Abhishek Mishra in Greater Noida
Rising to the occasion, Indian boxers delivered a dominant performance on Day 1 of the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. Greater Noida’s Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex saw Minakshi Hooda, Preeti Pawar, Ankush Panghal, and Narender Berwal punch past their opponents and march into the semi-finals, assuring medals for the country.
Recently crowned world champion in the 48kg category, Minakshi began India’s campaign with a commanding unanimous 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan’s Bolat Akbota. The Indian boxer dictated the ring from the start, landing punches left, right, and centre with accuracy and precision.
Competing in an international tournament in India for the first time, a shy Minakshi entered the mixed zone to reflect on her bout and the experience. “Now, after becoming world champion, there’s a responsibility on my shoulders to continue performing with excellence,” said the 48kg boxer. “This year is the best of my life, and I’ve had the chance to represent the country in front of a home crowd.”
Making her first appearance in Indian colours at an international competition since the Paris Olympics, southpaw Preeti Pawar (54kg) fought an electrifying bout, showcasing her prowess with quick footwork and sharp punches. She powered past former Youth World Champion Nigina Uktamova of Uzbekistan with a 5-0 win in the quarter-finals, assuring another medal for India.
For Preeti, the long break was challenging, as she struggled with Hepatitis A – a liver infection caused by a virus that spreads through contaminated food or water – but now feels fit and ready to dominate.
“After the Olympics, I took three months of complete rest, completely off training, but then I started slowly and worked on my endurance, practising more rounds in sparring,” said the 2022 Asian Games medallist.
Another southpaw, Ankush Panghal, produced an impressive performance in the men’s 80kg category, defeating Japan’s Go Wakaya with an aggressive display. Meanwhile, the heavyweight powerhouse Narender Berwal, in the 90+kg division, secured a solid 4-1 victory over Ukraine’s Andril Khaletskyi.
Indians in action on Day 2
55kg: Pawan Bartwal vs Kazakhstan’s Altynbek Nursultan
75kg: Sumit vs South Korea’s Kim Hyeon-tae
90kg : Naveen Kumar vs Kazakhstan’s Tangatar Bekzat
50kg: Jadumani Singh vs Kazakhstan’s Ongarov Nurzat
70kg: Hitesh Gulia vs Japan’s Sewon Okazawa
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