New Delhi: India’s women boxers continued their stellar run at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool on Friday, with Jaismine Lamboria cruising into the final and Minakshi ensuring India’s fourth medal. In contrast, the men’s campaign ended without a podium finish for the first time in 12 years.
In the 57kg semifinals, Jaismine Lamboria delivered a clinical 5-0 win over Venezuela’s Omailyn Alcala, dominating with sharp jabs and hooks that her opponent could not counter. The World Cup gold medallist will now face Paris Olympics silver medallist Julia Szeremeta in the final.
Meanwhile, in the non-Olympic 48kg category, Minakshi outclassed U-19 world champion Alice Pumphrey by the same 5-0 margin. Competing on the back foot, she effectively used her long reach to land straight shots and counter-attacks, setting up a semifinal clash with 2023 silver medallist Lutsaikhany Altantsetseg of Mongolia.
In the 80+kg category, Nupur Sheoran also advanced to the finals with a 5-0 victory over Turkey’s Duztas Seyma, securing yet another medal for India. Along with Pooja Rani (80kg), the quartet of Minakshi, Jaismine, Pooja, and Nupur guarantees at least four medals for the women’s team.
However, India’s men’s squad faced disappointment. Jadumani Singh Mandengbam, competing in the 50kg category, lost 0-4 in the quarterfinals to reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay of Kazakhstan. Despite a valiant effort pressuring the Kazakh boxer and landing sharp punches Mandengbam fell short, ending India’s men’s medal hopes for the first time since the 2013 edition.
The men’s campaign comes as a contrast to 2023’s success in Tashkent, where India secured three bronze medals through Deepak Bhoria (51kg), Mohammad Hussamuddin (57kg), and Nishant Dev (71kg).
With the women’s team performing at a high level, India now looks forward to potential golds and maintaining momentum at the ongoing Championships.
