India’s women’s boxing team showcased exceptional prowess at the Asian Boxing Championships, capturing a total of four gold medals. Leading the charge were reigning world champion Minakshi Hooda in the 48kg category and Asian Games bronze medallist Preeti Pawar in the 54kg division. Their successes contributed significantly to India’s prominent standing in the tournament.

Minakshi Hooda set the tone for the day by achieving a commanding 5-0 victory against Mongolia’s Nomundari Enkh-Amgalan. Her performance exemplified skill and strategy, establishing a strong momentum for the Indian team. Following her, Preeti Pawar continued to build on this success, defeating Huang Hsiao-wen of Chinese Taipei, a three-time world champion and bronze medallist from the Tokyo Olympics, with another unanimous 5-0 score.

Subsequently, Priya Ghanghas secured a decisive 3-0 victory against North Korea’s Won Un-gyong, and Arundhati Choudhary contributed the fourth gold with a 4-1 win over Kazakhstan’s Bakyt Seidish. Overall, the Indian women demonstrated a formidable performance throughout the tournament.

Setbacks and Silver Linings for Indian Boxers

Despite the remarkable success, India faced a setback in the finals with reigning world champion Jaismine Lamboria losing 0-5 to Punrawee Ruenros of Thailand in the 57kg bout. Ruenros is a two-time silver medallist at the World Championships, making the competition particularly challenging for Lamboria.

In addition to the gold medals, Alfiya Pathan claimed a silver medal in the 80+kg category, succumbing to Kazakhstan’s Dina Islambekova with a score of 0-5 in her only bout of the event. The Indian squad’s performance not only yielded numerous medals but also secured their qualification for both the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, as per the Boxing Federation of India’s selection guidelines.

While the women’s team concluded with ten medals—four gold, two silver, and four bronze—the competition featured weight categories that had limited participation, leading to some boxers like Lovlina Borgohain in the 75kg and Pooja Rani in the 80kg categories receiving bronze medals after semi-final exits.

Future Competitions and Overall Medal Tally

Earlier in the week, notable competitors, including two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen in the 54kg category and Ankushita Boro in the 65kg, also achieved bronze medals following their respective semi-final defeats. This further illustrates the depth of talent within the Indian boxing team.

As the championships progress, two male boxers, Vishwanath Suresh and Sachin Siwach, are set to compete in their finals in the 48kg and 60kg categories, respectively, on February 2, 2025. Their performance will be pivotal in determining India’s final medal tally in this edition of the championships.

Currently, India has confirmed a total of 16 medals, marking the highest tally achieved among all participating nations at the event. The ongoing success of the Indian boxing contingent underscores the potential and commitment of the nation’s athletes in the sport.

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