The World Boxing Cup Finals 2025, the season ending marquee event organized by World Boxing, kicks off Today in Greater Noida, India.
Close to 110 Boxers from 18 different countries are set to battle it out across 10 weight categories each in men’s and women’s,for the season ending title. The World Boxing Cup Finals is a culmination of the World Boxing Cups, multiple of which are held throughout the year. The top 8 ranked boxers from the recently published World Boxing Rankings are eligible to participate in this season ending finale. The hosts get one quota per weight category, irrespective of the rankings.
The tournament draw will follow a knockout format starting from the Quarter Finals, followed by the Semi Finals and Finals.
India is fielding a full 20 Boxer Squad
Team India will have a representative in each of the 20 categories, on account of being the hosts, with the squad being spearheaded by 2 time World Champion Nikhat Zareen, and reigning World Champions Jaismine Lamboria & Minakshi Hooda.
Squad:
Women: Minakshi Hooda (48kg), Nikhat Zareen (51kg), Preeti Pawar (54kg), Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), Parveen Hooda (60kg), Neeraj Phogat (65kg), Arundhati Chaudhary (70kg), Saweety Boora (75kg), Pooja Rani (80kg), Nupur Sheoran (+80kg)
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Men: Jadumani Singh (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Sachin Siwach (60kg), Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), Hitesh Gulia (70kg), Sumit Kundu (75kg), Ankush Panghal (80kg), Jugnoo Ahlawat(85kg), Naveen Kumar (90kg), Narender Berwal(+90kg).
Detailed Draw Analysis for the Indian Boxers
The participation at this event has surprisingly turned out to be low. The playing field is also not the most competitive, that one may have hoped for. As per reports from World Boxing, one of the main reasons being given behind the low participation is believed to be the season’s end, with many top boxers understood to have opted for a break before resuming next year.
Most weight categories will not be featuring the maximum number of allowed athletes, which is 8, with some categories featuring as low as 3 athletes. The participation rate in women’s is lower than men’s with only 44 female athlete entries as opposed to 65 in men’s.
Women’s Draw
48 Kg Women: Reigning World Champion Minakshi Hooda will look to add to the world championships title at her home ground. She will face Asian U22 Silver Akbota Bolat(Kazakhstan) in the quarter finals. Not much resistance in her half of the draw though the other half has Hanna Okhota(Ukraine), a former World Championship Silver medalist and Farzona Fozilova(Uzbekistan), also a World Championships bronze medalist, both capable of posing a challenge.
Shouldn’t be much of a problem for Minakshi if she is at the top of her game.
Prediction: Gold
51 Kg Women: Nikhat Zareen had a disappointing World championships where she returned without a medal. She would look to end the year on a high with a gold medal at home. She has been handed a bye in the quarters and will face Gulsevar Ganieva (Uzbekistan) in the semis.
Easily the most accomplished boxer in this division, Nikhat is expected to win the gold, in a category that offers little resistance.
Prediction: Gold
54 Kg Women: Paris Olympian Preeti Pawar is back in the squad after a year, and will replace Sakshi Chaudhary in one of the more competitive categories of this tournament. She will open her campaign against Nigina Uktamova(Uzbekistan) in the quarter finals. Her biggest hurdle will be up next as she potentially faces Olympic medalist and 3 time World Champion Hsiao Wen Huang(Chinese Taipei) in the semis.
With World Boxing Cup gold medalist Wiktoria Rogalinska(Poland) & multiple World Championships medalist Sirine Charaabi(Italy) also in the mix, this category promises to be an exciting watch.
Prediction: Medal
57 Kg Women: Jaismine Lamboria stunned the boxing world with a gold at the World Championships this year and will undoubtedly be one of the favourites to win the gold at the World Boxing Cup Finals as well. Having received a Bye in the quarters, She will start her campaign directly in the semis against Ulzhan sarsenbek (Kazakhstan).
Her biggest hurdle could potentially be Paris Olympic Bronze medalist Shih Yi Wu (Chinese Taipei), placed in the opposite half of the draw. Am exciting final match between these two is potentially on the cards.
Prediction: Gold
60 Kg Women: Parveen Hooda has returned to the National team after a 14 month long suspension, which saw her miss the Paris Olympics. She would be eager for a good showing and is set to face 2025 World championship Silver medalist Aneta Rygielska(Poland) in a tricky opener.
A win here, and she should be good for the Gold.
Prediction: Final
65 Kg Women: Neeraj Phogat faces a tougher opener against Paris Olympics Bronze medalist and former World Champion Chen Nien Chin(Chinese Taipei). Not expecting her to make it past this round.
A win would be surprising.
Prediction: No Medal
70 Kg Women: Arundhati Chaudhary is also back in the team and has moved up to a heavier category. She has received a Bye in the quarters and will face Leone Muller(Germany) in the semis. 2025 World Championships bronze medalist Aziza Zokirova(Uzbekistan) is the most accomplished boxer in the field and is placed in the opposite half.
