Bengaluru, May 22: India's Vinod Tanwar, who competes in the 49kg category, has been withdrawn from the 2021 ASBC Asian Boxing Championships squad in Dubai after he tested positive for COVID-19.
The South Asian Games gold-medallist who had travelled for a tournament in Russia's St Petersburg last month, had gone home for a break after he came back to the country.
The 23-year-old returned positive for COVID-19 when he was tested in isolation on his return to Patiala earlier this week, ruling him out from what would have been his maiden appearance at the continental showpiece.
𝗧𝗢𝗨𝗖𝗛𝗗𝗢𝗪𝗡 𝗗𝗨𝗕𝗔𝗜 🛬
— Boxing Federation (@BFI_official) May 22, 2021
🇮🇳 contingent has landed safely in Dubai earlier today and our boxers are all set for upcoming ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships 💪🏻#boxing#AsianEliteBoxingChampionships#StayHomeStaySafe pic.twitter.com/8DRVlUk81a
"Vinod Tanwar's (49kg) name was withdrawn from the squad as he was tested positive for COVID-19," the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) said in a response to a query by the PTI news agency on the development.
"Tanwar was at his home and wasn't in contact with the rest of the team which was in a bio-bubble. Team management decided on not taking any replacement and will not be contesting in the 49kg category of 2021 ASBC Asian Championships," the BFI said.
Tanwar had won the South Asian Games gold in the 2019 edition of the event.
Apart from that, he is also a National Championships bronze-medallist. Most of India's nine Olympic-bound boxers, including Amit Panghal (52kg) and M C Mary Kom (51kg), will compete in the event, which begins on Monday (May 24).
The squad landed in Dubai on Friday (May 21) evening aboard an air-bubble flight.
(With PTI inputs)