India’s World Boxing Championships campaign became a tale of mixed fortunes historic highs for the women’s team and a disappointing low for the men, who came back with zero medals for the first time in 12 years.
Women Shine With Best-Ever Overseas Show
The limelight was on India’s women boxers, who wrote history with the nation’s greatest-ever foreign performance at the Worlds. Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Minakshi Hooda (48kg) took charge from the front with path-breaking victories, displaying poise and strategic discipline that bodes well for the LA Olympics cycle.
Veteran Pooja Rani (80kg) and Nupur Sheoran (80kg) also chipped in with a bronze and silver respectively, as India ended up third in the medals table behind giants Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
It must be noted, however, that the other medal finishes were achieved in non-Olympic weight divisions where the competition was less sharp. There were only 10 boxers, for example, in Nupur’s draw, whereas 12 turned out for Pooja’s division.
International Exposure Still a Problem
The Championships brought to the fore the urgent need for regular international exposure. In the aftermath of the Paris Olympics, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) avoided a number of international tournaments citing the possibility of suspension on account of IBA affiliation problems.
While heavyweights such as Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Kazakhstan kept competing even at IBA meets and honed their teams, India’s men boxers competed in a mere two international tournaments after Paris, with the women appearing in only one.
Jaismine’s triumph highlighted the advantages of regular competition, as she had two national tournaments and an international meet under her belt since exiting Paris.
Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain Face Fresh Challenges
Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg) returned from injury but appeared rusty, coasting through an early fright to lose to her familiar foe, Turkey’s Buse Cakiroglu. With Minakshi Hooda emerging on the scene, Nikhat could well have her hands full of domestic competition in future.
Olympic medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), who went to the Worlds with limited training after missing out on the Nationals, suffered a first-round defeat. With Pooja Rani now targeting the 75kg position, Lovlina might be under pressure to hold on to her spot.
Men End Medal Streak After 12 Years
The men’s team had a poor campaign, returning home without a medal for the first time since 2013. The team of mixed youth and experience couldn’t capitalize on the highs of 2023, when India had won three bronzes in Tashkent.
Amit Panghal, Deepak Bhoria, and Shiva Thapa, previous medallists, failed to deliver, while juniors found it difficult to gain momentum. Only Jadumani Singh (50kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) got to the quarterfinal stage.
In spite of the lean spell, there were promising sparks Abhinash made himself known at the international level, and new talents such as Hitesh Gulia, Sachin Siwach, and Pawan Bartwal showed glimpses of hope.
With the new Olympic cycle opening, India’s mixed bag is a reminder of the need for immediate international exposure and systematic training. The women have given promise, but the men need to get together in a hurry to not lose more ground. According to plans, the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games are scheduled next year, so the next few months will be critical in determining India’s boxing destiny.
