Jaismine, Nupur eye gold as Minakshi secures medal at Worlds

Liverpool – Indian women boxers continued their impressive run at the World Boxing Championships on Friday, with Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Nupur Sheoran (80+kg) storming into the finals and Minakshi Hooda (48kg) advancing to the semifinals, guaranteeing the country multiple medals.

Jaismine produced one of her best performances of the tournament when she defeated Venezuela’s Paris Olympian Omailyn Alcala with a commanding 5-0 decision. Using her speed, mobility, and long-range punches, the Indian southpaw kept Alcala under constant pressure. Despite her opponent managing to connect a few head shots, Jaismine controlled the tempo throughout and sealed her place in the gold medal bout against Poland’s Olympic silver medallist Julia Szermeta.

Heavyweight boxer Nupur Sheoran also delivered a strong display in her semifinal clash against Turkey’s Seyma Duztas. In a repeat of their World Boxing Cup semifinal in Astana, Nupur maintained her long-range strategy, executing clean hits and clever footwork to secure another unanimous 5-0 win. The victory confirmed her spot in the final and a chance to create history with a gold.

Adding to India’s medal tally, Minakshi Hooda (48kg) impressed in her quarterfinal against England’s Alice Pumphrey, the reigning World under-19 champion. The 2022 Asian silver medallist showcased her sharp jabs and accurate combinations to dominate all three rounds. Despite Pumphrey’s late attempts to close the gap, Minakshi’s composure and counter-punching earned her a unanimous decision and a place in the semifinals, ensuring at least a bronze.

Meanwhile, in the men’s category, Jadumani Singh (50kg) put up a valiant fight against 2023 World champion Sanzhar Tashkenbay of Kazakhstan. Despite his resilience, Singh lost 0-4 in the quarterfinals and bowed out of the competition.

India now looks forward to Jaismine and Nupur’s gold medal bouts, with Minakshi also chasing further glory in the semifinals. Their performances underline India’s growing strength in women’s boxing on the world stage.