World Boxing Cup Finals Day 3: Eight Indian Boxers March Into Title Clashes

ndia enjoyed a spectacular third day at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 on Tuesday, led by an inspired performance from Preeti Pawar, who stunned Tokyo 2020 Olympic bronze medallist Huang Hsiao-wen of Chinese Taipei to book her place in the women’s 54kg final.

Preeti’s statement victory paved the way for a dominant outing by the hosts, with eight more Indian pugilists advancing to their respective gold-medal bouts at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida.
Among those joining her in the finals were Arundhati Choudhary (70kg), Minakshi Hooda (48kg), Nupur Sheoran (80+kg), and Parveen (60kg); in the men’s section, Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), Ankush Phangal (80kg), and Narender Berwal (90+kg) also cruised through.

India did face a few disappointments. Saweety Boora (75kg) bowed out after going down to Australia’s Emma-Sue Greentree, while Naveen wrapped up his campaign with a bronze in the men’s 90kg category.

Preeti, just 22, asserted control from the opening bell. She edged ahead in the first round with crisp counters before raising her intensity in the second. Cutting off Huang’s angles and disrupting her tempo, Preeti never allowed the seasoned Taiwanese boxer to gain momentum. A sharp one-two combination in the final round sealed a career-defining 4-0 triumph.

“I knew she was a world champion, but to become one, you have to beat one,” Preeti said after the bout. “My aim was to give everything in front of the home crowd. The support in my previous fight boosted my confidence, and I came here determined to win.”

Arundhati Choudhary delivered one of the most dominant displays of the tournament, halting Germany’s Leonie Muller — a medallist in all three stages of the 2025 World Boxing Cup — via RSC (Referee Stops Contest).
The former youth world champion, returning to the ring after an 18-month hiatus, showed no signs of rust. She overwhelmed Muller with sustained aggression, scoring a knockdown in the second round and finishing the contest with another in the third.

Reigning world champion Minakshi Hooda secured a flawless 5-0 verdict over Korea’s Bak Cho-rong, relying on tight defence and clean, precision punching.

World Boxing Cup medallist Abhinash Jamwal began his campaign with a commanding win over Ukraine’s Elvin Aliiev, while Narender Berwal (90+kg) proved too strong for Kazakhstan’s Daniyal Saparbay.

Ankush Phangal picked up another unanimous 5-0 win, outworking Australia’s Marlon Sevehon with rapid movement and relentless pressure.

Nupur Sheoran continued India’s successful run with a dominant win against Ukraine’s Mariia Lovchynska, controlling the bout from start to finish.
Meanwhile, Parveen pulled off one of the day’s biggest surprises, edging Poland’s Aneta Rygielska in a close 3-2 decision.

A packed schedule awaits India on Wednesday, with nine Indian boxers stepping into the ring. The lineup includes two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen (51kg), who faces Uzbekistan’s Gulsevar Ganieva, and current world champion Jaismine Lamboria (57kg), who takes on Kazakhstan’s Ulzhan Sarsenbek.

Also competing will be Neeraj Phogat (65kg), Jadumani Singh (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Jugnoo (85kg), Sachin (60kg), Sumit (75kg) and Hitesh (70kg).