Indian boxing stars Nikhat Zareen and Jaismine Lamboria secured their spots in the gold medal bouts at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025, leading the performances by the hosts on Wednesday. The Indian contingent saw its number of finalists swell to 15 at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Indoor Stadium.
Reigning World Champion Jaismine (57kg) delivered a 5-0 victory over Kazakhstan’s former Asian youth gold medalist Ulzhan Sarsenbek, utilizing her height and long-range game to control the ring. Meanwhile, two-time former world champion Nikhat (51kg) overcame a scrappy contest against Uzbekistan’s World youth champion Gulsevar Ganieva to win by a unanimous 5-0 decision.
Nikhat navigated a physical bout filled with clinching to earn her first international medal in over 21 months. After a tight 4-1 verdict in the opening round, the experienced pugilist found her rhythm in the final two rounds, landing clean combinations to convince the judges.
Reflecting on the match and her return to the podium, Nikhat noted the unusual timing of the bout. "My (first) bout has come towards the end. It has never happened. It wasn’t as per expectations, but I am happy to medal," she said. She is now set to face Chinese Taipei’s Guo Yi Xuan in the final, aiming for her first major international gold after a 32-month wait.
In the featherweight category, Jaismine quickly assessed her aggressive opponent, maintaining distance to accumulate points with fluent movement. She now moves on to a challenging final against Paris Olympics bronze medalist Wu Shih-Yi of Chinese Taipei.
The Indian men also enjoyed a successful outing, with Jadumani Singh (50kg) overcoming Australia’s Omer Izaz and Pawan Bartwal (55kg) defeating England’s Ellis Trowbridge, both by 5-0 margins. Sachin Siwach (60kg) and Hitesh Gulia (70kg) added to the tally by outmaneuvering their Uzbek opponents, Dilshod Abdumurodov and Mukhammadazizbek Ismoilov respectively, via unanimous decisions.
Despite the high number of finalists, three Indian boxers ended their campaigns with bronze medals after semifinal losses. Neeraj Phogat produced a spirited effort in the women’s 65kg category but fell short in a 3-2 split decision against Olympic medalist Chen Nien-Chin of Chinese Taipei. I
In the men's division, Sumit Kundu (75kg) lost 4-1 to Poland’s Michal Jarlinski, while Jugnoo Ahlawat (85kg) suffered a 5-0 defeat against Uzbekistan’s Jasurbek Yuldoshev. With these results, all 20 participating Indian boxers are guaranteed a podium finish on home soil.
The finals on Thursday will feature a rivalry between India and Uzbekistan, with six gold medal bouts set as direct clashes between the two nations. Key matchups include Narender taking on knockout specialist Khalimjon Mamasoliev, while Minakshi faces Fozilova Farzona.
Other notable fixtures involve Olympian Pooja Rani facing Poland’s reigning world champion Agata Kaczmarska, and Preeti taking on Italy’s Sirine Charrabi. In the men’s draw, Ankush Phangal will meet England’s Shittu Oladimeji, capping off an event where 15 Indian boxers will vie for the top prize.