Prediction: Final
75 Kg Women: Former World Champ Saweety Boora fills in for Lovlina Borgohain, who is out of the team due to a recent surgery. This is going to be her first international appearance in almost 2.5 years, and it will be interesting to see if she comes in top shape. She will face 2025 World Championships bronze Emma Greentree(Australia) in the semis.
For the record, she has a win against her Australian opponent in 2023, en-route her world title win. But whether she would be able to repeat the result, is what remains to be seen.
Prediction: Bronze
80 Kg Women: With only 3 competitors, this category is one of the shallowest in the tournament. Pooja Rani will directly feature in the finals but might face an uphill battle against reigning Super Heavyweight World Champion Agata Kaczmarska(Poland), who will be the favourite to win the Gold.
Prediction: Final
80+ Kg Women: 2025 World Championship Silver medalist Nupur Sheoran enters the event as the favourite to win the Gold in the women’s Superheavyweights. She will open her campaign against Mariia Lovchynska(Ukraine) in the semis. Not expecting much of a trouble winning the Gold here.
Anything less would be a disappointing result.
Prediction: Gold
Mens Draw Preview
50 Kg Men: Jadumani Singh faces a relatively unknown Kazakh Nurzat Ongarov in the quarter finals. He’s got a relatively straightforward path to the finals, where he is most likely to meet WBC Brazil gold medalist Asilbek Jalilov(Uzbekistan), who also happened to beat Jadumani on his way to the title in Foz Do Iguacu.
2025 World Championships bronze Soushi Makino(Japan) is also capable of causing some disrupt in the opposite half.
Prediction: Final
55 Kg Men: Pawan Bartwal faces and uphill task in the opening round itself facing WBC Brazil gold medalist Altynbek Nursultan(Kazakhstan).
Expecting him to make it past this round will be a tough ask.
Prediction: No Medal
60 Kg Men: Sachin Siwach faces Dilshod Abdumurodov(Uzbekistan) for a spot in the finals. The opposite half is a bit more competitive with Olympic Silver medalist Munarbek Seiitbek Uulu(Kyrgyzstan),WBC medalist Pawel Beach(Poland) & William Hewitt(England) in the mix.
Expecting Sachin to make the finals atleast.
Prediction: Final
65 Kg Men: Abhinash Jamwal has been the most impressive Indian male boxer this year, with 2 WBC final appearances plus a solid showing at the World Boxing Championships, where he lost in the medal round,arguably in a controversial decision. He has been handed a Bye in the quarter finals and will potentially fight Elvin Aliyev(Ukraine) in the semis.
The 65 doesn’t pack as much depth, with the Uzbek Adkhamjon Mukhiddinov being the only boxer, seemingly capable of challenging Abhinash for the Gold.
Prediction: Gold
70 Kg Men: Hitesh Gulia had a disappointing World Championships where he bowed out in the opening rounds. He would be eager to end the year on a high note. He has a tough opening round against the highly unorthodox and former World Champ Sewon Okazawa(Japan), with Mukhammadazizbek Ismoilov(Uzbekistan) waiting in the semis.
Expecting Hitesh to make it to the finals at least if he is able to win his opening round match, which is also a tough ask.
Prediction: Final
75 Kg Men: Sumit Kundu faces Kim Hyeon Tae(South Korea) in the quarter finals of one of the least competitive categories on the tournament. With no standout fighters in this category, one really shouldn’t be surprised if Sumit walks away with a medal here.
Prediction: Medal
80 Kg Men: Ankush Panghal has filled in for the injured Lakshya Chahar at the last minute, and will be fighting WBC Finals 2024 silver medalist Go Wakaya(Japan) in the his opening round. He’s got the easier half of the draw with World Youth Champ Sanzharali Begaliyev(Kazakhstan) and WBC Finals 2024 Champion Oladimeji Shittu(England),both in the opposite half.
With relatively low prior international experience, really don’t know what to expect from Ankush here, hoping for a good performance.
Prediction: Medal
85 Kg Men: Jugnoo Ahlawat has recieved a bye in the opening round and will face either Jasurbek Yuldoshev(Uzbekistan)/ John Lawson(Australia) in the semis. With no standout fighters in this category, it should come as no surprise if Jugnoo manages to win the whole thing here.
Prediction: Gold
90 Kg Men: Naveen Kumar has a tricky opener against Bekzat Tangatar(Kazakhstan). A potential semis against WBC Brazil silver medalist Issac Okoh(England) is on the cards if he manages to get past the Kazakh.
Prediction: Medal
90+ Kg Men: Narender Berwal faces Andrii Khaletskyi(Ukraine) in his opening round match. If he manages to get past him, he has Daniyal Saparbay(Kazakhstan) in the semis, someone who he had lost against in WBC Brazil, earlier this year. Narender will be eager to flip the result this time around.
World Youth Champion Khalimjon Mamasoliev(Uzbekistan) is in the opposite half of the draw and will be one of the top contenders for Gold.
Prediction: Medal
