India, with three confirmed medals, is tied for fourth place in the medals tally at the prestigious tournament, behind hosts Uzbekistan (9), Cuba and Russia (6 each), and Kazakhstan (5).

Silver medalist at the 2019 Asian Championships Deepak Kumar (51kg) will head India’s charge for the gold when he faces the two-time bronze medalist at the World Championships, France’s Billal Bennama.

In his second World Championships appearance, the 26-year-old Indian has recorded three wins by unanimous decision and defeated the bronze medalist from the Tokyo Olympics, Kazakhstan’s Saken Bibossanov, in the Round of 32.

Deepak will give his all to reach the final, where he will face either Olympic gold medalist Hasanboy Dusmatov or incumbent European champion Martin Molina of Spain. Deepak is hoping to maintain his stellar form.

Mohammed Hussamuddin (57kg) will enter the arena against Cuba’s Saidel Horta with the goal of advancing to the tournament’s final in his first World Championships appearance.

The two-time bronze medalist at the Commonwealth Games has elevated his performance to the utmost level to win all of his matches thus far.

Hussamuddin, a veteran competitor from Telangana, could face 2021 World Championships silver medalist Abdumalik Khalokov of Uzbekistan or Munarbek Seitbek-Uulu of Kyrgyzstan if he advances to the championship match.

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One of India’s up-and-coming boxers, Nishant Dev (71kg), will face the defending Asian champion, Aslanbek Shymbergenov (Kazakhstan), in the semi-finals. Nishant Dev’s quarterfinal finish at the last World Championships guarantees him a medal at the current competition.

The boxer from Karnal has demonstrated his superior skill through his world-class performances by earning three wins by unanimous decision and one by the referee halting the fight (RSC) to date.

The 22-year-old will be determined to advance to the finals and compete against either the two-time Asian champion Saidjamshid Jafarov of Uzbekistan or the 2018 South American champion Wanderson de Oliveria of Brazil.

538 boxers from 107 countries, including a number of Olympic medalists, are participating in the ongoing competition. The gold medalists will receive USD 200,000 in prize money, the silver medalists will receive USD 100,000, and the bronze medalists will each receive USD 50,000.

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Saweety began the first round with extreme caution. She maintained her posture until the first minute before unleashing a flurry of punches on her opponent, including one that landed directly on her cheeks. She maintained her strategy throughout the entire match and won 3-2.

Similar to Round 1, the Indian began Round 2 by waiting for an opening before attempting to strike Wang Lina. In the process, the Indian also received a straight jab, but Saweety was still able to win the second round with a comparable score.

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In the final round, Wang Lina displayed some retaliation, but the Indian maintained her bet and conserved her energy for the final-round attack. The strategy resulted in a change in momentum, and the officials declared the match to be in India’s favor.

Saweety compromised for silver nine years ago, when she reached the finals of the World Championship after defeating several prominent competitors. This time, the 30-year-old left no stone untouched in his pursuit of 2018 World Champion Wang Lina.

Earlier, Nitu Ghanghas defeated Lutsaikhan Altantsetseg of Mongolia by unanimous decision to take gold in the 45-48 kg category finals.

Nitu, a Commonwealth Games gold medalist, was dominating the competition and had already won three Referee Stops Contest (RSC) victories. In the semifinals, she competed against a familiar adversary, Kazakhstan’s Alua Balkibekova, whom she defeated 5-2 by split decision. Last year, Balkibekova defeated Nitu in the quarterfinals of the World Championship.

Saweety became the seventh Indian boxer to be crowned world champion with this victory.

Other boxers who have won the world championship include Mary Kom (2002, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2018), Sarita Devi (2006), Jenny RL (2006), Lekha KC (2006), Nikhat Zareen (2022), and Nitu (2023).

The final day of the World Boxing Championships will feature Nikhat and Lovlina in the finals.

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Mijgona Samadova of Tajikistan was defeated by Jaismine (60 kg) after a round of defeat.

Shashi Chopra (63 kilogrammes) and Manju Bamboriya (66 kilogrammes) withdrew from the tournament.

Manju was literally outpunched by Navbakhor Khamidova of Uzbekistan, whereas Shashi lost 0-4 to Mai Kito of Japan.

Nikhat took a few seconds to discern her opponent’s strategy before assaulting. She avoided Herrera’s counterattacks by evading with her agile feet.

Both competitors have moved down in weight from the 52 kilogramme division. Nikhat, cognizant of the Mexican’s aggressive approach, utilised her speed to strike precise jabs and hooks.

Herrera, whom she had defeated in the previous edition, attempted to swing the momentum in her favou, but Nikhat’s relentless assaults proved to be too much for her to overcome.

Nikhat, who has already competed in three battles, including one against the top seed, and is still three encounters away from the gold medal, declared that she is exhausted.

Nikhat, who was unseeded and had multiple wounds on her lip, exclaimed after her match, “I am pleased to have defeated the top-seeded player.”

“As my last match was against the top seed, I’m still experiencing some fatigue. It was difficult, and her blows landed fairly well, so my neck was tense and my body was sluggish compared to my previous fight. However, I am pleased that this victory was unanimous.

