Split fortunes: Women pack a punch at World C’ships, men hit new low

new delhi: India’s campaign at the World Boxing Championships was a tale of two extremes.

While the women scripted history, delivering the country’s best-ever overseas showing, the men endured a humbling low, returning without a single medal for the first time in 12 years.

Jaismine Lamboria (57kg) and Minakshi Hooda (48kg) rose to the occasion with breakthrough triumphs, showcasing grit and tactical maturity to begin a the LA Olympics cycle on a high.

The seasoned Pooja Rani (80kg) and Nupur Sheoran (80+kg) added to the glory with a bronze and silver respectively as India finished third in the medals table behind heavy weights Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. However, it should be noted that apart from Jaismine’s medal, the other three podium finishes came in non-Olympic divisions, where competition was less intense.

For instance, Nupur’s draw featured only 10 boxers, while 12 pugilists competed in the 80kg category.

Lack of int’l exposure

The championships also underlined the importance of consistent exposure. After the Paris Olympics, the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) chose not to send boxers to several international events, claiming those tournaments were affiliated with the old world body, IBA, and participation risked suspension from the new governing body, World Boxing.

Yet powerhouses like Uzbekistan, Turkey and Kazakhstan competed in those very tournaments, as well as the IBA World Championships in March. Many of the same boxers went on to finish on the podium in Liverpool.

By contrast, Indian male boxers featured in only two international events since Paris, while the women competed in just one.

And that showed in their performances.

The underwhelming men’s campaign ended without a medal for the first time since the 2013 edition. The disappointment came on the back of the highs of 2023 in Tashkent, where India had secured three bronze medals, their best-ever haul. This year, the squad featuring a mix of youth and experience struggled to make an impact. Under performing old campaigners like former medallists Amit Panghal, Deepak Bhoria, Shiva Thapa made way for youngsters.