuddin to clinch gold at the Nationals last month, will be up against Ecuadorian pugilist Jean Caicedo, who competed in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, the 21-year-old Akash is drawn to open his campaign against Adem Fukran in the 67kg category.
The draw ceremony took place late on Sunday in which two Indian pugilists -- reigning Asian champion Sanjeet (92kg) and Sachin Kumar (80) -- were awarded first-round byes in their respective categories.
Deepak Bhoria (51kg) will have a comparatively difficult challenge in his opening-round match as he will start off against two-time Asian champion Azat Usenaliev of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday.
In-form Deepak, who claimed the senior nationals title last month, had caught many eyeballs earlier this year after defeating Olympic champion Shakhobidin Zoirov of Uzbekistan at Strandja Memorial Tournament.
The 2015 World Championships bronze medallist Shiva Thapa (63.5kg), Govind Kumar Sahani (48kg), Varinder Singh (60kg), Nishant Dev (71kg), Sumit (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (86kg) and Narender (+92kg) are the other boxers of the 13-member Indian contingent who will compete at the 21st edition of the event which will go on till November 6.
The event will witness competition between 650 top boxers from more than a hundred participating countries from across the world. It is also the first time in the history, the championships will be played in 13 weight categories as per AIBA's newly-introduced weight divisions.
The gold medalists of each category will receive $100,000 while silver and bronze medallists will be given $50,000 and $25,000 respectively.
T20 WC: Rohit to lead India's 15-man squad, Hardik vice-captain
Rohit Sharma will lead the 15-member squad that will represent India at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 in the West Indies and USA, scheduled from June 1 to 29.
Gukesh wins Candidates tournament, becomes the challenger for world title
Seventeen-year-old Indian chess Grandmaster D. Gukesh on Monday became the youngest player to win the FIDE Candidates tournament and to become the challenger for the world chess title.
IPL 2024: Iyer, Salt, Russell star as KKR survive Karn scare to beat RCB by one run
With 21 runs needed off the final over, Karn sliced Starc over backward point for six and survived a caught-behind appeal on the very next ball. Karn stayed deep in the crease and smacked Starc for sixes over extra cover and backward point.
China-made drone seized near India-Pak border in Punjab
The Border Security Force (BSF) on Saturday said it has seized a China-made drone near the India-Pakistan border in Punjab's Amritsar district along with a packet of 500 gm of heroin.
Congress in Tripura blocks rail stations to protest police fired-killing of 5 farmers in MP
The firing on Tuesday came during raucous protests to demand better crop prices in the drought-ravaged region that saw one farmer suicide every five hours in the past two years.
DMs, SPs of violence-hit MP districts transferred
The farmers agitation entered its eighth day on Thursday. The peasants have been on strike since June 1, demanding loan waiver and fair price for their produce.
Indian American selected among 12 NASA astronaut candidates
He continued on to earn a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and graduated from the US Naval Test Pilot School.
World's oldest human species' fossils found in Morocco
The institute said the remains of the Homo sapiens, which were found in a remote village called Jbel Irhoud, date back to over 300,000 years ago, Xinhua reported.