This is the first boxing tournament in my career in which I will play six contests because I was not seeded, but I am not concerned with that. On Wednesday, eight Indian boxers — Nitu, Nikhat, Sakshi Choudhary (52 kilogrammes), Manisha, Jaismine, Lovlina Borgohain (75 kilogrammes), Saweety Boora (81 kilogrammes), and Nupur Sheoran (+81 kilogrammes) — will compete in the quarterfinals.

Nitu recorded her second RSC victory in as many matches in the tournament during the day’s opening session.

Both Nitu and Qosimova attempted to decipher the other’s strategy, but when the Indian landed four consecutive strikes, the referee gave the opponent her first standing count.

Nitu continued her assault as she surrounded the Tajikistan boxer and pummelling her with direct blows.

To the dismay of her opponent, who kept making the thumbs-down gesture when the result was announced, the referee gave Qosimova her second standing count before declaring the match in favour of the Indian.

The seasoned Manisha asserted her authority with a direct strike and a combination of punches.

Manisha took advantage of the fact that she was significantly taller than the Turkish boxer by unleashing a right and left punch followed by a strike.

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Turhan attempted to assault in the second round after receiving two standing counts in the opening three minutes, but Manisha continued to strike hooks and jabs with ease.

To avoid her opponent’s strikes, she continued to manoeuvre. With only a few seconds left before the final bell, Manisha’s barrage of punches and hooks prompted the referee to call a favou of the home combatant to end the bout.

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The Cheetah mascot, Veera, is synonymous with strength, valour, bravery, and courage. Similar to the world’s fastest land animal, the Cheetah, boxers defeat their opponents with quick moments in the ring. Veera, the epitome of strength and courage, represents all the women boxers.

“We must develop the habit of hosting [large] international events. As we are organising the World Boxing Championships, I would like to request Ajay ji that we provide opportunities for young boxers from across the nation to come here and watch Indian and international stars as well as meet coaches through a programme. It will be a big chance for them to get an idea about the preparation that they would need to do in order to reach that level in the future. Thakur added, “I also congratulate BFI, Ajay Singh, and Team for hosting the Boxing World Championships for the third time, and I wish all the players the best of luck.”

Accepting the Minister’s suggestion, BFI President Ajay Singh said the BFI will try their best to get the young boxers and coaches from across the country at the tournament, giving them the opportunity to learn from the top stars of the sport.

“Anurag Singh Thakur has assumed responsibility for ensuring India becomes a sports power to be reckoned with. Boxing attempts to contribute to this larger goal. We are the world’s third-ranked boxing nation. Our women’s boxing team is something we are extremely proud of. The tournament will feature the most countries and boxers ever. We just hope that all of you [boxers] perform exceptionally well, and let’s put on a spectacular show for the entire world to see,” BFI President Singh said.

At the tournament that India will host for a record-breaking third time, the best boxers in the world, including eight Olympic medalists, will compete for the championship. The event will also feature a 20 crore rupee prize pool.

Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), a bronze medalist from the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, has already won two bronze medals at the World Championships and will compete alongside seven other Olympic medalists in the upcoming Championships.

Nikhat Zareen, on the other hand, will defend her 50kg title. At the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, she won the title of world champion.

Nitu Ghanghas, who won a gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, will also represent the nation in the 48 kilogramme division. The two-time Youth World Champion will attempt to add yet another significant medal to her collection.

Manisha Moun, who made her international debut with impressive performances at the 2018 World Championships in Delhi, will represent her country in the fiercely competitive 57 kilogramme featherweight division. At the 2022 World Championships, Manisha won the bronze medal.

Jaismine Lamboria, who won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, is a quarterfinalist in the 2022 edition and will box in the 60kg division.

Preeti and Sanamacha Chanu, two young boxers, will represent India in the 54kg and 70kg weight classes, respectively. Preeti won a bronze medal at the 2022 Asian Championships, while Sanamcha is the 2021 Youth World Champion and was crowned National Champion in her category just recently.

Saweety Boora, the current Asian and national champion, will compete in the 81 kilogramme weight class. The seasoned competitor, who won a silver medal at the 2014 World Championships in South Korea, will be eager to continue her impressive form in order to add to her medal collection.

Sakshi Chaudhary (52kg), Shashi Chopra (63kg), and Manju Bamboria (66kg), who won gold at the 2019 South Asian Games, will all be eager to prove their mettle at the World Championships in their respective weight classes.

Nupur Sheoran, the defending national champion at 81 kg or more, will carry India’s medal hopes in the heavyweight division.

The event will feature a total prize pool of Rs 20 crore, of which Rs 10 crores will be awarded to gold medalists. Runners-up in their respective categories and bronze medalists will receive their prizes from pools totaling Rs 5 crores.

The Boxing Federation of India (BFI) will host the Women’s World Boxing Championships for the third time, the most by any country since the tournament’s inception. More than 350 boxers from 74 countries, including 12 Indians, have registered for this biennial event.

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Nitu Ghanghas (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (50kg), Sakshi Chaudhary (52kg), Preeti (54kg), Manisha Moun (57kg), Jaismine Lamboria (60kg), Shashi Chopra (63kg), Manju Bamboria (66kg), Sanamcha Chanu (70kg), Lovlina Borgohain (75kg), Saweety Boora (81kg), and Nupur Sheor

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