India's women boxers delivered a historic performance at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, with Jaismine Lamboria and Nupur Sheoran both cruising into the finals. Their victories guarantee at least two silver medals for India. In addition, Minakshi secured a medal by advancing to the semifinals. However, the men's campaign ended without a single podium finish for the first time in 12 years.
In the women's 57kg semifinal, Jaismine put on a clinical performance to defeat Venezuela's Omailyn Alcala with a unanimous 5-0 verdict. The 24-year-old controlled the bout from long range, landing sharp jabs and hooks that her opponent struggled to counter. Jaismine will now face Poland’s Julia Szeremeta, a Paris Olympics silver medallist, in the summit clash. Meanwhile, heavyweight boxer Nupur Sheoran, the grand-daughter of legendary boxer Hawa Singh, was equally dominant in her 80+kg semifinal, out-punching Seyma Duztas of Turkiye with a 5-0 verdict to book her place in the final.
Adding to India's medal haul, Minakshi outclassed U-19 world champion Alice Pumphrey with a unanimous 5-0 decision in the 48kg quarterfinals, guaranteeing a bronze medal. Minakshi, who is competing in a non-Olympic category, will now face Mongolia's Lutsaikhany Altantsetseg in her semifinal bout. With Minakshi's victory, India is now assured of a total of four medals in the women's section, with Jaismine, Nupur, and Pooja Rani (80kg) also set to finish on the podium.
While the women's team continued to impress, the men's campaign came to a quiet end. India's last remaining male boxer, Jadumani Singh Mandengbam, was defeated in his quarterfinal bout against reigning world champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay of Kazakhstan. His 0-4 loss meant that India's ten-member men's squad finished the championships without a medal, a stark contrast to their three-bronze haul in the 2023 edition.
The contrasting fortunes of the men's and women's contingents have become a major storyline of the World Boxing Championships. While the men's team's performance has raised questions about their preparation, the women have consistently delivered.
