&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "World Boxing Cup Finals 2025: Minakshi, Preeti, Ankush and Berwal lead India’s perfect start")
India made a perfect start at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 as reigning world champion Minakshi, along with Preeti, Ankush Phangal and Narender Berwal, marched into the semifinals with commanding victories on day 1. With only the top eight boxers globally competing in each weight class, the Indian team displayed remarkable precision and composure at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex, ensuring a medal for each of the four early contenders.
Minakshi (48kg), the World Championships Liverpool 2025 gold medallist, opened India’s campaign in style by outclassing Kazakhstan’s Bolat Akbota through relentless pace and crisp, accurate punches. Preeti (54kg) kept the momentum rolling as she overwhelmed Uzbekistan’s former Youth World Champion Nigina Uktamova using rapid footwork and well-timed combinations in a dominant offensive showing.
In the men’s bouts, Ankush Phangal (80kg) produced one of the most controlled performances of the day. After absorbing early pressure, he shifted to a smart counter-attacking rhythm, landing precise combinations to comfortably defeat Japan’s Go Wakaya by unanimous decision. In the super heavyweight division (90+kg), Narender Berwal fought through a cut above his eye to record a gritty 4:1 win over Ukraine’s Andrii Khaletskyi, relying on tight defence and heavy body-to-head combinations.
Day 2 promises more action as India’s top male boxers take centre stage. The afternoon session begins at 2pm with Pawan Bartwal (55kg) facing Kazakhstan’s Altynbek Nursultan, the in-form World Boxing Cup Brazil 2025 champion. Next up, Sumit (75kg) is set to challenge Korea’s Kim Hyeon-tae, a powerful, tactical boxer known for pressure-based counters. In the 90kg bracket, Naveen Kumar will square off against Kazakhstan’s hard-hitting Tangatar Bekzat.
The evening session brings two high-profile contests. World Boxing Cup Brazil 2025 medallist Jadumani Singh (50kg) meets Kazakhstan’s rising star Ongarov Nurzat, while the spotlight bout sees Hitesh (70kg) take on top seed Sewon Okazawa, the 2022 Asian Games medallist renowned for his refined technical skill.
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Beyond India’s standout start, Day 1 showcased world-class performances across divisions. Poland’s Wiktoria Rogalinska cruised past Ukraine’s Inna Statkevych with a 5:0 win in the women’s 54kg draw. Uzbekistan’s Aziza Zokirova delivered an equally dominant 5:0 result over Nigeria’s Patricia Mbata in the 70kg category. The men’s field saw Ukraine’s Elvin Aliiev and Uzbekistan’s Adkhamjon Mukhiddinov secure clean 5:0 victories at 65kg, while Kazakhstan’s Begaliyev Sanzhar-Ali and Australia’s Marlon Sevehon impressed in the 80kg bouts. Uzbekistan’s Khalimjon Mamasoliev also advanced powerfully in the 90+kg class with a sweeping 5:0 win.
