Mary's heartbreak
As Nikhat rose from the ranks, the defining force in Indian boxing for well over a decade, the timeless Mary Kom decided it was time for the next generation to make its mark.
The London Olympic bronze medallist opted to skip the World Championships and the now-postponed Asian Games to concentrate on the Birmingham CWG. But fate had other plans - cruel ones.
The six-time world champion missed out on the opportunity to defend her CWG title after suffering a knee injury in the middle of her bout against eventual gold medallist Nitu Ghanghas during the trials.
At 40, time is not on her side as according to IBA rules pugilists between the ages of 19 to 40 are categorised as Elite Boxers. The Asian Games, now pushed to September next year, could be her swansong should she get fit and decide to participate.
She has always maintained "I can play till 40." But if her body doesn't permit it, the Manipuri has nothing left to prove, for she has inspired innumerable youngsters to take up the sport.
And the new crop of boxers comprising the likes of Nikhat, Nitu, world championship bronze medal-winning duo of Parveen Hooda and Manisha Moun and Jaismine Lamboria are trying to follow her lead.
Amit's redemption and Shiva's tryst with history
Unlike Mary Kom, Amit Panghal had a lot on the line this year. He had been a strong medal contender at the Tokyo Olympics, having won an unprecedented world championship silver and rising to the number one rank.
But the Games proved to be a disaster as he crashed out in the first round. However, the Rohtak boxer redeemed his hard-earned reputation by bettering the colour of his 2018 CWG Gold Coast silver.
The signature salute and his little smile after winning the title at Birmingham Games showed the satisfaction he felt.
Veteran Shiva Thapa also sparkled in the men's circuit. While he made a quiet exit at the CWG, the 29-year-old became the first-ever male boxer in the history of the Asian Championships to win six medals.
The climax was bittersweet though as he was forced to withdraw midway through his final bout due to an injury, settling for a silver.
Lovlina's rollercoaster
Lovlina Borgohain had saved the boxing contingent the blushes in Tokyo, winning the sole medal.
But shoved into the limelight and burdened with endless felicitation functions and other commitments after her bronze medal in Tokyo, the Assam boxer lost her focus, resulting in an underwhelming show at the World Championships this year.
At the CWG she was the protagonist of the Indian contingent's biggest and only controversy at the Games as she raised a hue and cry over her personal coach Sandhya Gurung's accreditation.
In a Twitter post, Lovlina alleged that her preparation was getting affected due to the "continuous harassment" of her coaches. After everything was sorted, Lovlina ended up making a shock quarterfinal exit.
However, the 25-year-old was able to put behind the underwhelming year with a gold in her maiden appearance in the middle-weight category (75kg) at the Asian Championships. Her previous 69kg weight class was scrapped from the Paris Olympics.
Olympics future
In a massive blow to the sport, boxing has been left out of the initial roster list for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, a decision made due to a number of governance issues.
While the International Boxing Association (IBA) claims to be doing everything to get the sport back, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) continues to express concerns with the world body's current leadership under Umar Kremlev, the President from Russia.