Hosts Dominate Quarterfinals in Greater Noida, Advancing to Semifinals in All 20 Categories
GREATER NOIDA:India delivered a flawless and historic performance at the World Boxing Cup Finals in Greater Noida, storming into the semifinals across all 20 event categories (10 men’s and 10 women’s), thereby guaranteeing the host nation a medal in every weight class.
The quarterfinals concluded on Monday with a wave of victories for the Indian contingent, marked by several upsets over world-class opponents. Given the tournament format—which features the world’s top eight boxers in each category—reaching the semi-finals immediately secures a podium finish.
The biggest upset of the day came in the men’s 70 kg category, where Hitesh Gulia stunned the top-seeded, former World Champion and Asian Games gold medallist Sewon Okazawa of Japan in a gripping 3-2 split-decision bout, securing his semi-final berth.
The momentum continued with a series of clean unanimous decisions: Jadumani Singh (Men’s 50 kg) outclassed Kazakhstan’s Nurzat Ongarov with a commanding 5-0 unanimous decision. Naveen Kumar (Men’s 90 kg) secured another unanimous victory, defeating Kazakhstan’s Bekzat Tangatar. Sumit Kundu (Men’s 75 kg) overpowered Korea’s Kim Hyeon-tae with a dominant 5-0 unanimous decision. Pawan Bartwal (Men’s 55 kg) secured a significant upset win by taking down the second seed, Altynbek Nursultan of Kazakhstan, the World Cup Brazil gold medallist, with a commanding 5-0 victory.
These results built upon the strong foundation laid on Day 1, where other top Indian contenders like World Champions Minakshi Hooda (48kg) and Preeti Pawar (54kg), along with Ankush Phangal (80kg) and Narender Berwal (90+kg), had already punched their tickets to the semifinals.
With medals secured across all 20 weight categories, India’s focus now shifts to the semi-final bouts beginning today, where the boxers will compete for a spot in the gold medal match.
