India’s campaign at the World Boxing Championships turned out to be a tale of two halves — the women delivered a historic overseas performance, while the men returned empty-handed for the first time in over a decade.
Women script history
Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Minakshi Hooda (48kg) rose to the occasion with breakthrough golds, showing grit and tactical maturity. Their triumphs marked India’s best-ever overseas showing at the event. Seasoned campaigners Pooja Rani (80kg) and Nupur Sheoran (80kg) added a bronze and silver, helping India finish third in the medals tally behind Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.
However, apart from Jaismine’s win, the other medals came in non-Olympic weight categories, where the fields were relatively smaller.
Rusty returns and early exits
Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg), returning from an injury layoff, looked short of rhythm and lost to Olympic medallist Buse Cakiroglu of Turkey. Olympic bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) too bowed out in the opening round after a disrupted training cycle.
Minakshi’s emergence in the 48kg class now poses a selection challenge for the federation as the new Olympic cycle gains pace.
Men endure barren run
For the first time since 2013, India’s men’s boxers failed to win a medal at the Worlds. Veterans like Amit Panghal, Deepak Bhoria and Shiva Thapa fell early, while only Jadumani Singh (50kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg) reached the quarterfinals.
The lack of international exposure was telling. Since the Paris Olympics, India skipped several events linked to the old IBA, unlike rivals Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, who kept their boxers match-ready.
Way forward
Despite the disappointment, a few bright sparks emerged. Abhinash showed promise in stepping out of Shiva Thapa’s shadow, while youngsters Sachin Siwach and Hitesh Gulia displayed glimpses of potential.
But the broader concerns remain: without consistent exposure and better preparation, India’s men’s team risks falling further behind as the Los Angeles Olympic cycle begins.
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