India’s women boxers spearheaded a memorable campaign as Sakshi (54kg), Jaismine (57kg), and Nupur (+80kg) clinched gold medals with contrasting victories at the second WorldBoxingCup
India’s women boxers delivered a stellar performance at the Second World Boxing Cup, powering the country to its best-ever medal haul at the event with a total of 11 medals — including three gold, five silver, and three bronze. Leading the charge were Sakshi (54kg), Jaismine (57kg), and Nupur (+80kg), each clinching gold medals with impressive performances in their respective finals on Sunday.
In the opening session of the final day, Sakshi set the tone with a dominant display against USA’s Yosline Perez in the women’s 54kg category. Her aggressive approach, marked by swift footwork and sharp combination punches, earned her a unanimous verdict from the judges, securing India’s first gold of the day.
Later, Jaismine showcased nerves of steel in the women’s 57kg final, edging past Brazil’s Jucielen Cequeira Romeu with a 4:1 split decision. The 23-year-old used her height and long reach to her advantage, particularly in the decisive third round, where she smartly stayed out of range and landed counter punches to seal the win.
Nupur, fighting in the 80+kg category, wrapped up India’s golden run by outclassing Kazakhstan’s Yeldana Talipova. After losing the opening round, Nupur bounced back in commanding fashion, dominating the next two rounds with relentless punching and superior ringcraft to claim a 5:0 unanimous victory.
India also had a strong presence in the silver category, with Jugnoo (men’s 85kg), Pooja Rani (women’s 80kg), Hitesh Gulia (men’s 70kg), Abhinash Jamwal (men’s 65kg), and Meenakshi (women’s 48kg) all finishing as runners-up. Meenakshi came closest to gold among the silver winners, narrowly losing out 3:2 to Kazakhstan’s Nazym Kyzaibay in a hard-fought bout.
Jugnoo and Pooja Rani were outboxed by clear margins, both losing 0:5 to their respective opponents — Bekzad Nurdauletov (Kazakhstan) and Eseta Flint (Australia). Similarly, Hitesh Gulia fell to Kaian Oliveira of Brazil, while Jamwal narrowly missed out on gold, losing 2:3 to Yuri Falcao.
The bronze medals came from Sanju (women’s 60kg), Nikhil Dubey (men’s 75kg), and Narender (men’s 90+kg), rounding off a highly successful campaign for the Indian contingent.
This performance marks a significant moment for Indian boxing, especially the women’s squad, whose resilience and skill have elevated India’s stature on the global boxing stage. With the Paris Olympics on the horizon, the momentum gained from this tournament could prove crucial in the nation’s preparations.
