India’s elite boxing talent put on a commanding display at the Elite Men and Women’s National Boxing Championships in Greater Noida, with several leading names booking their places in the semi-finals through emphatic performances on Thursday. The quarterfinal stage saw both established champions and rising contenders underline their class across multiple weight categories.
In the women’s competition, world champion Minakshi Hooda continued her strong run in the 45-48 kg category, registering a unanimous decision victory over Punjab’s Kashish Mehta. Two-time world champion Nikhat Zareen was equally clinical in the 48-51 kg division, outclassing Manipur’s Lanchenbee Chanu Tongbram to secure her semi-final berth without conceding a round.
The men’s bouts also witnessed one-sided contests from India’s top names. Competing in the 65-70 kg category, World Boxing Cup gold medallist Hitesh Gulia produced a dominant performance to defeat Punjab’s Tejaswi by unanimous decision. Pawan Bartwal, a silver medallist at the World Boxing Cup Finals, advanced in the 50-55 kg class after a convincing win over Tyson of Arunachal Pradesh.
Further strengthening the semi-final line-up, Jadumani Singh (50-55 kg) and Sachin (55-60 kg) also progressed with clear verdicts against their respective opponents from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. In the women’s 51-54 kg quarterfinals, Preeti delivered a composed performance to beat Harmeet Kaur Virk of Punjab, while Sakshi edged past Poonam of RSPB in a closely contested bout.
With the semi-final stage now set, the championships promise high-intensity clashes as India’s best boxers move closer to national honours in Greater Noida.
