World Boxing Cup: Meenakshi, Sakshi, Pooja Rani, Hitesh and Jugnoo in final

Astana (Kazakhstan), July 5 (IANS) Meenakshi (women’s 48kg), Sakshi (women’s 54kg), Pooja Rani (women’s 80kg), Hitesh Gulia (men’s 70kg) and Jugnoo (men’s 85kg) registered convincing victories to reach the finals of their respective weight categories in the World Boxing Cup 2025 here on Saturday. This means India’s boxing contingent at the World Boxing Cup – Astana will be vying for six gold medals on the final day on Sunday.

India is assured of 11 medals from Astana, with Abhinash Jamwal (men’s 65kg) still in the hunt for a spot in the final later in the day.

Meenakshi started India’s march on Saturday with an aggressive display to beat Nurselen Yalgettekin of Turkey 5:0 in the 48kg semifinal. Sakshi then displayed her prowess, landing punches regularly to dominate Feruza Kazakova of Uzbekistan, and reached the final of the 54kg weight category by an identical margin.

Olympian Pooja Rani then staved off a late charge from Elif Guneri of Turkey in the 80kg category to reach the final with a 3:2 verdict. Nupur had already sealed her final berth in the 80+ category on Friday, making it four Indian women boxers in the finals.

Sanju (60kg) was the other Indian women’s semifinalist in action on Saturday. Though she did put her best foot forward against Viktoriya Grafeyeva of Kazakhstan, the Indian ended on the wrong side of the 0:5 verdict and will have to bring home a bronze medal.

India had clinched a total of six medals in the first leg of the World Boxing Cup in Brazil earlier this year, with only the men's boxers competing in that leg.

This is the first time that the women pugilists have had an opportunity to showcase their skills at the World Boxing Cup stage, and they have grabbed it with both hands.

Hitesh Gulia, gold medallist in the Brazil leg, looked in trouble after the first round against France’s Makan Traore but the 20-year-old landed quite a few punches in the second round to close the gap and then wrapped up the semifinal with yet another convincing display in the third and final round to reach the final.

Jugnoo then added to the celebratory mood in the Indian camp with a 5:0 thumping of England’s Teagan Scott.

--IANS

bsk/