India has announced a formidable 20-member squad for the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025, set to be held at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida from November 14 to 21. The squad is a blend of experience and youth, spearheaded by prominent names such as Nikhat Zareen, Jaismine Lamboria, and Minakshi Hooda.
Nikhat Zareen, a former world champion in the 51kg category, will be a key figure in the team. Zareen is aiming for redemption after a quarterfinal exit at the World Championships in Liverpool earlier this year. She lost to Buse Naz Çakıroğlu of Turkey, a two-time Olympic silver medalist. Zareen has expressed her focus on collecting maximum ranking points at the World Boxing Cup Finals. She recognizes the importance of strategic competition selection to secure a good seeding.
Jaismine Lamboria, the reigning world champion in the 57kg category, is another significant inclusion. Lamboria also clinched India's first-ever gold medal at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool. She defeated Julia Szeremeta of Poland, a Paris 2024 Olympic silver medalist, in a 4-1 split decision. Lamboria's journey into boxing began in her 10th grade, with her mother and uncles playing a crucial role in supporting her aspirations.
Minakshi Hooda, the reigning world champion in the 48kg category, adds further strength to the squad. Hooda also secured a gold medal at the World Boxing Championship 2025 by out-punching Kazakhstan's Nazym Kyzaibay.
The women's team also includes Olympian Pooja Rani (80kg) and World Championship silver medalist Nupur Sheoran (80+kg). Saweety Boora, a former world champion in the 80kg category, will compete in the 75kg division, replacing Lovlina Borgohain, who is skipping the event due to an impending surgery. Parveen Hooda, an Asian Games medalist, will return to action in the 60kg category after serving a one-year ban. Other members of the women's team are Preeti (54kg), Parveen (60kg), Neeraj Phogat (65kg), and Arundhati Choudhary (70kg).
Hitesh (70kg) and Abhinash Jamwal (65kg), both medalists from previous World Boxing Cup stages, will lead the men's contingent. The men's team also features Jadumani Singh (50kg), Pawan Bartwal (55kg), Sachin (60kg), Sumit (75kg), Lakshya Chahar (80kg), Jugnoo (85kg), Naveen Kumar (90kg), and Narender (90+kg). Naveen has replaced Harsh Chaudhary in the 90kg category.
The World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 will witness participation from over 140 elite boxers representing 18 nations. The event will also feature three Paris 2024 Olympic medalists: Im Ae-ji of South Korea, Wu Shih-Yi, and Chen Nien-Chin of Chinese Taipei.
BFI President Ajay Singh expressed pride in hosting the World Boxing Cup Finals, emphasizing India's growing stature in boxing. He believes this event provides the perfect platform for Indian athletes to showcase their talent on the global stage.
This tournament is designed to pit top-ranked boxers against each other and will also act as the season-ending tournament, offering 300 points to the champion in the new point-based ranking system. India is fielding boxers in each category by virtue of being the hosts.
