World Boxing Cup: Preeti upsets Olympic medalist Huang Hsiao Wen, eight Indians enter final (Ld)
In Greater Noida on Tuesday, Indian boxer Preeti Pawar, 22, shocked the crowd and the boxing world. She beat Huang Hsiao‑Wen, a three‑time World Champion and Tokyo Olympics medalist, in a stunning upset at the World Boxing Cup Finals 2025. The fight was held at the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex, and Preeti’s win means she will face the final opponent for gold.
Preeti didn’t wait for a knock‑out. She started strong, landing clean counter punches in the first round and then taking full control in the second. She kept the seasoned Huang on the back foot, blocking angles and cutting off any chance to build a rhythm. A powerful one‑two combo late in the third round sealed the win. “I knew she was a world champion,” Preeti said after the bout. “My goal was to give my best and win on home soil.” The cheers of the home crowd helped her confidence soar.
The tournament saw eight Indian fighters reach the knockout stage. Arundhati Choudhary dominated Germany’s Leonie Müller with a referee‑stopped contest, while 48‑kg champion Minakshi Hooda scored a crisp 5‑0 win over Korea’s Bak Cho‑rong. Abhinash Jamwal, 65 kg, beat Ukraine’s Elvin Aliiev in a convincing victory, and Narender Berwal in the heavyweight bracket finished the field with a powerful win against Kazakhstan’s Daniyal Saparbay.
Ankush Phangal and Nupur Sheoran, both 80 kg, impressed with fast, pressure‑based games, routing Australia’s Marlon Sevehon and Ukraine’s Mariia Lovchynska respectively. Parveen, 60 kg, pulled off a close 3‑2 decision over Poland’s world‑cup silver medalist Rygielska Aneta Elżbieta, another highlight of the day.
Saweety Boora (75 kg) bowed out after a loss to Australia’s Emma‑Sue Greentree, and Naveen also finished with a bronze medal.
On the next day, nine Indians will fight to earn a spot in the final round. The marquee matches include two‑time World Champion Nikhat Zareen (51 kg) versus Uzbekistan’s Gulsevar Ganieva and reigning World Champion Jaismine Lamboria (57 kg) against Kazakhstan’s Ulzhan Sarsenbek. Other Indian boxers—Neeraj Phogat (65 kg), Jadumani Singh (50 kg), Pawan Bartwal (55 kg), Jugnoo (85 kg), Sachin (60 kg), Sumit (75 kg), and Hitesh (70 kg)—also hope to advance.
The World Boxing Cup Finals 2025 continues to showcase India’s rising talent, with several fighters already turning headlines. The next matches promise more surprises and drama as each athlete battles for a coveted spot in the gold medal bout.
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