Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi
New Delhi, Jan 8: India’s leading boxers, including world champion Minakshi Hooda and two-time world title holder Nikhat Zareen, progressed to the semifinals of the Elite Men and Women National Boxing Championships with convincing quarterfinal victories at Gautam Buddha University, Greater Noida, on Thursday.
The ongoing championships are historic, marking the first time the men’s and women’s National Boxing Championships are being conducted together at a single venue. Around 600 boxers are competing across 10 weight categories each for men and women.
In the women’s 45–48kg division, Minakshi Hooda of the All India Police team delivered a dominant performance to defeat Punjab’s Kashish Mehta by a unanimous 5–0 verdict. Nikhat Zareen was equally impressive in the 48–51kg category, outclassing Manipur’s Lanchenbee Chanu Tongbram with a similar 5–0 scoreline.
World Boxing Cup gold medallist Hitesh Gulia also advanced comfortably in the men’s 65–70kg quarterfinals, recording a 5–0 win over Punjab’s Tejaswi. Other notable winners included silver medallist Pawan Bartwal (50–55kg), Jadumani Singh (50–55kg) and Sachin (55–60kg), all of whom registered unanimous decisions in their respective bouts. Pawan defeated Tyson of Arunachal Pradesh, Jadumani got the better of Punjab’s Nikhil, while Sachin overcame Karan from Uttar Pradesh.
In the women’s 51–54kg quarterfinals, Preeti secured a comprehensive 5–0 victory over Harmeet Kaur Virk of Punjab, while Sakshi edged past Poonam of RSPB by a 4–1 decision.
Action earlier in the tournament saw Nikhat Zareen, Pawan Bartwal and Sumit produce dominant performances to move deeper into the competition. Nikhat’s bout against Ladakh’s Kulsooma Bano in the 48–51kg category was stopped in the opening round due to her clear superiority. Pawan defeated Lalit in the men’s 50–55kg class, while Sumit (70–75kg) overcame Madhya Pradesh’s Kapil, with both contests halted in the third round.
Several boxers delivered emphatic displays. Haryana’s Pooja (75–80kg) blanked Anju of Chandigarh 5–0, while Jadumani Singh forced a referee stoppage in the second round against R Parthiban of Tamil Nadu.
There were also closely fought encounters involving seasoned campaigners. Assam’s Lovlina edged past Saweety in a tight 3–2 split decision, while former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Amit Panghal (50–55kg), representing SSCB, narrowly defeated Haryana’s Priyanshu by the same margin.
The National Boxing Championships began on January 4 and will conclude on Saturday, January 10, with the final bouts set to decide the champions across all categories.