• Source:JND
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World Boxing Cup Finals: Team India pugilists continued to reign supreme at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 continued on Day Two, with Pawan Bartwal (55kg) and Hitesh Gulia (70kg) achieving two of the tournament's standout outcomes. Pawan went past World Boxing Cup Brazil gold medalist Altynbek Nursultan, and Hitesh secured a win by a whisker over two-time Olympian, 2022 Asian Games gold medalist, and top seed Sewon Okazawa in a thrilling split-decision match.

Other Pugilists Sumit (75kg), Naveen (90kg), and Jadumani Singh (50kg) also secured India a flawless medal sweep across both sessions.

For Pawan, this achievement was 15 years in the making. Having started boxing in the 2010s and steadily climbing the ranks, the Services boxer made a remarkable debut on the international stage. Motivated by the support from home, he showcased extraordinary defensive skills, strategic tempo management, and outstanding endurance, consistently driving Nursultan—the second seed in the weight class—onto the ropes while finding clean openings.

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"Nursultan is a good boxer, he was a champion at the World Boxing Cup in Brazil this year. I was nervous at the beginning, but this tournament is taking place in our country, in front of our crowd, and that gave me confidence. This is a hugely significant tournament in my career. This is my first international medal, and I am extremely proud," Pawan said after his bout.

The night's marquee bout between Hitesh and Okazawa lived up to its billing, with the former producing one of the tournament's most dramatic results in a narrow 3:2 win. Both boxers displayed caution early, keeping up their guards and preventing openings, but a powerful hook from Hitesh late in round 2 gave him the early advantage. Okazawa hit back aggressively in round 3, but the home favourite's clean work in the first two rounds proved decisive, securing him a medal.

Previously, Sumit followed Pawan's lead with an equally assured 5:0 win over South Korea's Kim Hyeon-tae in the 75kg quarterfinals. A sharp punch to the face early in the bout set the tone for a relentless display where the Indian pugilist married aggression with tactical control. He pressed forward throughout, dictating the exchanges and forcing Kim into survival mode as the verdict became a formality. Naveen, a Strandja 2024 medalist, completed the trio of wins in Session 2 with a composed and intelligent performance against Kazakhstan's Bekzat Tangatar.

Ten Indians will enter semifinal action on Day 3, led by World Champion Minakshi (48kg) against Korea's Bak Cho-rong.

Inputs from press release

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